MANILA — A member of the 2005 Consultative Commission under the Arroyo administration tasked to study possible changes to the 1987 Constitution has proposed to remove term limits for lawmakers and local officials, set 2 6-year terms for President and Vice President, and elect 48 senators by region.
Lawyer Raul Lambino unveiled his proposal when he spoke before the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments which started to deliberate on proposals to call a constitutional convention to amend the 36-year-old charter.
Lambino said both the president and vice-president should be elected as a tandem, with one re-election.
Currently, the president is limited to 1 six-year term while the vice president has 2 six-year terms.
"Iyong term of office ng ating pangulo na 6 years, tama na po yun, pero bigyan po natin ang pagkakataon ang isang magaling na presidente na mare-elect siya for another 6 year term, kungdi naman po siya talaga magaling eh di hindi siya mare-reelect," Lambino said.
Lambino wants to do away with current term limits for local officials and lawmakers.
Senators are limited to 2 six-year terms, while congressmen, like local officials, are limited to 3 three-year terms.
Lagman however wants to regionalize the election of Senators, except that he wants to divide the country into 8 senatorial regions that will have to elect 6 senators each — which means the current 24-man Senate could potentially double its membership.
"Hindi po tugma ang sa aking paniniwala na pangkalahatan yung election ng mga senador. Wala silang nirerepresent na mga constituency," Lambino said.
"Sa amin pong panukala po, suggestion lang po ito na pupuwede niyo i-consider, ang Pilipinas po ay magkakaroon ng 8 senatorial regions, 3 po sa Luzon: North Luzon, National Capital Region, CR, South Luzon, sa Visayas 2. East Visayas, West Visayas sa Mindanao po East Mindanao West Mindanao tapos BARMM."
"Magiging 8 po yung senatorial regions. Dagdagan po natin yung numero ng mga senador, 6 po bawat regions. Kung 8 po yung senatorial regions magiging 48 po na senador at elected sila by region. Sa tingin natin magiging mas responsive responsible po yung mga senador. Kasi po yung mga gagawing panukalang batas sa Senado ay tutugon po sa pangangailangan ng kanilang constituent regions," Lambino said.
Lambino said the current number of senators was fixed during the American occupation of the Philippines when the country's population was much smaller than it is today.
Lambino also has ideas on reforming the country's party list system, which has long been criticized as another venue for traditional political families to perpetrate themselves in power.
"Wag po natin i-abolish yung party list system. Tuloy natin yan pero baguhin natin yung sistema ng paghalal ng mga party-list representatives. Tignan natin yung model na ginawa sa Germany, sa Israel," Lambino said.
"Yun pong mga political parties, registered political parties, sila po ay lalahok sa congressional election kung ilan po yung legislative districts, kung ilan po ang mahahahalal na mga legislative district congressmen, yung percentage po niyan ay maglalagay rin po sila ng kanilang party-list representative," Lambino said.
"Kaya po yung mga marginalized sector....ay masasama na po sila doon sa party-list ng mga political parties."
Lambino began his presentation by admitting he favors a federal parliamentary system of government but he concedes that the matter needs further study. However, he is batting for the country's political and economic restructuring.
"Parliamentary federal system of government. Realist naman po, medyo mahirap pong gawin sa ngayon po yan. Kailangan pa ng mas masusing pag-aaral. Pero kung gusto po nating magkaroon ng tunay na restructuring ng ating gobyerno maliban sa economic restructuring, magkaroon rin po ng political restructuring," Lambino told lawmakers.
Former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, currently chairperson of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers, meanwhile, explained why he is opposed to charter change,
"Lahat kasi ng cha-cha kinakargahan niyo. 'Wag niyong kargahan and we will be happy to reform the Constitution at makita po ng taongbayan may term extension na naman, medyo mahirap po natin i-argue sa tao," Colmenares said.