Lawmaker pushes for joint congressional body on Cha-cha

A lawmaker who earlier revived talks on amending the 1987 Constitution has formally urged the House leadership to create a joint congressional committee to facilitate multi-sectoral debates on Charter change (Cha-cha). Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone sent a letter dated Jan. 18 to House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. proposing the creation of a joint congressional consultative commission on Charter change (J4Cs) to solicit public’s views on Cha-cha. "The main task of the J4Cs is to undertake massive people's consultations and consolidate the various outputs of previous bodies that undertake extensive studies on the issue," he said in his letter to Belmonte, released to the media on Thursday. Evardone, an administration ally, revived talks on Charter change earlier this month after he said that now is the best time to amend the Constitution because President Benigno Aquino III has vowed not to run for any elective post in 2016. The lawmaker found an ally in former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who expressed willingness to lead a pro-Charter change coalition after he said that the Aquino presidency provides a "perfect time" to review and change the Constitution.

Malacañang officials, however, said the President still needs to be convinced on the need for Charter change, while lawmakers from both chambers of Congress said that amending the Constitution is not a priority at present. Last week, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said that he favors amending the Constitution through a constituent assembly, where members of both the Senate and House would convene to attend to such matter. 'Dreams and aspirations But Evardone, who heads the House panel on information and communication, argued that the creation of the J4Cs will ensure that proposals to the constitutional convention (Con-con) that will amend the Charter "will embody the dreams and aspirations of the mass of our people." "The J4Cs shall simultaneously conduct its public consultation while Congress and Senate are deliberating on the bills and resolutions on calling for the election of delegates to the constitutional convention. In this manner, people will be well-informed and empowered on the issue of Charter change," he said. The final consolidated output of the joint congressional body on Charter change shall be forwarded to the constitutional convention for its consideration, he added. Evardone has earlier expressed intention to file in Congress a bill calling for the election of delegates to the constitutional convention, either on May or June this year. — RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV