A HOUSE of Representatives body on Monday passed a measure detailing the procedures for Charter change (Cha-cha) through a hybrid constitutional convention (con-con).
Under a substitute bill approved by the committee on constitutional amendments, convention members who will propose changes to the 1987 Constitution will both be elected and appointed and will be paid P10,000 a day.
Assistant Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Arlene D. Brosas, one of the lawmakers who voted no to the bill, criticized the compensation. “This is almost equal to the monthly minimum wage of workers,” she said.
The delegates must be “of recognized probity, independence, nationalism and patriotism” and are people “of national standing, with recognized knowledge and competence in the Constitution.”
They must also have a deep understanding of the state and its workings, according to the bill.
A fifth of the convention members will be sectoral representatives, while there will be a delegate from each legislative district.
The election of delegates for the convention will be held on Oct. 30, the same date as the village and youth council elections.
The Senate president and Speaker will appoint delegates who are retired members of the Judiciary, lawyers, academicians and economists.
There will also be representatives from the medical and science and technology profession, labor, business, urban poor and farmers and fisherfolk sectors.
Representatives from indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, veterans, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and other sectors will also be represented.
To qualify as a delegate, a person must be a natural-born Filipino citizen, at least 25 years old and has a college degree, except for poor delegates. They must also be a registered voter. Ex-convicts are disqualified.
The convention will run for seven months and 13 days, from Nov. 21 to June 30, 2024.
Delegates will get a P10,000 daily salary and will be entitled to travel allowance.
The government needs P9.5 billion to amend the Charter, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez told a hearing last week after talking to election officials. The election of delegates will cost P1.5 billion if done simultaneously with village elections, while the budget for the convention itself will cost P5 billion. The plebiscite will cost P3 billion.
The bill will be referred to the committee on appropriations to finalize the budget.
Ms. Brosas earlier said amending the Constitution would not directly solve the problems of Filipinos, including spiraling food prices. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz