THE SENATE will continue its inquiry on charter change, tagged as a legislative priority by the Duterte administration, on the resumption of Congress next week.

It happens that this hearing will be conducted by leaders of the opposition Liberal Party (LP), headed in the Senate by Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon.

Mr. Drilon, however, has also warned that charter change may be impeded by the planned impeachment of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno now being tackled by the impeachment committee in the House of Representatives.

“The timetable must be realistic. The Speaker (Pantaleon D. Alvarez) is talking about a plebiscite in May of 2018, that is four months away. Just looking at the situation (that seems unlikely) because, right now, they are trying to impeach the Chief Justice,” Mr.. Drilon said in an interview Wednesday e-mailed to the media.

“Based on the statement of Cong(ressman Reynaldo V.) Umali, (head of the House impeachment committee), the impeachment complaint will be brought to the Senate sometime in April or May. The moment it is transmitted to us, we have no choice but to sit as an impeachment court, and the moment we sit as an impeachment court, goodbye legislative agenda, goodbye federalism, goodbye BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law),” the Senate opposition leader also said.

For his part, Mr. Drilon’s ally in the opposition Liberal Party, Senator Franklin N. Pangilinan, said the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, which he heads, will tackle a number of key questions regarding charter change.

“Is there a need to amend or revise the Constitution? Why or why not? If so, what parts of the Constitution should be amended or revised? Why? Should the amendments or revisions be proposed by a Constitutional Convention or by the Congress itself acting as a constituent assembly? Why? If Congress convenes as a constituent assembly to amend or revise the Constitution, should the Senate and the House of Representatives vote jointly or separately? Can Congress pass a resolution limiting the power of the Constituent Assembly or Constitutional Convention, or are their powers plenary?” Mr. Pangilinan said in a statement.

Besides his committee, the Senate committee on electoral reforms and peoples’ participation will also co-lead the Senate inquiry on charter change. This committee is led by detained LP Senator Leila M. de Lima, who has signed a notice of meeting together with the other senators regarding the Jan. 17 hearing on charter change.

This legislative agenda is being pushed more openly by Mr. Alvarez, Mr. Duterte’s leading congressional ally, marked his 60th birthday on Tuesday with a gathering with his constituents at the New Tagum City Hall in Davao Del Norte’s First District.

“This year, 2018, we will revise our Constitution for a shift to a federal form of government. Let us unite and support this initiative of the President,” Mr. Alvarez was quoted in a statement as saying.

Not all of Mr. Duterte’s allies have been all-out in their expression of support for charter change, particularly in the Senate majority.

For his part, Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito said on social media on Wednesday: “We should not railroad a process that would fundamentally alter our system of government.”

“(T)he most important issue for me is that the Congress has to vote separately. I am not prepared to support a process that would diminish the power and independence of the upper chamber,” he also said, regarding the contentious point on how Congress should vote when it convenes as a constituent assembly to amend or change the 1987 Constitution. — with Arjay L. Balinbin

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