INTERIOR Secretary Eduardo Año yesterday justified renewed efforts of local government officials to push for amendments to the Constitution while the country is still in the middle of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Año is chairman of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Federalism and Constitutional Reforms.
President Duterte formed the task force in 2018 to harmonize efforts towards federalism and constitutional reforms.
Año is due to submit to Congress on Monday, after the President Duterte’s state of the nation address, a copy of a resolution of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines supporting Charter change (Cha-cha).
The resolution, which was received by the Año on Wednesday last week, called for the institutionalization of the “Mandanas Ruling” of the Supreme Court in the Constitution, to ensure that local governments will have just share from taxes collected by the national government.
Also, the 1,488-strong LMP, led by Mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, also called for the lifting of constitutional provisions that ban foreign investors from certain industries.
Año justified the move of local government officials to push for constitutional reforms, saying the world needs not stop due to the pandemic.
He likened the initiative of the local officials to the government’s campaign against communist rebels and illegal drugs which he said continue even during the pandemic.
“Hindi naman pupwedeng may COVID na, stop muna yang mga yan. So hindi lang natin binibigyan ng priority yung mga ganyan (It doesn’t mean that since there is COVID, you have to stop it. We’re not just giving priority to it,” he said.
“I-back burner na lang yang constitutional reforms, COVID na lang muna tayo. (We put it in the back burner, we’re focusing on COVID,” he also said.
Año also said he has to submit the LMP resolution to Congress. “You receive the LMP resolution, then endorse it to the proper body, Congress. Bahala na yung congressional committee sa next action (It’s up to the congressional committee as to what action it will take).”
Interior Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya asked critics when is the right time to push for constitutional reforms.
“Every time constitutional reforms is on the table, there is always this argument that why now, why should we discuss about it. It’s always about the timing, it’s always about the alleged ulterior motives of those who are pushing for it,” he said.
Last Sunday, Vice President Leni Robredo said it not the time to push for changes in the Constitution.
Malaya said the country never had a serious discussion about introducing reforms in the Constitution in the past administrations because of questions about the timing and the alleged motive of proponents.
“When are we going to have that national conversation? In the next administration? We have been pushing this off for the past six administrations,” Malaya said.
Malaya said among the reforms the DILG wants to introduce are about bringing countryside development.
“We’d like to push for constitutional reform so that there is greater regional development, so that the next time a pandemic comes, the entire Philippine economy will not shut down just because Metro Manila is in a standstill because of lockdown,” he said.
Malaya said there has to be “greater distribution of resources to the provinces in order to prepare ourselves for future pandemic,”
“This is just a continuation of what has always been in the agenda of the administration and now that we are in the last two years of the administration, we have to give it one final push if it will push through,” Malaya also said.
National Task Force on COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said he, together Año and health officials, met yesterday with LGU leaders led by LMP members but it was about COVID-19 efforts and the second phase of the National Action Plan which aims to get LGUs more involved, especially in the implementation of localized lockdowns, and tests, tracing, treatment and isolation efforts of government.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the administration is focused on containing the coronavirus disease, not Charter change.
He said the President has been addressing the public weekly and he never mentioned Charter change even once.
Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the House committee on constitutional amendments, said his panel would resume its hearing to review the mayors’ proposal.
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said that while the initiative to amend the Constitution has become a necessity, it should be undertaken at the proper time.
“Let me first state that Chairman Rufus is just doing his job because that’s his committee and we can expect him to continue to push for it. Having said that, we’re multitasking.
There’s no doubt that we need Charter change but the question to all of us is timing,” Cayetano told reporters.
The Speaker also shot back at the Vice President, saying critics of the administration have a penchant for blaming government while rejecting the solutions it is offering, including constitutional changes.
“The problem with the statements like those of Vice President Leni and others, they blame Congress but when we offer a real solution like Charter change, they also do not want it,” he said.
While Congress is still very much interested in Cha-cha, Cayetano assured that it will be taken in stride and “will not be rammed down their (people’s) throats.” — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Wendell Vigilia
