Duterte receives the draft constitution of the Advisory Committee

DRAFT CHARTER. President Rodrigo Duterte receives the draft Federal Constitution of the Consultative Committee on 9 July 2018. RTVM screenshot

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte received the draft Federal Constitution of the Advisory Committee (Con-Com) at the time of the meeting. a ceremony held Monday, July 9, in Malacañang

The document handed to the president by the president of Con-Com, Reynato Puno, is the result of almost five months of work by the 22-member commission.

It proposes a form of federal-presidential government creating 18 federated regions, including the federated regions of Bangsamoro and Cordillera. "We assure you that the Advisory Committee has done its work independently and impartially by any partisan politics or by any elite interest," Puno said in his speech at the staff renewal ceremony.

Duterte now has two weeks to study the draft constitution and suggest revisions before delivering his third speech on the state of the nation on July 23.

Con-Com hopes that Duterte will approve the document. Congress which has the constitutional mandate to propose revisions to the 1987 Constitution.

The Congress is free to ignore the recommendations of the Con-Com, if it wishes. They may also choose to adopt certain provisions or the entire project.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque hailed the submission of the draft charter as an "important step toward the realization [Duterte’s] of the promise to move to a federal government."

He hopes the Congress, dominated by the allies of Duterte. take into consideration the proposals of the Con-Com during the formation of the group by the President.

"We hope that Congress will give it a lot of weight because it is preparing to submit the proposals for the revision of the Constitution to the people as a constituent assembly," said Roque.

The draft constitution made headlines when a Con-Com member declared that it allows Duterte to run again as president after his ratification. The member, Professor of Political Science Julio Teehankee, finally resumed his statement, saying that his interpretation was wrong.

The draft constitution explicitly states that the terms of Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo will expire on June 30, 2022. as the president of a proposed powerful Transitional Federal Commission, whose term of office will also end. June 30, 2022.

However, there is no provision expressly stating that Duterte can not seek re-election as president under the new constitution

. Com spokesperson, Ding Generoso, said that this is due to the fact that the addition of such a provision is "undemocratic" as it "singles out a person".

"The Constitution or any other law can not prohibit a person from enjoying his rights and the privileges that the Constitution or the law confers on all," he said in a statement.

Duterte, on Friday, July 6, stated that he was not interested in running for president again. – Rappler.com