When it comes to the charter change discourse in the Philippines, it’s not over ’til it’s over.
The push to amend or revise the 1987 Constitution seems to have lost steam in recent months, as the window to pass legislation before the 2025 midterm polls narrows, but one lawmaker — who by his middle name isn’t a nobody — is throwing a curveball.
Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Angelo Marcos Barba filed Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 8 on Monday, August 5, seeking to extend the terms of office for members of the House of Representatives from three to five years.
His proposal, a copy of which became public on Wednesday, August 7, also seeks to allow House lawmakers to be reelected once, giving them a total of 10 years in office, compared to the current nine years for every congressman reelected twice.
“The nine-year period is not enough for the members to fully serve their constituents, and their proposed legislative agenda are, most of the time, left unenacted due to various priorities,” RBH 8 read.
“By extending the term of office of members of the House of Representatives, the members will be given the opportunity to effect long-term planning, meaningful reforms and policy continuity while in office,” it added.
Barba is the son of Fortuna Marcos-Barba, the youngest sister of the late dictator Marcos. This makes Barba the cousin of both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Despite the familial ties, he’s a lot less powerful in the lower chamber compared to the Speaker. Barba holds the chairmanship post for the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle committee and the vice chairmanship post for the accounts committee, but does not hold a leadership position in the rules committee. He is unlike the President’s son Sandro Marcos, who, in his first term as a lawmaker, has already become the senior deputy majority leader.
His proposal, though, is unlikely to gain traction, and may merely be a headline-grabber at best.
It’s not even the first time under the current administration that someone proposed a longer term of office for incumbent elective officials. Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales, back in 2022, wanted a five-year term with the option for one-time reelection for the president, vice president, and local officials.
That resolution just didn’t fly, as political charter change in the Philippines remains a divisive issue.
The House has also already passed RBH 7, or the so-called economic charter change, with proponents hoping that limiting the revisions to economic provisions would be less contentious. But even that proposal faces intense opposition from critics, who believe that current laws are enough to make the Philippines attractive to foreign investors.
There is also internal politics at play, with the House and the Senate figuring in a public rift on the method of amending the 1987 Constitution.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has, however, already said charter change would not be a priority under his leadership.
“For this same reason, pending bills on charter change will be placed in the back burner, and will follow the ordinary and regular process of legislation, if at all,” he said in July.
House constitutional amendments committee chairperson Rufus Rodriguez is also quick to shoot down Barba’s resolution, saying his panel won’t consider proposals that are political in nature.
“The Speaker has repeatedly declared that the push for Charter reform at this time is confined to amending the Constitution’s restrictive economic provisions,” he said on Wednesday.
On surface level, the filing of RBH 8 seems to be an independent move made by the President’s less popular cousin in Congress.
So if that’s really the case, what does he stand to gain by doing this? – Rappler.com
