Con-com eyes 4-year term, one reelection for president, other gov’t officials

FILE –President Rodrigo Roa Duterte poses for a photo with the officials and members of the Consultative Committee following their oath-taking ceremony at the Malacañan Palace on February 13, 2018. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

The Consultative committee which was tasked to review the 1987 constitution proposed a four-year term with one reelection for government officials.

The proposal was announced by Subcommittee Chair Antonio Eduardo Nachura, a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (SC), on Thursday, April 12, in a press conference.

Under the proposed draft Charter, Nachura said, “The terms of office will be 4 years with a maximum of two consecutive terms for senators, congressmen, president, and vice president.”

Nachura, head of the subcommittee on the structure of the federal government, noted that members of the committee are “more or less agreed” on the proposed provision already, but stressed that the body would still need to vote on it during their en banc session on Monday, April 16.

In the current Constitution, the president, vice president, and senators can serve in the government for six years. While the president is not eligible for any reelection, both the vice president and senators can serve for two consecutive terms.

Meanwhile, members of the House of Representatives have a term of three years and may serve for three successive terms.

The subcommittee also recommended the “mandatory” appointment of the elected vice president to a Cabinet position.

According to Nachura, this decision was “partly” influenced by the situation between Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo.

“Siguro (Maybe), partly. Although the situation today will not happen anymore dahil magkasama nang partido (since parties are together), the vote for the president is also a vote for the vice-presidential candidate,” he said.

Duterte appointed Robredo as chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council in 2016, but she resigned from the president’s Cabinet after a few months.

The Vice President said she resigned from her post after she received a text message from Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco Jr., relaying Duterte’s directive through Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go for her ”to desist from attending all Cabinet meetings starting December 5.”