Manila, Philippines – On Tuesday, August 2, 2016, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez stressed that he will be going to ask President Rodrigo Duterte to release an executive order in creating a constitutional commission. Alvarez cited that initiating a constitutional commission with 20 to 25 constitutional experts in law would help to address the issue of competency. The House Speaker earlier react regarding on the comments that there are some members of the Congress are not proficient of forming the constituent assembly.
He said, “I don’t think that is fair, ‘yung comment na ‘yun. There are a lot of competent persons in Congress.” He also cited that “not all of them” but the majority is capable enough. He said in defense in an interview on the ANC’s “Headstart” on Tuesday morning, August 2, 2016, that they are being elected because the people trust their capacity. He said that it would be better for the President to assign constitutional experts that came from non-governmental organizations in order to address the issue of competency.
Alvarez quoted that if the people are afraid that some of the Congressmen are incompetent to alter the present Constitution, there is no guarantee that we will be electing the right person as delegates to the constitutional convention. He added that businessmen could support their candidates that they think is capable of being a delegate to the convention. He cited that not all of the competent people have the financial capacity to support its campaign because all election need money to win and asked if the delegates to be elected will be supported financially by businessmen.
Alvarez listed the possible members of the constitutional commission that includes Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, former senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., San Beda College of Law Dean Ranhilio Aquino, former Cagayan de Oro Mayor Reuben Canoy and Ateneo Law School Dean Emeritus Joaquin Bernas.
The President expresses his proclivity in forming constituent assembly for the better change of the Constitution. Duterte quoted “I thought that a constitutional convention would be more in keeping with the constitutional promise that the people would really believe in and would trust.”