(Eagle News)– Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III on Wednesday dismissed House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s claims of a possible no-election scenario in 2019 if the proposed shift to federalism pushes through this year.
In a statement, Pimentel said “we can shift to federalism and allow all scheduled elections under the present Constitution to go on and be held.”
“What is important are the transitory provisions which will govern the terms and duties of those elected in the last election during the 1987 Constitution,” he said.
He said that in the first place, “before we can operate under a new Constitution (that specifies a federal form of government), the provisions of the existing Constitution must be followed.”
“Hence if there are scheduled elections under the existing Constitution, then this must be followed,” he said.
In arguing for the possibility of a no-el scenario, Alvarez said that when shifting to a different form of government, a transitory government was needed in between.
“Hindi mo pwedeng basta inaprubahan mo ng Mayo, implement mo agad yan,” he said.
He said the resulting scenario if the public therefore approves via a referendum the proposal calls for an expiration of the terms of all senators in 2022.
“Remember ha, yung senators kasi yung termino nila, hindi sabay-sabay mag e-expire. May mag e-expire sa 2019, may mag e-expire sa 2022. In fairness siguro mas maganda pag pina-expire mo lahat sa 2022 para wala ka ng utang…,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has long espoused for a federal form of government, saying that such allows for the resolution of the long-standing problems in Mindanao.