Hindi umubra sa mga House leaders ang panukala ni Ilocos Norte Rep. Angelo Barba na palawigin ang termino ng mga kongresista.
Sa Resolution of Both Houses No. 8 ni Barba mula sa tatlong taon na may 3 consecutive terms o kabuuang siyam na taon gagawing limang taon na may 2 terms ang ang term of office ng mga kongresista.
Ayon kay House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe, tanging ang restrictive economic provisions lang ng Saligang Batas ang itinutulak na amyenda ng liderato ni Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“We are sticking with that advocacy, because that is what we think will be good for the country and that is what we believe the people will accept,” ani Dalipe.
Sabi ni Dalipe, magdudulot lang ng pagkakahati ang anumang amyendang politikal.
Iisipin rin aniya ng taumbayan na pansariling interes lang ang isinusulong ng mga mambabatas kung ito ay itutuloy.
“While there is broad acceptance for these reform proposals, a proposed constitutional amendment that is political in nature, on the other hand, will surely divide our people. They will suspect self interest as the motivation behind such proposal,” sabi pa ng House Majority leader.
Naniniwala rin si House Committee on Constitutional Amendments Chair Rufus Rodriguez na hindi ito susuportahan ng liderato ng Kamara lalo na at sinabi na ng House Speaker na susundin ng Kamara posisyon ng Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na tanging economic reforms lang ang isusulong ng pamahalaan.
“I think the House leadership will not favor this proposal. The Speaker has repeatedly declared that the push for Charter reform at this time is confined to amending the Constitution’s restrictive economic provisions,” diin ni Rodriguez.| ulat ni Kathleen Forbes
