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House leader hits ‘self-serving’ antics in charter revision

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Christian V. Esguerra, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/01/08/eugenedevera-donggonzales-010818.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>ABC party-list Rep. Eugene De Vera (left) and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. believe sitting legislators should remain as holdovers to “guide” transition to federalism. Christian V. Esguerra, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Postponing next year’s mid-term elections and allowing legislators who will revise the constitution to remain as holdovers during the transition to federalism will be &quot;self-serving,&quot; a congressional leader said Monday.Rep. Roger Mercado, who chairs the committee on constitutional amendments, said members of Congress would “not look good” if they end up benefiting from a new federal constitution.&quot;Hindi maganda na tayo rin mag-benefit. We make laws and at the same time, we benefit out of those laws. Kaya nga parang self-serving,&quot; he told reporters.(It won&#x27;t look good if we benefit. We make laws and at the same time, we benefit out of those laws. It will look self-serving.)&quot;Parang there’s some question of morals here and a question of sincerity and honesty on the part of the members of the House and the Senate.&quot;Two other legislators on Monday said Congress need not be dissolved, with President Rodrigo Duterte exercising temporary legislative powers, as proposed in the transitory provision of Resolution of Both Houses No. 8.But ABC partylist Rep. Eugene De Vera, who filed the resolution with Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, argued that legislators could remain as holdovers for 1 to 3 years to “guide” the transition to federalism.&quot;Kasi kami nag-formulate ng policy e, so kami rin dapat (mag-gabay),&quot; he said in a press conference.(We formulated the policy, that&#x27;s why we should be there as guides.)<div>TERM LIMIT</div>De Vera said he was also in favor of lifting the term limit for members of the House of Representatives. He said 3 years was &quot;too short&quot; for them to finish their work. House members are limited to a maximum of 3 terms, which are equivalent to 9 years.De Vera said Congress need not consider postponing next year’s mid-term elections had a new constitution been ratified early last year.The Gonzales-De Vera resolution was filed in August 2016. &quot;Pero ngayong medyo na-delay na ng konti, baka mag-expire na yung term namin, hindi namin magagabayan ng tama,&quot; De Vera said. (Now that we have a slight delay, our terms might expire. We will not be able to guide it properly.)Given the tight deadline, Congress can first introduce a transitory provision to allow legislators, sitting as a constituent assembly, to finish drafting a new federal constitution, said Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, the justice committee chairman.De Vera said holdovers could serve up to 2022, by which time the President’s term shall have expired and an election under the new constitution shall have been scheduled.&quot;I think 10 years is too much if it’s just a transition,&quot; he said, referring to suggestions that it would take that long before regional governments could adjust to a federal system.

Postponing next year’s mid-term elections and allowing legislators who will revise the constitution to remain as holdovers during the transition to federalism will be "self-serving," a congressional leader said Monday.

Postponing next year’s mid-term elections and allowing legislators who will revise the constitution to remain as holdovers during the transition to federalism will be "self-serving," a congressional leader said Monday.

House leader hits ‘self-serving’ antics in charter revision

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House leader hits ‘self-serving’ antics in charter revision

Christian V. Esguerra,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 08, 2018 03:46 PM PHT

|

Updated January 08, 2018 04:53 PM PHT

Read More:

federalism

charter change

constitution

politics

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