Recto withdraws resolution for Charter Change

February 22, 2017

Senator Ralph Recto has withdrawn his resolution calling for the amendment of the 1987 Constitution, especially economic and social provisions after a committee hearing on Wednesday.

Recto, the minority leader, told reporters that “the purpose today is more political.” “So, I don’t want to be a part of that. That’s why I withdrew my resolution.”

Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon, in a separate interview, said Recto’s decision meant “he is not in favor of amending the Constitution.”

“So any resolution that will propose for the call of a con-con or con-ass, he will cast a negative vote. Whether or not that negative vote will affect the vote is something that is speculative at this point,” added Drilon.

Drilon said Recto’s decision “will not affect the hearing.” “We would know the effect once we put it to a vote,” he said.

Recto said the position of the political party of President Rodrigo Duterte is “to amend it for political purposes, particularly federalism.”

He said adopting federalism “will do more harm than good.”

“It will increase the bureaucracy, increase taxes, increase.red tape, and if we are growing by 7-10 percent today, 7 percent real growth, 10 percent nominally by doing that, we might destroy the economy,” said Recto, a former socio-economic planning secretary.

Recto said amending the provisions calling for martial law was not a factor in his decision. “I haven’t heard that from the president. So it has nothing to do with that—so far,” he said,

“What I am hearing is that they are really pushing for federalism and I think that will be harmful to the country,” added Recto.

He admitted that if this is brought up, “you can amend anything.” DMS