Groups call for Charter convention forum

SEVERAL groups have called for a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) forum to draft a new governmental framework that would be able to address the current needs of the Philippines.

In a statement issued on Friday, former anti-corruption czar Greco Belgica said that he, along with other groups, already called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the past several months to lead a Con-Con and unify both Houses of Congress.

«But the President has yet to respond, and now we are reiterating this call,» said Belgica, a former councilor of the City of Manila.

Belgica, a former Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) chairman, said that representatives from each province in the country would be called to participate in the forum to ensure that the new Constitution that would be drafted would be able to address the current needs of the country.

«We now call upon the foremost intellects and representatives from every province to draft a new governmental framework that more accurately reflects the principles of liberty, limited governance, federalism, popular sovereignty, democracy, and republicanism—ideals for which our founding fathers sacrificed,» Belgica said.

He also said that the revised Constitution should more explicitly restrict governmental powers, ensuring that those entrusted with office are bound by these limits.

«We need to write a Constitution that will effectively express the consent of the governed, the principles of democracy, individual rights to life, liberty, and property, free trade, federalism, limited powers, checks and balances, taxation without representation, and review the over-regulation to the economy that is crippling trade and commerce, resulting in poverty and deprivation,» Belgica said.

He said the new Constitution that will be drafted during the forum will be presented to the House of Representatives, Senate and the Office of the President.

Belgica's call came following the passage of Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 7, a resolution that will allow both the Congress and Senate to make amendments to certain economic provisions in the Constitution by voting separately.

However, despite recognizing the need to amend the