Puno says no term extension for Duterte

FILE: Con-com Head Reynato Puno (PNA Photo)

Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno who serves as the President’s head of the Consultative Committee said that the Chief Executive cannot have a term extension in the proposed draft of the Constitution in preparation of a federal shift.

“The term limit in the 1987 Constitution holds… The limits under the 1987 Constitution will still apply,” Puno said in a press briefing on March 26.

In the 1987 Constitution – the current Constitution in effect limits the president to serve a maximum of six years. A re-election is also not allowed.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s term will end this 2022.

Earlier this January, president of the Senate and the ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) said that a term extension for Duterte is possible.

(Read: Pimentel: Federal gov’t can extend Rody’s term)

“We can extend the President’s term: One, if really necessary; two, if he is amenable to it; and three, since that extension will be part of the new Constitution, the new Constitution is approved by the people themselves,” the Senator told reporters in a text message.

According to Pimentel, this all depends on the “transitory provisions” that will be agreed upon by the Constituent assembly (Con-ass).

“Depends too on when we approve the new Constitution. If 2019, then the next three years will be the transitory period,” he further said.

This was, however, rebutted by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. who said that Duterte considers a term extension to be a nightmare.

(Read: Extension of term “ultimate nightmare” for Duterte, Palace says)

“[Duterte] wants to make institutional changes, particularly on the Constitution and that appears to be his short-term, medium-term and long-term objective…Not even a day longer. To him, that’s the ultimate nightmare. He wants to finish his term. He wants to give it his best shot and that’s it,” Roque said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

On March 13, a University of the Philippines (UP) Political Science professor Gene Lacza Pilapil said that the Con-Com should ban Duterte from a re-election.

(Read: Cha-cha should ban Duterte from re-election – professor)

“Changing constitutions is a classic strategy of autocratic leaders elected in democracies but who later undermined their democracies,” he said.