ConCom eyes college degree as requirement to be a lawmaker

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over a meeting with the members of the Consultative Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on February 13, 2018. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

The Consultative Committee (Con-Com) formed by President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing a “college degree or its equivalent” as an additional requirement for members of the Congress.

Tasked to review proposals of amendments and revisions for the 1987 Constitution, the ConCom subcommittee on federal government voted on March 20 for members of the Senate and House of Representatives to at least finish a college degree.

According to its head, former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, there were debates on this as some members argued for those who are not degree holders but wish to run for a position in the upper house and lower house.

“There were lots of discussions on the issue of imposing this educational qualification. On one hand, there is school of thought that somehow that this is anti-democratic somehow on the ground that you’re limiting the right of some Filipinos those without college degree to run for office,” he said in a press briefing.

“But we did also consider that right now, if you look at the members of the House and the Senate, you will find out that are very few who lack the college degree so in effect the committee recommendation is just an affirmation of the vote of the people in the past,” he added.

Puno further said that there is also a school of thought that having this additional requirement will improve the quality of laws to be made.

Article IV Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution states that “No person shall be a Senator unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least thirty-five years of age, able to read and write, a registered voter, and a resident of the Philippines for not less than two years immediately preceding the day of the election.”

While, Section 6 states “No person shall be a Member of the House of Representatives unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least twenty-five years of age, able to read and write, and except the party-list representatives, a registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected, and a resident thereof for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the election.