BAGUIO CITY –The best mode to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution is through the Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) to avoid the conflict of interests of lived lawmakers in the process, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan.
The local chief executive underscored that the constitution of the ConCon by the President upon the passage of the appropriate enabling law that will be passed by Congress will definitely avoid misconceptions that amending the Constitution is only designed to suit the interest of lawmakers.
“We support the ConCon mode of introducing the appropriate amendments to the Constitution because it will have its own timetable to undertake the needed amendments to the Constitution for the shift from the present presidential form to federal form of government,” Domogan stressed.
Among the legitimate modes of introducing amendments to the Constitution include ConCon, constituent assembly and peoples; initiative.
In the case of a constituent assembly where Congress will be convened for Charter change, the city mayor claimed that it could be again misinterpreted that the lawmakers want to amend the Constitution because they want to align their own personal interests that would derail the efforts of the shift from presidential to federal form of government.
According to him, constituting the ConCon will be the best way to introduce the desired amendments to the Constitution because the electorate will be given a chance to select their representatives to the said body where they can voice out their issues and concerns regarding what they think of the need to shift from presidential to federal form of government.
While it will surely take sometime to convene the ConCon considering the need for Congress to pass the appropriate enabling law and for the ConCon to do its assigned duties and responsibilities, Domogan expressed confidence that the Duterte administration will achieve its goals and objectives within the timeline to avoid possible complications in the future.
Considering the absence of the budget earmarked for the ConCon delegates this year, he revealed that the earliest possible time that the ConCon will convene is March next year after Congress shall have passed the budget next year that will include the budget for the delegates and that it will surely work at its own pace despite the prescribed timeline.
He expressed support to the Duterte administration’s bid to shift from presidential form to federal form of government because it will allow the federal states to have greater control of the resources within the state and for the states to be able to craft their own development road maps that will guarantee inclusive growth for the local governments comprising the federal states to be created once the results of the ConCon shall have been ratified by the Filipino people during a plebiscite to be scheduled within the next three years.
Domogan is a staunch advocate for regional autonomy and federalism considering the need to move the powers away from the national government to allow the regional government to craft its own programs and projects suitable to the prevailing condition in the region./By Dexter A. See
