By Minde Nyl R. Dela Cruz

HOUSE Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez said a constitutional convention (con-con) is no guarantee that politicians and businessmen with vested interest cannot influence the drafting of a new charter.

“Hindi ko makita ‘yung kahalagahan na magdaos tayo ng constitutional convention dahil po kung ang iniiwasan nila ‘yung mga personal interest ng mga pulitiko at ng mga negosyante, ‘pag nag-con-con tayo, meron bang guarantee na hindi rin magpapatakbo ng mga representatives ‘yung mga negosyante at saka mga pulitiko to protect their own personal interests? Wala. Walang guarantee na ganoon,“ Mr. Alvarez said in a press conference following the oathtaking of 5,000 new members of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Pototan, Iloilo, last Jan. 18.

(For me, when it comes to constitutional convention,…I don’t see the significance of conducting a constitutional convention because if what they are trying to avoid is the personal interest of the politicians and businessmen, even if we go for con-con, does it guarantee that these politicians and businessmen will not have their own candidates to protect their personal interests? No. There’s no such guarantee.)

“At ako, sinisiguro ko sa inyo na mangyayari talaga ‘yun na ‘yung mga malalaking negosyante, talagang magpapatakbo ng kandidato ‘yun para maging miyembro ng constitutional convention,” he added.

(And I’m telling you for sure that it will really happen, that these big businessmen will back their own candidates to be members of the constitutional convention.)

Among other personalities, Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, former chief justice Reynato S. Puno, and some of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, including former chief justice Hilario G. Davide Jr., have expressed preference for a constitutional convention than the constitutional assembly being pushed by the House of Representatives.

Similarly, Buhay party-list Rep. Jose L. Atienza Jr. said in a press statement that the drafting of the new constitution should be “left in the very capable hands of delegates elected by the people in a [con-con].” He added that lawmakers “should continue our job of crafting laws, instead of sitting as a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution.”

Mr. Alvarez said members of Congress should make use of the “trust and confidence” given by the people when they were elected as representatives.

“Para naman sa akin, sa ngayon, nakita naman natin, halal naman ng bayan lahat ng mga congressmen. So ito, meron talagang trust and confidence na ibinigay ‘yung taumbayan dito sa kanilang mga representatives na pinadala sa Kongreso. So, why don’t we make use of that? Na kasi ito, wala ng gastos ang gobyerno,“ Mr. Alvarez said.

(For me, now, we have seen, all the congressmen were elected by the people. So here, the people really have trust and confidence in the representatives they elected to Congress. So, why don’t we make use of that? Because here, the government no longer needs to spend much [in convening the Congress into a constituent assembly].)

Southern Leyte Roger G. Mercado, chair of the House committee on constitutional amendments, said a constituent assembly would be preferable because it is less expensive. Mr. Mercado also noted that a constituent assembly would only cost the government P204 million as opposed to con-con which is pegged to cost P11 billion.

On Jan. 16, the House approved Concurrent Resolution 9 which calls for convening Congress into a constituent assembly.

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