Malacañang on Monday stressed that the push for charter change is not the priority of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration for now.
This, despite the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)’s efforts to gather signatures for the proposal. A number of local leaders have already expressed their support in the constitutional reform.
It will be then submitted to the Congress in the form of a House Resolution, according to DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya.
“Linggo-linggo, nakikipag-usap naman po ang Pangulo sa ating taumbayan at hindi po lumulutang ang charter change bilang isang prayoridad,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing.
[The President addresses the public weekly and he has never cited charter change as a priority.]
“Ang totoo po, nakatutok po ngayon ang Presidente, ang buong national government sa pamamagitan ng IATF (inter-agency task force), dito po sa problema ng COVID-19. So, hindi po prayoridad ang charter change,” he added.
[The truth is the President, the national government, through the IATF, remains focused on the COVID-19 problem. So, charter change is not a problem.]
Earlier, Vice President Leni Robredo criticized the timing of the push for constitutional reform, emphasizing the need to put all of the government’s energy into addressing the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to grapple the country.
