ATTENTION: PEOPLE’S TONIGHT Desk
Ryan Ponce Pacpaco
September 15
STORY #3 “BLOC”
House independent bloc leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin
Romualdez yesterday challenged President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III
to finally drop plans to tinker with political revisions of the
Constitution.
Romualdez was disappointed when President Aquino hinted again at
entertaining thoughts of running for a second term more than a week
after declaring that he is not inclined to serve beyond 2016.
“The President should make a total surrender of tinkering on lifting
the provisions on term limits to allow elective officials like him to
run for reelection,” Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the
Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), stressed, adding
talks about political Charter change (Cha-cha) will only divide the
nation.
Romualdez said “the President should not confuse the people with his
unclear Cha-cha statement.”
Instead, he asked him to focus on pressing matters such as addressing
the rising joblessness in the country.
“Let us move on and face the pressing issues concerning the welfare of
the people such as problem on joblessness,” he said.
President Aquino added a seeming confusion to endless speculation
about his real plans after June 30, 2016 by purportedly entertaining
thoughts of running for another term.
Reports said that the Chief Executive had told his allies in the
ruling Liberal Party (LP) and other groups during Friday’s meeting at
Malacañang Palace last on Friday that he was “slightly open” to the
possibility of extending his presidency.
Earlier, Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice temporarily shelved his plan
to file political Cha-cha resolution to support certain amendments to
the economic provisions of the Constitution that Speaker Feliciano
“Sonny” Belmonte Jr. has been pushing.
Belmonte is the main proponent of the Resolution of Both Houses No. 1
which seeks to remove the 60-40 percent Filipino-foreign investor
equity limitations.
Erice has been proposing to amend the constitutional provision on the
current six-year term without reelection to a four-year term with a
single reelection for the president and vice president.
Erice said he would also propose to change the provision on the term
of office of the elected senators, congressmen, and local to four
years with a maximum three reelection.(RPP)