Rappler's latest stories on Philippine Constitution
House panel puts Robredo back in line of succession under draft charter
As agreed upon by the plenary in October, the House committee on constitutional amendments holds an executive session to approve the amendment in favor of Vice President Leni Robredo
Duterte creates charter change task force
The task force is in charge of a nationwide information campaign and ordered to coordinate with Congress to 'initiate' the process of changing the Constitution
[ANALYSIS] Duterte's health and disclosure: Finding a middle ground
Information on the President's health is controlled by the Palace and insiders, and there is little to no incentive – politically or legally – for any official to break ranks until the very end
Soldiers in Customs? But Constitution bars civilian assignments for military
Section 5(4), Article XVI specifically says no member of the armed forces shall, at any time, be appointed or designated in any capacity to a civilian position
Highlights of the House's draft federal constitution
Here are the key provisions under each article of the draft federal charter authored by Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and 21 other lawmakers
House to put Robredo back in line of succession of draft constitution
The House agrees to return the draft constitution to the constitutional amendments panel, which will make the necessary changes in favor of Vice President Leni Robredo
Robredo: Critics ‘too desperate’ to remove me
Vice President Leni Robredo also slams House committee on constitutional amendments chair Vicente Veloso for his defense of the proposed provision removing her in the line of succession
House aims to pass draft federal charter by early 2019
Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has given the House committee on constitutional amendments marching orders to finish work on the proposed new charter 'on time'
No set number of federal states under Arroyo’s draft constitution
It leaves it with local government units to group themselves and petition Congress to turn them into autonomous states or regions
'Dead on arrival': Senate leaders reject Arroyo's draft charter
'We don't have time to even talk about it,' says Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who stands to benefit from the House proposal
Robredo camp: 'Outright ridiculous' to remove VP as Duterte's successor
'Since when did a pending election protest become the basis of succession to the highest position of the land?' asks Romulo Macalintal, election lawyer of Vice President Leni Robredo
House draft charter skips VP in line of succession to avoid 'instability'
The chairman of the House panel on constitutional amendments says future developments in the vice presidential electoral protest may encourage 'military adventurists' to attempt a power grab
Arroyo’s draft charter skips VP in transition to federalism
The draft constitution, which has reached the House plenary for deliberations, sets for May 2022 the first elections under a federal system of government
Arroyo's draft constitution removes lawmakers' term limits
Resolution of Both Houses No. 15, authored by Speaker Gloria Macagapal Arroyo and 21 others, also does not regulate political dynasties
Arroyo's proposed constitution reaches House plenary
Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's draft is different from the draft constitution submitted by President Rodrigo Duterte's 22-member Consultative Committee
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
