Cynthia Villar on renewed Cha-cha push: Ayaw ng Pilipino n'yan

Senator Cynthia Villar on Friday expressed reservations in supporting the renewed push to amend the 1987 Constitution, saying the Filipino people do not want Charter change (Cha-cha).

"Alam mo naman ang mga Pilipino, ayaw naman nila ng Charter change in general, 'di ba? Hindi popular sa Pilipino 'yan," Villar said in an ambush interview in Las Piñas.

(Filipinos do not want Charter change in general, right? That is not popular among Filipinos.)

"Siyempre ang Senado, 'di kami ano sa Charter change kasi hindi naman gusto 'yan ng general public. It has been noted in all the research na ayaw nila ng Charter change. Basta ayaw ng tao, ayaw ko. Ang masusunod 'yung ating mga kababayan kung ano ang gusto nilang mangyari sa ating bayan," she added.

(In the Senate, we are not that supportive of Charter change because the general public doesn't want it. It has been noted in all the research that Filipinos are not for Charter change. As long as the public doesn't want it, I won't support it. The will of the people should be followed.)

Villar, a stalwart of the Nacionalista Party, warned against the tinkering of political provisions of the 1987 Constitution despite claims of lawmakers pushing for it that they will only seek the amendments to the economic provisions of the Charter.

"Sinasabi nila na ang economic provision lang daw ang ichi-change nila, pero halimbawa, binuksan mo ang constitution hindi na puwede na economic muna. Pagbukas mo niyan ay lahat tatamaan niyan," she said.

(They are saying that they will only amend the economic provisions, but once you start amending the Constitution, all of the provisions are open for amendments.)

While she has yet to study the resolution filed by Senator Robin Padilla, which seeks amendments to the political provisions of the 1987 Constitution, Villar said her colleague would have a hard time pushing that in the Senate.

"Medyo mahirap 'yun sa Senado (Amending the Constitution will have a difficult time in the Senate). I think he will have a hard time but we'll see," she said.

"Marami s'yang ideas. Tayo, matagal na tayong senador, pamilya namin. You don't do something na ayaw ng tao as a policy. So we'll see if the people will accept," she added.

(Senator Padilla has many ideas. My family and I have been in the Senate for a long time. As a policy, you don't do something that is against the will of the people. So, we'll see if the people will accept it.)

Earlier this week, Padilla filed Resolution of Both House No. 5, which proposes the following amendments to the political provisions of the 1987 Constitution:

• Section 2 of Article. VI: The Senate shall have 54 members. Of these, 24 are elected at large and 30 elected by qualified voters from each legislative region.
• Section 4 of Article VI: Senators elected at large shall have terms of eight years, but shall not serve for more than two consecutive terms; senators elected by region shall have terms of four years, but shall not serve for more than three consecutive terms.
• Section 7 of Article VI: Members of the House of Representatives shall be elected for a term of four years, and shall not serve more than three consecutive terms.
• Section 4 of Art. VII: The President and Vice President shall be elected as joint candidates by direct vote of the people for a term of four years. They shall not be elected for more than two terms. A President who served for two terms shall not be qualified to run for any elective position. Any person who has succeeded the President or Vice President shall only be qualified for one election to the same office at any time.
• Section 8 of Article X: The term of office of elective local officials except barangay officials shall be four years. They shall serve no more than three consecutive terms.

Padilla, chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, had led a series of hearings early this year on the measure he filed seeking to amend the economic provision of the constitution.

While he released a draft report on the Cha-cha measure, it did not gain support from his colleagues.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, a stalwart of PDP-Laban whose main advocacy is to change the type of government into federalism, said he supports moves to amend the political provisions of the Constitution but not the economic provisions, especially if it will ease restrictions on foreign ownership of businesses and if it will allow foreigners to exploit the country's natural resources.

At the House of Representatives, Speaker Martin Romualdez recently said that they will "focus" their attention on proposals regarding restrictions in the entry of foreign capital and investments, including Charter change.

Romualdez said Congress would "champion the cause of revisiting our present Constitution, a cause that is the key to unlocking the vast potential of the Philippine economy."

The revived push to amend the Charter baffled Senator Imee Marcos, the sister of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and the first cousin of Romualdez.

She took a swipe at individuals pushing for cha-cha and said that "someone might want to be a prime minister because the person can't win the presidency."

Surigao del Norte lawmaker Ace Barbers said NP members at the House are in favor of a constitutional convention as a way to amend the 1987 Constitution, citing the Resolution of Both Houses which was passed by the House last March.

The resolution states that a con-con—with delegates to be elected to draft the new constitution, “would be the most transparent, exhaustive, democratic, and least divisive means of implementing constitutional reforms.”

“The last time we discussed the said RBH 6, the NPs were all on board. ... I am also okay with Charter Change,” Barbers told GMA News Online, adding that there are at least 38 NP members at the House —KBK, GMA Integrated News