Senate President Pro-tempore Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
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Senate President Pro-tempore Franklin Drilon said听on Sunday听that the public hearings for the revision or amendment of the 1987 Constitution will be 鈥渋nclusive鈥� and 鈥渢ransparent.鈥�
Drilon, chair of the Senate Committee on听Constitutional听Amendments听and Revision听of听Codes, said the first public hearing would be on听Sept. 6.
鈥淎s its chairman, I guarantee that all views and opinions will be heard听and听taken into consideration,听and听that听no one will be left in the dark,鈥� Drilon said in a statement.
鈥淲e will be consultative. We will try to cover as听many听sectors as possible,鈥� he added.
The senator said that the committee should first resolve whether there was a need to revise the Constitution.
Citing the results of a Pulse Asia survey in July which showed 44 percent of Filipinos opposing amending the Constitution and 37 percent approving it, Drilon emphasized the need for Filipinos to be informed about Charter change (Cha-cha).
鈥淲e need to inform听and educate our countrymen on Charter change. The people听should听be involved听and must fully understand how this听proposed constitutional reform听will affect their听lives in the years to come.鈥�
鈥淎t听the end of the day, it is听our听people听who听will听ultimately听decide whether to ratify or not听the proposed changes to the Constitution,鈥澨鼶rilon听said.
The senator said the committee would invite representatives from听various sectors such as the business community,听labor,听academe, civil society, sectoral听and religious听groups, as听well as constitutional and legal experts and former Supreme Court justices during the initial public hearing.
He also eyes holding public hearings on Cha-cha in cities outside Metro Manila such as Baguio, Cebu, and Davao.
Drilon authored Resolution of Both Houses No. 1 calling for a constitutional convention to amend the Charter./rga
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