MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III believes that the better process to strengthen the Constitution is to overhaul the entire 1987 Charter and not by amending its provisions "piece-by-piece."

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Pimentel, who is openly supporting federalism, made the recommendation at the sidelines of the Senate Constitutional Amendments committee hearing on Friday.

For Pimentel, the ideal set-up is parliamentary rule.

“Mas mabilis ang decision-making process kasi 'yung problema sa ground ang nagde-decide na government authority, mas malapit sa ground. Hindi 'yung napakataas… Example, ang traffic sa Cebu, hindi na dapat problema ng national 'yan. Problema na dapat ng government authority sa Cebu 'yan," Pimentel explained.

The senator also welcomes the idea of shifting the country’s form of government to parliamentary with a unicameral system, in contrast to today’s presidential-bicameral system.

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“Mas maganda ito, wala nang turuan, kasi hindi ka naman malalagay na minister ng minister mo pag hindi ka galing sa parliament na bumuo ng polisiyang i-implement mo… Para sa akin, very simple. Mabilis ang decision-making,” Pimentel said.

The “opening” of the Constitution must also include revising the party-list system, Pimentel said.

Panel chair Sen. Robin Padilla meantime said he will conduct a nationwide consultation on the charter change issue.

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