FORMER President Rodrigo Roa Duterte reiterated that he is not opposed to charter change provided that the term limits for elected officials remained untouched.
PRRD said moves to change the 1987 Constitution must be “purely motivated to improve the interest of the country and will never be used to promote ambition of anybody else.”
“If you want to make changes, you should not benefit from it,” said Duterte during a press conference at Harana Bistro, Davao on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
He also added that if there is any provision that needs correction, “let us all cooperate, maybe suggest to whoever is in control, what would be changes that would be done.”
Similar lines were thrown by the former president during the Hakbang ng Maisug prayer rally in Cebu City on Sunday, Feb. 25, where he expressed support for the constitutional amendment, which was contrary to his statement at the first prayer rally held in Davao on Jan. 28.
During the first rally, he warned President Marcos of suffering the same fate as his father, who was toppled through a bloodless revolution, if the administration pushed for charter change.
“Baka susunod ka sa dinaanan ng tatay mo. Diyan ako takot. Ayokong mangyari sayo iyan,” he said that night, that it will “divide the nation” and might be a “bloody path” for Marcos.
However, in Tuesday’s press conference, Duterte feared that those pushing for charter change would go beyond amending the economic provisions, particularly on the 60% ownership restrictions for foreigners.
He stressed that several presidents have used economic provisions as an excuse to push their hidden agenda to extend the term limits of public officials.
“That’s why ako nandito sabihin lang na kayong mga congressman o senador, huwag ninyong pahabain o paiksiin ang termino ninyo. Let it be where it is, kung six years, hanggang diyan lang,” he said.
Duterte also said he would support cha-cha if President Marcos committed not to run for the position again to avoid abusing his power.
Over the past few months, a signature campaign has been going around the country targeting beneficiaries of assistance to individuals in crisis situations (AICS). People affixed their signatures without knowing that they were used in the move to change the Constitution through a People’s Initiative.
The People’s Initiative will then allow the Lower House to outnumber the Senate, whose vote will only be counted as one under a constitutional assembly.
In January this year, the Comelec declared it would not accept the People’s Initiative following issues of “vote buying.”
