FORMER mayor Constantino Jaraula yesterday said the growing interest on the proposed Charter change through a constitutional convention as espoused by President Duterte, primarily towards a federal system of government, “is a very good manifestation of political maturity among the majority of the people.”
But Jaraula, who also served as a congressman, said some negative reactions must be addressed early so that the people would be guided properly, principal of which is that it would be costly, arising from the election of delegates, and the fear that it would take two years to finish.
“There are proposals to have the election of delegates coincide with the Barangay and Kabataan elections, or for the President to just appoint the delegates. Both of these proposals are misguided and self-defeating,” Jaraula asserted.
He said the barangay and youth elections have been very costly in the last several exercises, with both parties charging rampant vote-buying.
Jaraula said the election of delegates to the proposed constitutional convention “must be saved from such malady.”
He said this happened in the 1970 election of delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1971 which remains to be the most peaceful and orderly in Philippine history. He said former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. was one of the four delegates from Misamis Oriental.
Jaraula said, “The proposal to have the delegates appointed by the President runs counter to President Duterte’s basic proposal to have a Convention with elected delegates, and not even through a Constituent Assembly. Likewise, such proposal ignores the tragedy of the 1987 Constitution which was written only by presidential appointees.
“In fact, the Convention does not have to last for more than a year. Unlike in 1971, the materials for a shift to federal-presidential, or federal-parliamentary forms of government are readily available. The Internet can easily give us the various constitutions of notable federal systems for comparison, such as: the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany, India and Malaysia, and several others.”
He said various studies have been made and the materials are available like the Chief Justice Andres Narvasa Commission, the Jose V. Abueva Commission, and those of several universities.
He said the House of Representatives also has a wealth of materials on various proposed amendments that elected delegates can delve into.
Jaraula served as chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments in the 13th Congress.
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