MANILA — Malacañang welcomed the amendments on the proposed federal Constitution’s transitory provisions made by the Consultative Committee (ConCom), noting that this would allay public fears that President Rodrigo R. Duterte intends to stay beyond the end of his term in 2022.
“We thank the Consultative Committee for accommodating the President’s request to provide for an elected transition president,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.
Roque made this remark after the ConCom discussed before the Senate on Tuesday the salient features of the draft federal Constitution.
On the same day, ConCom spokesperson Ding Generoso released a copy of the final draft charter to media, a week after Duterte approved the proposed federal Constitution in toto except the transitory provisions.
In the first draft released last July 9, the ConCom assigned Duterte as chairman of the Federal Transition Commission (FTC). However, the President wanted this changed.
Roque earlier said Duterte wanted to step down before the end of his term because aside from wanting to remove the notion that he wanted to stay in power beyond his term, he was also “tired.”
“Para mawala ang suspetsa na meron siyang ibang binabalak dito sa Charter Change at pangalawa dahil siya ay pagod na pagod na (So that he can remove suspicions that he has plans to stay in power with charter change and because he’s very tired),” Roque said.
Roque, citing Duterte, said electing a transition President would “enable a younger leader to take over.”
The final federal Constitution draft now allows the President to call for an election for the transition President and Vice-President in tandem within six months from ratification of the Constitution.
Also in the final draft, the transition President will preside over the orderly transition to the Federal System of Government until June 30, 2022.
Meanwhile, the transition President and Vice President will be ineligible to run for any public office in the May 2022 elections.
Upon Duterte’s request, the ConCom also barred him from running in the 2022 general elections.