{"id":805969,"date":"2016-08-14T11:32:38","date_gmt":"2016-08-14T03:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/?p=805969"},"modified":"2016-08-14T13:44:06","modified_gmt":"2016-08-14T05:44:06","slug":"drilon-on-cha-cha-no-one-will-be-in-the-dark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/805969\/drilon-on-cha-cha-no-one-will-be-in-the-dark","title":{"rendered":"Drilon on Cha-cha: No one will be in the dark"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Outgoing<\/a>

Senate President Pro-tempore Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE \/ GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Senate President Pro-tempore Franklin Drilon said\u00a0on Sunday\u00a0that the public hearings for the revision or amendment of the 1987 Constitution will be \u201cinclusive\u201d and \u201ctransparent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Drilon, chair of the Senate Committee on\u00a0Constitutional\u00a0Amendments\u00a0and Revision\u00a0of\u00a0Codes, said the first public hearing would be on\u00a0Sept. 6.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cAs its chairman, I guarantee that all views and opinions will be heard\u00a0and\u00a0taken into consideration,\u00a0and\u00a0that\u00a0no one will be left in the dark,\u201d Drilon said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe will be consultative. We will try to cover as\u00a0many\u00a0sectors as possible,” he added.<\/p>\n\n

The senator said that the committee should first resolve whether there was a need to revise the Constitution.<\/p>\n\n

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).<\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe need to inform\u00a0and educate our countrymen on Charter change. The people\u00a0should\u00a0be involved\u00a0and must fully understand how this\u00a0proposed constitutional reform\u00a0will affect their\u00a0lives in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\u201cAt\u00a0the end of the day, it is\u00a0our\u00a0people\u00a0who\u00a0will\u00a0ultimately\u00a0decide whether to ratify or not\u00a0the proposed changes to the Constitution,\u201d\u00a0Drilon\u00a0said.<\/p>\n\n

The senator said the committee would invite representatives from\u00a0various sectors such as the business community,\u00a0labor,\u00a0academe, civil society, sectoral\u00a0and religious\u00a0groups, as\u00a0well as constitutional and legal experts and former Supreme Court justices during the initial public hearing.<\/p>\n\n

He also eyes holding public hearings on Cha-cha in cities outside Metro Manila such as Baguio, Cebu, and Davao.<\/p>\n\n

Drilon authored Resolution of Both Houses No. 1 calling for a constitutional convention to amend the Charter.\/rga<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

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