19 October 2016 - House Committee on Constitutional Amendments Hearing
DINAGAT ISLANDS REP. KAKA BAG-AO: Con-Con as a Democratic and Pro-People Approach for Constitutional Reform
This Administration has called for the institutionalization of Federalism as the answer to the age-old problem of wealth distribution especially in the country-side, and the peace and order problem in Mindanao. Such pronouncement has opened the debates on Constitutional reform and the preferred mode of change: Constitutional Convention or Constitutional Assembly.
However, before the debates on the preferred mode of constitutional change, the Committee should determine first if there is indeed a necessity to change the present Constitution. Unfortunately, there has been no sufficient discussion on the matter. If the Committee, after deliberation, affirms the necessity for such a change, then we can proceed to the next step—the mode of constitutional change.
I am a Mindanaoan, an advocate of federalism and shift to parliamentary form of government. These advocacies, I believe, will address the fundamental and structural weaknesses of our political system that has resulted in the skewed development of our country. I know that constitutional change is an imperative for both of these advocacies.
I am, however, a student of history. I know that the 1987 Constitution is a product of a critical historical conjuncture of the Filipino nation. The current Constitution was a product of a long process of consultations and debates among the members of the Constitutional Commission that was evenly and well-represented. Thus, the interests of the different sectors of Philippine society was evenly protected and advanced. The Constitution reflected the popular sentiments of the conjuncture in 1987. Thus, we have a Constitution that gives life to social justice and political reforms. We have a Constitution that institutionalizes democratic processes that were destroyed by Martial Law and the Marcos dictatorship.
In changing our current Constitution, we have to find a balance between the lessons of the past and the challenges of the present and of the future. We need to find a balance among the conflicting interests of our society. For instance, between the imperatives of social justice and the requirements of the evolving global economy—between the rights of the landless to own the land they till and the interests of foreign investors to own assets in our country.
Changing the Constitution requires debate and consensus-building among the cacophony of interest groups. It requires a long-drawn process of decision-making involving the broadest possible representation of our people. I firmly believe that the process by which we revise our Constitution is as important as the revisions that we want to introduce. The means is equally important as the ends.
I firmly believe that the calling for a Constitutional Convention is the most democratic and most representative process in revising our Constitution. It will provide opportunity for our citizens to directly select their representatives to this very critical task. It will allow a more balanced representation across sectors and geographic demarcations.
Mr. Chair and distinguished colleagues, let us approach this very historic and important responsibility with utmost care and reflection. The product of this process that we are undertaking will dictate the parameters of our laws and how we will be governed for decades to come. Let us not gamble the progressive provisions of our Constitution.
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BATANES REP. DINA ABAD: Con-Con o Con-Ass?
Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.
Hindi po ako sang-ayon sa proseso ng Constituent Assembly na atin pong susundin sa pagbabalik-aral at pagbalangkas ng Saligang Batas tungo sa panukalang Pederalismo na isinusulong ng pamunuan ng Kamarang ito.
Napakalaki at napakalalim ng implikasyon ng ating pagbabagong isasagawa. Hindi lamang ang ating Batasan o ang ating sistemang pampamahalaan ang mababago nito, kung ang ating mismong pamumuhay at lipunan ang maapektuhan at mababago nito.
Nangangamba nga ako dahil sa lawak ng pagbabago na pinapanukala tulad po nung mga may-akda ng panukalang Pederalismo.
Ngayong gusto pa nating sumubok nang higit na malawakang pagbabago na hangga’t sa ngayon, wala namang maliwanag sa kung ano ang magiging hugis nito, hindi ba dapat kailangang pag-aralan muna natin ang mga karanasang ito ang alamin ang mahahalagang aral na maituturo ng mga ito?
Sang-ayon ako sa mga batayang prinsipyo ng Pederalismo—ang autonomiya, principle of subsidiarity, fiscal at economic viability, at iba pa. Pero naniniwala rin ako na may mga mahahalagang kondisyon at hakbangin ang kailangan muna nating maisagawa at makamit upang ating marating ang mga layuning ito. Halimbawa, ang pagtitiyak na ating matugunan ang malalim na problema ng kahirapan, ang pagsasaayos sa problema ng matinding ‘di-pagkakapantay-pantay ng pagbabahagi ng yaman at poder pampulitika sa ating bansa, ang pagtitiyak na mapaunlad ang pananalapi at kakayahan ng mga mahihirap ng rehiyon, lalawigan, bayan-bayan, barangay, at sektor sa ating lipunan, ang modernisasyon ng sektor agrikultura. Kung hindi maisasagawa ang mga ito, magiging hungkag na naman ang mga maisasabatas—sa ating Saligang Batas o sa karaniwang batas—nating mga pagbabago. At mga makikinabang dito ay tiyak ko hindi ‘yung nais nating makinabang.
Sa lawak at lalim—at sa selan—ng mga usaping ito, kailangan po hindi lamang tayo ang nag-uusap, kung hindi kasama ng mga batayang sektor at iba pang mga mahahalagang sektor sa ating lipunan. Kaya po ang aking panukala ay malawakang konsultasyon at ang paghahalal ng mga kinatawan ng iba-ibang sektor sa pamamagitan ng Constitutional Convention.
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