Leila de Lima To Oppose Cha-Cha If Term Extension, Removal of Term Limit Pushed

Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima Speaks on Stand over Cha-Cha

LEILA DE LIMA – The House Member revealed the intents that would make her oppose the Charter Change or Cha-Cha.

Recently, talks about the Charter Change or also popularly called Cha-Cha crossed the surface after the Supreme Court affirmed its previous ruling on the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte saying it’s “unconstitutional”. The court found the complaint as a violation to the one-year ban rule with regards to the filing of impeachment raps.

Following the ruling of the Supreme Court, the Senate archived the impeachment complaint against Duterte. Fifteen senators of the 20th Congress voted in favor of the archiving of the impeachment while only four senators opposed the motion — one of them is now-Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

Then-minority Senator Ping Lacson claimed that he and Sotto will revive the impeachment complaint from the archives if the Supreme Court will change its ruling. A motion of reconsideration over the high court’s decision was filed by the complainants.

Recently, on Thursday, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its previous decision on the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. It earned different reactions from the people. According to Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima, the high court allegedly “redefined” the impeachment rules with its ruling in the case of Duterte.

Recently, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto revealed that he will support Cha-Cha following the ruling of the Supreme Court on the impeachment case versus Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. According to him, if the SC is allegedly allowed to change the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the senators who are “empowered” to do so should do it.

“I will not push. I will support. I will support a cha-cha at this point. Dati ayokong ayoko yan. Ang gusto ko cha-cha character change eh,” Sotto expressed.

Former Senator and now House member Leila de Lima also spoke on her stand if Cha-Cha will be pushed. According to News5, de Lima bared the intent that would make her oppose the amending of the Constitution.

According to de Lima, she will be open to the talks of Charter Change if its intention is to clarify the provisions with regards to the impeachment, make the provision on the ban of political dynasties self-executory, and amend the economic provisions. She claimed that she is also open to talk about the ruling of the Supreme Court on Duterte’s impeachment case.

However, based on the post, Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said that she will oppose Cha-Cha if its intention is for the term extension of the current government officials, the removal of the term limit, and to eradicate the ban on political dynasty.

“Kapag ang agenda ay para bigyang-diin ang term extension ng mga nakaupo, pag-alis ng term limit, pagtanggal ng ban sa political dynasty, at paglabnaw ng mga probisyon sa human rights and social justice, kokontra po tayo riyan,” de Lima said.

Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte spoke on the possibility of filing a fresh impeachment complaint against her after the ban is lifted this February.