PRESIDENT Duterte has asked new members of the House of Representatives to continue studying possible changes in the 1987 Constitution, a lawmaker said.
This after at least 125 newly elected lawmakers and reelected members of the lower chamber from various political parties attended a welcome party on Tuesday night at Malacañang Park.
Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, who led the gathering organized by Davao City Rep.-elect Paolo Duterte, said the President has talked to new and reelected members of the chamber to study the Charter Change in the 18th Congress. The 18th Congress is scheduled to open on July 22.
Among those who attended the dinner were Reps. Ferdinand Hernandez and Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of PDP Laban, Duterte’s political party, and Reps. Mark Enverga and Wes Gatchalian of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).
In the 17th Congress, the lower chamber has adopted House Resolution 2056 authored by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to convene the Senate and the House of Representatives as Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) in order to consider the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution.
The members of the lower chamber support Con-Ass, saying convening Congress into an assembly is necessary because it will shorten the time needed for changing the charter.
The lower chamber has also approved the draft Federal Constitution of the Philippines or the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 15.
RBH 15 is one of the priority measures that President Duterte cited in his State of the Nation Address last year. The lower chamber transmitted the measure to the Senate but the latter failed to approve it.
The proposed Federal charter amends certain economic provisions of the Constitution by relaxing restrictive foreign ownership to attract more foreign direct investment.
RBH 15, principally authored by Arroyo, seeks a presidential-bicameral-federal system of government.
It also empowers Congress to establish federal states by convening Congress into a constituent assembly.