Senate public hearings on Cha-cha to begin Sept. 6

A Senate panel would begin public hearings and consultations on the various proposals calling for an amendment or revision of the 29-year-old 1987 Constitution starting next month, according to Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes. Drilon earlier filed the Resolution of Both Houses No. 1 calling for a constitutional convention to amend or revise the Constitution. Drilon said the first hearing would commence on September 6. This, despite the earlier commitment of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III that Congress would tackle Charter change (Cha-cha) by January, 2017 and prioritize the passage of the proposed P3.3-trillion national budget this year. “The committee understands the importance of this undertaking as part of the agenda of the Duterte administration and has therefore decided to give it the highest priority,” Drilon said in a statement. The senator said [...]