00:00 The Commission on Elections can follow the prediction of the Charter Change in the 2025 midterm elections.
00:06 But as Comelec Chair George Garcia said, it's better to separate it so that people can understand the changes in the Constitution.
00:14 Breaking news, Tina Panganiban Perez.
00:17 Next week, the Camera's target to finish the deliberation on the resolution of both Houses 7
00:26 that will be able to amend the three economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.
00:31 This is only one of the plans in the second reading from March 11 to March 13
00:37 and in the third reading before the Holy Week break on March 23.
00:41 But the Chacha will not be confused when the Senate did not approve
00:46 that they will not be able to hurry their deliberation.
00:50 According to one of the speakers in the 1987 Constitution,
00:54 former Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo Ascuna,
00:58 in the original draft, the form of the government is unicameral.
01:03 In the discussion, it became bicameral.
01:06 But the provision on the vote of the two houses has not changed.
01:10 Ascuna believes that the vote should be separated, as is done for ordinary laws.
01:17 As long as you have three-fourths vote in the Senate and three-fourths vote here, there's no question.
01:24 It can be considered as a proposed amendment and submitted to the Comelec for a plebiscite.
01:31 And that will fulfill the requirement of the first three-fourths vote of all its members.
01:40 And if there's any question, then let someone bring it to the Supreme Court.
01:44 To amend the Constitution,
01:47 the recommendation of former Supreme Court Justice Adolfo Ascuna
01:50 is to amend the provisions of the Constitution unless otherwise provided by law.
01:56 It makes it changeable by legislation.
01:59 This is, to me, the best solution to the economic provisions restriction
02:06 because economic provisions should be flexible and they should not be cast in stone.
02:13 But the former Supreme Court Chief Justice, Renato Puno, is fighting for this.
02:18 The use of the phrase "unless otherwise provided by law"
02:29 is vulnerable to another constitutional challenge.
02:36 According to Puno,
02:38 I suggested that we just repeal outright these three restrictive provisions
02:47 that will release the power of Congress to pass the necessary laws
02:54 in order to liberalize these so-called restrictive provisions.
03:01 There will always be the possibility of a constitutional challenge.
03:04 So the question before us now as lawmakers,
03:07 will we continue this if we know that this will be a challenge?
03:12 Of course, at the end of the day, this will still go home to the plebiscite.
03:16 If Congress agrees to amend the economic provisions,
03:20 Comelec will move to include it in the plebiscite.
03:23 For Comelec Chair, George Garcia,
03:26 the plebiscite can be included in the election,
03:28 but it's better if it's not included.
03:31 For me, as much as possible,
03:33 it's better for the national and local elections to be separated
03:36 and the plebiscite so that it can be more clear to the people
03:39 what is being changed.
03:41 Tina Panganiban Perez, reporting for GMA Integrated News.
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