The team which will take charge of the review of the 1987 Philippine Constitution will have 25 members.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an executive order forming a team that will conduct a consultative study of the 1987 Constitution of the country.
Based on the issued EO, the team will be composed of 25 members and they will check for possible amendments on the Charter.
This was announced by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Thursday.
Medialdea was one of the officials who served as a resource person during the first joint hearing conducted by the Senate committees on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, and electoral reforms and people’s participation on Charter change (Cha-cha) proposals.
“As to the provision of the Constitution to be amended, the President has issued the other day an executive order creating the committee for consultative study of the Constitution,” Medialdea said.
However, he clarified that the members of the team has not yet named as of now, because the list has not yet submitted to the chief executive.
“Basically, it’s a consultative committee to review the 1987 Constitution to be composed of 25 selected individuals whose names will be later on submitted to the President,” he added.
According to the executive secretary, the committee will have six months (half-year) from its creation to present the result of its study to President Duterte.
Medialdea added that he told the Senate committees that Duterte prefers a constitutional assembly as a mode to amend the Charter.
“He believes that both houses [of Congress] should vote separately; but we would require further legal study to determine the intent of the framework of the Constitution,” Medialdea said.
Since the President has been campaigning for May 9, 2016 elections, Duterte was also introducing federal system of government in the Philippines where the Constitution needs to be amended.
