ConCom member allays fears of ‘Duterte dictatorship’

FILE: Constitution Committee member Antonio Arellano explains the Transitory Provisions of the proposed Federal Constitution during a media forum on Wednesday. (Photo:Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)

DAVAO CITY–The draft federal constitution explicitly bars the incumbent President (President Rodrigo Duterte) and the Vice President (Leni Robredo) from extending their term beyond June 2022 and such should end speculations that Duterte would become a dictator.

This assurance was made by Consultative Committee (ConCom) members, who faced members of the local media here during Wednesday’s Federalism Roadshow at the City Hall Conference Room.

ConCom Commissioner Antonio Arellano pointed out that under the draft constitution’s transitory provisions, Duterte is ineligible to run for any public office in the May 2022 elections.

Both Duterte and Robredo’s term as transition officials, is clearly laid down in Article 22 of the proposed constitution, he added.

Arellano said it didn’t make sense, therefore, for anyone to accuse Duterte of harboring dictatorial and authoritarian ambitions.

“That’s a big lie,” he said, pointing out that it was the President himself, who made sure that he can’t run again in any position in 2022.

In fact, Arellano said Duterte has been generous in ensuring the distribution of the executive powers to 18 regional governors of the federated states — unlike in the current setup where everything is “centralized.

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Arellano explained that among the vital roles Duterte will play will be to “preside” over the orderly transition to the federal system of government.