MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte has appointed the 20th member of the 25-member Consultative Committee that will review the country’s 1987 Constitution.
In an appointment paper dated Feb. 20, Duterte designated Ferdinand Bocobo as a new member of the body to draft a new constitution that will be submitted to the Congress.
Duterte earlier designated former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno as chairman of the consultative body.
Former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., father of incumbent Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, has been appointed as member.
Other members include: Victor De La Serna, Ranhilio Callangan Aquino, Virgilio Castillo Bautista, Rodolfo Dia Robles, Antonio Eduardo Nachura, Julio Cabral Teehankee, Bienvenido Reyes, Eddie Mapag Alih, Edmund Soriano Tayao, Ali Pangalian Balindong, Laurence Wacnang, Roan Libarios, Reuben Rabe Canoy, Arthur Aguilar, Susan Ubalde-Ordinario, Antonio Binas Arellano and Randolp Climaco Parcasio.
On Monday, Pimentel said that there was need to immediately appoint the six remaining members the Con-com lacked.
He urged the President to consider appointing representatives from the women sector and indigenous people (IPs) in the Con-com to represent more sectors.
“Even if the six more members are appointed few days from now, they will have missed out on some of the days in which they could have shared their expertise. This should be done as early as possible,” Pimentel added. (PNA)