Charles Teves
On Monday, Senator Robin Padilla promised to leave PDP-Laban as soon as his political party announces that it will not endorse any effort to modify the Constitution.
As the head of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, Padilla mentioned that PDP-Laban’s agenda involves modifying the Constitution (Cha-cha) through either a Constitutional Convention (ConCon) or Constituent Assembly (ConAss). Padilla serves as PDP-Laban’s Executive Vice President, while former President Rodrigo Duterte is Chairman Emeritus.
The PDP-Laban faction has scheduled a General Membership meeting on Tuesday to talk about Cha-cha.
“Ang mangyayari bukas, ang buong partido ay susuportahan nila ay anuman — ConAss man o ConCon — maraming salamat at iyan ay ipagdiriwang ko. Pero kung sasabihin sa akin ng partido bukas na huwag nating susuportahan ang Cha-cha, sa araw na iyon, resigned din ako at independent (senator) na ako,” Padilla declared.
Netizens then dared Padilla to actually fulfill his promise of resigning.
Aasahan namin yang "immediately resign" na yan ha. Walang bawian. https://t.co/pMcFqxMECC
— Jojo Clemente (@jclem3) March 20, 2023
mga ilan pa kayang i will resign bago isakatuparan…chos https://t.co/8HCsosEVsP
— Rosalie Romero (@lieromer) March 21, 2023
Nobody is stopping you, jerk! https://t.co/m5KRLv5LYy
— Sinia Merin (@lootsin) March 21, 2023
Resign as committee chair? Actually dapat sa senado. Puppet, dummy ka lang naman na likha ng comelec. https://t.co/t8eeLeaGR2
— Jojo Parada (@ParadaJojo) March 21, 2023
GAANO KABULOK ANG PILIPINAS? Look OUR (di man tayo kasali) ELECTED LEADERS: Mangmang, mayabang, killer, corrupt, clown, imbecile, inutile yet they are so proud of themselves fooling the people who elected them. https://t.co/d0RqfHkq7F
— Ang Harot (@ang_harot) March 20, 2023
Melvin Matibag, Secretary General of PDP-Laban, stated that the party has not yet taken an official stance on constitutional reform. However, he expressed support for it, especially with regard to economic provisions, though he added that it is not a priority for the country at the moment.
On March 16, Padilla completed public hearings on proposed measures aimed at encouraging more foreign investment through amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. On March 20, he conducted a hearing regarding the House-approved proposal for the establishment of a constitutional convention.
Members of the House constitutional amendments committee were originally supposed to attend the hearing, but they were disinvited due to a directive from Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, who instead ordered them to hold an executive session as a matter of “interparliamentary courtesy.”
Zubiri explained that this directive was issued following Congressman Elpidio Barzaga’s call for a ceasefire in the heated discussions on constitutional reform.
Zubiri previously maintained that charter change was not a priority of the current administration. He also questioned whether the House of Representatives was supposed to rush to implement the constitutional convention amidst criticism.
However, Padilla remained firm in his vow to push for charter change, even in the absence of support from his fellow senators.
