Enrile still pushes con-ass

MANILA – Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile still believes that the constitutional assembly (con-ass) mode to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution makes better sense rather than convening a constitutional convention (con-con).

In an interview over SMNI, Enrile questioned the decision of a House of Representatives to approve a resolution calling for a Con-con to amend the charter.

“Bakit gusto ng Kongreso Con-con?

Naku! Kung gagawin mong constituent assembly, milyon lang ang gagastusin mo. Pag con-con, bilyon-bilyon na naman ‘yan (Why does Congress prefer con-con? Under the constituent assembly, you’ll only need millions, but if con-con, billions),” he said.

Earlier, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary

Krystal Uy said that holding a con-con is more expensive than holding a conass with around PHP10 billion difference between the two modes of amending the Constitution.

Enrile said he preferred con-ass because the con-con will use up the little funds of the government to pay for the salaries of the delegates of the convention and travel allowance.

“…All you have to do is remove some of the provisions that you want to remove and you have a ready-made, well-discussed, well-prepared, well-studied and welldeliberated Constitutional provision that was already used in the Philippines,” the former Senate president added.

Under con-ass, Congress sits down to propose amendments to the Constitution while the proposed con-con requires the regions to elect representatives who will suggest amendments to the Charter.

Enrile likewise emphasized the need to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, which he said hindered the country from development. (PNA)

‘Help Filipinos jailed abroad’ - solon

Moises Cruz ManilaTimes.net

KABAYAN party-list Rep. Ron Salo appealed on Monday, March 20 to Philippine embassies in Muslim-majority nations where there are overseas Filipinos detained or facing the death sentence to intervene on their behalf.

He also asked the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos to assist in whatever way it could.

The Department of Foreign Affairs reported that there are 83 Filipinos on death row abroad, including 56 in Malaysia, six in the United Arab Emirates, five in Saudi Arabia, one in Indonesia (Mary Jane Veloso), and

15 from other countries, including Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, the United States, Japan and Brunei.

Moreover, 1,267 overseas Filipinos are currently detained, of which 914 are in the Middle East, 321 are in Asia and the Pacific, 23 are in Europe, five are in America, and four are in Africa.

“Ramadan, which begins on March 22, is a time of mercy and compassion. It is an opportune time for Muslim majority countries to exercise these virtues by showing leniency to Filipinos who are incarcerated,” Salo said.

The chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs observed that in the past, authorities