Lagman warned the nation that Duterte would use Cha-cha to become dictator.
Lagman said that it is dangerous to amend the 1987 constitution after Duterte would use his initiative for Charter change (Cha-cha) to become a dictator.
Opposition Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman warned the nation that it is dangerous to amend the 1987 Constitution after President Duterte’s remark that he would use his initiative for Charter change (Cha-cha).
Lagman warned that the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to amend the constitution to declare martial law without the approval of Congress and the Supreme Court.
“It is dangerous to proceed in amending the Constitution either by constituent assembly (Con-ass) or constitutional convention (Con-con) when we have a President who wants the legitimation of dictatorial powers,” Lagman said in a statement.
According to a report of Inquirer.net, Lagman explained that it is dangerous to continue amending the 1987 Constitution.
He also revealed that President Duterte and his congressional allies are pushing for Cha-cha to shift the nation to the federal system.
In his statement, Lagman said that the congress should discard its plan to amend the Constitution because Duterte wants to become a dictator like the former strongman Ferdinand Marcos.
Lagman stressed that cha-cha is now dangerous as the Philippine President wants the Constitution amended to scrap the provisions on congressional and judicial review of a martial law declaration.
The tension arises when president Duterte delivered his speech Angeles City, Pampanga.
The Philippine President questioned why he would need to seek the approval of Congress or the Supreme Court to declare martial law in the event of war, as he is the president of the country.
“What if the Supreme Court and Congress did not agree? Who will the police heed?” he said.
Furthermore, Lagman, a leader of the opposition bloc known as the “Magnificent 7” in the House of Representatives, is urging the congress to discard the moves of the President because it is dangerous.
He stressed out in his statement that the Charter vests Congress and the Supreme Court with the power to revoke a martial law proclamation and suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.
He pointed out that the congress has the power to discard President Duterte’s plan to proceed to amend the Constitution via Con-ass to allay fears of the return of the dictatorship.
“The power of Congress to revoke a presidential declaration of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus as well as the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to review the factual basis of such declarations were mandated in the 1987 Constitution to preclude abuses curtailing civil and political rights like the unrestrained imposition of martial law without time limit,” he said.