Federalism shift to cost only P13B, says Consultative Committee
The figure is much smaller than those given by the National Economic and Development Authority and think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies
Malacañang asks Filipinos to comment on draft constitution
The public can send their inputs to the Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of the Presidential Spokesperson, and Presidential Communications Operations Office
Con-Com hopes Duterte won't quit before transition to federal government
The presidency of Rodrigo Duterte 'is the best chance we’ve got to shift to a federal system of government,' says Consultative Committee spokesman Ding Generoso
Breaking up Supreme Court into 4 high courts weakens judiciary
Former SC associate justice Vicente Mendoza says it's more important to preserve the role of the High Court in the justice system
Rappler Talk: Retired SC Justice Vicente Mendoza on draft charter and judiciary
On Wednesday, August 15, Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug talks to retired SC associate justice Vicente Mendoza on the implications of breaking down the 'single and generalized' high court into 4 federal courts
[ANALYSIS] Why Duterte’s federalism endangers government’s finances
Unless we first fix existing regional economic disparities, Bayanihan Federalism will only leave more poor regions behind
Con-Com appeals to senators ‘sense of patriotism’ in charter change push
(UPDATED) ‘This is the only chance that we’ve had since what, 120 years ago, when we established the first republic in Asia,’ says Presidential Consultative Committee spokesman Ding Generoso
Arroyo to House panel: Stop deliberations on draft federal charter
Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo says the House committee on constitutional amendments should focus on convincing the Senate to convene into a Constituent Assembly, which will then discuss the proposed constitution
House to pass resolution on separate voting for charter change
(2ND UPDATE) Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo files the resolution on Tuesday, August 7, calling for a Constituent Assembly but specifying that the House and the Senate would vote separately
Draft charter downgrades Supreme Court
Creating mini supreme courts has never been advanced as solutions because it is contrary to the idea of One Supreme Court
President's health: Touchy topic for Duterte, public concern for Constitution
The public so far relies only on the word of President Rodrigo Duterte and his spokesmen as to the real state of his health
Con-Com's proposed 4 high courts bad for justice system
The loss of prestige of a single Supreme Court would 'result in the impoverishment of the judicial process,' says former Supreme Court justice Vicente Mendoza
Arroyo OK with separate voting on charter change for House, Senate
'Better to move forward and achieve something than to be very stubborn and achieve nothing,' says Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, as senators strongly oppose joint voting
Draft constitution 'backward-looking' – economic advocacy group
The Foundation for Economic Freedom calls for the lifting of foreign ownership restrictions and the removal of 'protectionist' provisions in the proposed charter
[OPINION] Cha-Cha train is stuck at the station
Gloria Arroyo’s ascension to the speakership adds a new wrinkle to prospects for Cha-Cha in the Senate
[OPINION] Con-Com draft will not create a federal government
Federal states will still be dependent on fiscal transfers from the national government. Without fiscal autonomy there is no real local autonomy.
Puno agrees with Senate on separate charter change voting
Members of President Rodrigo Duterte's own charter change committee say that the two houses of Congress must vote separately on proposals to amend the Constitution
What's in Consultative Committee's new transitory provisions
The Con-Com's modified transitory provisions ban President Rodrigo Duterte from reelection, call for the election of a new Transitory President, and expand the membership of the powerful Transition Commission
DOCUMENT: Final version of Consultative Committee draft constitution
The final draft incorporates changes President Rodrigo Duterte asked for: that he be prohibited from running for president in the 2022 elections, and the election of a Transition President
[OPINION] The bad economics of Duterte’s draft constitution
It appears that not much thought was given to the provinces' readiness for federalism, nor to federalism’s ultimate impact on regional growth and development
TRIVIA: SONA date changes through the years
The date of delivering the annual SONA has changed through time
LOOK: Congress receives Consultative Committee's draft constitution
(UPDATED) Consultative Committee chairman Reynato Puno personally hands a copy of the draft federal constitution to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Senate President Vicente Sotto III
The push for indigenous people's provisions in BBL
If the BBL is a template for federalism, the more we need to articulate indigenous people's rights in it because IPs are not only found in the Bangsamoro core area but scattered throughout the country
Duterte wants new 'transition president' after federal constitution ratified
President Rodrigo Duterte now wants someone else to lead the transition to a federal system of government so he can step down as soon as a new constitution is ratified through a plebiscite
Charter change 'untimely' amid rising prices, killings – Robredo
'Ang usaping simbigat nito ay hindi dapat minamadali at ginagawang tungkol lamang sa mga kasalukuyang nasa poder ng kapangyarihan,' says Vice President Leni Robredo
Military rejects electronic surveillance limits in draft constitution
Armed Forces chief General Carlito Galvez Jr also rejects a move to delete the provision in the current constitution assigning the military as the ‘protector of the people’
Draft constitution: After submission to Duterte, then what?
The Consultative Committee's draft constitution is just one step in a long arduous process towards revising the Constitution and shifting to a federal system of government
LOOK: Complete Consultative Committee draft federal constitution
EXCLUSIVE: Here, in full, is the draft federal constitution crafted by President Rodrigo Duterte's Consultative Committee
Highlights of Consultative Committee's draft constitution
EXCLUSIVE: A complete copy of the draft constitution includes an entirely new article on 'National Security and Public Order.' Here are highlights of each article.
Con-Com draft gives president all powers to prevent secession of regions
The draft constitution 'allows the president to assume all the necessary powers of government – executive, legislative, and judiciary – to prevent the breakup' of the federated republic, says Consultative Committee chairman Reynato Puno
Puno recommends mid-2019 plebiscite for new constitution
Is the Consultative Committee's draft part of a strategy to 'sanitize' charter change? The body's chairman Reynato Puno says such fears are baseless.
Con-Com ready to submit draft federal constitution to Duterte
The draft constitution rules out a term extension for President Rodrigo Duterte, creates 18 federated regions, and 3 high courts. Here are some highlights of the draft document.
How Duterte's charter change committee proposes to fund regions
Estate tax and donor's tax will be collected by the regions and not by the national government. An equalization fund will help lagging regions catch up with more prosperous ones.
Consultative Committee delineates powers of federal gov't, regions
In the Consultative Committee's draft federal constitution, there will be 18 regions to be led by a regional governor elected by their regional legislative assembly
Duterte violated Constitution by calling God stupid – Brother Eddie
'When you are a leader, especially the highest leader of the nation, and you mock, wittingly or unwittingly, the God being acknowledged by your Constitution, you are actually violating the soul of the nation,' says Brother Eddie Villanueva
Leonen grills Calida: Can you prove Constitution bans same-sex marriage?
'We choose only portions of the past that we like and call it tradition that we must preserve,' says Associate Justice Marvic Leonen
Power of president to declare state of war stricken out of draft charter
The sole power to declare a state of war is returned to Congress in the latest printed version of the Consultative Committee's draft constitution
Duterte never interfered in drafting of federal constitution – Nene Pimentel
The Consultative Committee made sure the 'fears of the people' about charter change are addressed in the draft constitution, says former Senate president Aquilino 'Nene' Pimentel Jr
Consultative Committee proposes 'democracy fund' for fair campaign financing
The proposed fund is designed to empower small political parties that lack resources to go up against more powerful, dominant ones
SC justice applicants stumble on freedom of expression question
(UPDATED) The concept of freedom of expression is usually tackled during the first year of law school
Consultative Committee proposes self-executing People's Initiative article
Laws proposed directly by the people must be declared as consistent with the constitution by the proposed Federal Constitutional Court, under the article being proposed by the Con-Com
FACT CHECK: A new death penalty law won't apply to De Lima's case
The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines also prohibits the passing of any retroactive law
Zubiri: Senate's BBL version complies with Constitution
The MILF is expected to push hard to restore key provisions that were removed or revised by both chambers
Consultative Committee proposes single electoral tribunal
The proposed Federal Electoral Tribunal will not include lawmakers as members, as is the case with the Senate and House Electoral Tribunals
Congress can demand foreign loan documents in Con-Com draft charter
A new provision gives Congress the power to obtain documents on foreign loans even while they're being negotiated by the executive
In Con-Com draft charter, NPA attacks may be ground for martial law
(UPDATED) 'Yes, because it will be classified as terrorism,' says Ferdinand Bocobo, the retired general who proposed the new provision on martial law declaration
Con-Com proposes adding 'lawless violence' as grounds for martial law
(UPDATED) 'Lawless violence' will be defined as 'terrorism' and 'violent extremism,' says ex-military man and Consultative Committee member Ferdinand Bocobo
Halfway mark: How Consultative Committee's proposed charter is shaping up
Midway through the work of President Rodrigo Duterte's Consultative Committee, here's a look at what's in their proposed constitution so far
Con-Com wants to strip Congress of sole power to impeach
In the federal constitution it is proposing, the Consultative Committee wants Congress and the judiciary to share the power to impeach officials
Con-Com eyes 3 high courts under federal constitution
Supposedly to make the process of appointing justices less politicized, the Con-Com wants, not just the president, but also Congress and the judiciary, to select justices for the 3 courts
