Civil society leaders here and in the province of Pampanga expressed support for the holding of a constitutional convention and junked the idea of snap elections.
The leaders mae the call in the wake of the multi-billion peso scandal involving flood-control projects.
They noted that despite mounting evidence of corruption, bloated budgets, substandard infrastructure, and contracts awarded to politically connected companies, no major national figure has advanced a clear reform agenda.
In August, Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno called for a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) to revise the 1987 Constitution. In his privileged speech, the Antipolo lawmaker said a Con-Con was ‘the most prudent, transparent, and participatory mechanism to address enduring ambiguities and procedural deficiencies in the Charter.’
‘Today, I submit to this august Chamber that while the provisions of our Constitution are noble in aspiration, certain provisions are marked by ambiguity and procedural deficiency. These deficiencies do not merely complicate interpretation. They obstruct reform, hinder effective governance and erode public trust,’ Puno said.
Civil society groups in this city and in Pampanga said it echoes what local reform advocates have long argued that structural change is needed.
Two reform paths have gained traction in Pampanga. The Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement, led by businessman and civic leader Ruperto Cruz, has long pushed for a Con-Con to rewrite the Constitution and dismantle what he described as a ‘deeply flawed’ political system. Meanwhile, Alexander Cauguiran, co-convenor of the Concerned Citizens of Pampanga advocates for an interim caretaker reform government that would cleanse state institutions before any credible Charter reform can occur.
Though differing in strategy, both movements agree that real reform will not emerge from the same political machinery that enabled systemic corruption.
Cruz argued that attempts to push reform through Congress or the executive branch are futile because the current system is designed to protect entrenched political and economic interests.
‘What’s painful is that we are still electing the same lawmakers and lawbreakers,’ Cruz said. ‘They know the way out. And that is also the reason why they will never truly fix the system or reform the structure.’
Cruz rejected proposals for a Constitutional Assembly (Con-Ass) in which current lawmakers amend the Constitution themselves. Cruz said such a process would only ‘prolong the problem.’ He also proposed redirecting funds from the party-list system and the Sangguniang Kabataan to support a citizen-led Con-Con. He also argued that both mechanisms have been co-opted by dynasties and political operators.
Cruz called for more aggressive anti-corruption legislation including life imprisonment without presidential pardon for graft, perpetual disqualification for plunder and economic sabotage, and the abolition of executive sessions in legislative hearings.
‘Every hearing should be in plenary,’ Cruz said. ‘We have too many laws. The problem is we do not have enough implementers.’
Cauguiran, meanwhile, warned that any Con-Con formed under current political conditions is vulnerable to elite capture.
‘What will be the composition? That’s the problem. Similar to Con-Ass, the powers that be will call the shots. My position is not simply between Con-Ass and Con-Con, the commission that will recommend changes to the Constitution must be independent and representative of basic sectors, not political dynasties,’ Cauiguiran said.
Cauguiran proposed a transitional caretaker government to serve as a bridge from the present crisis to a reformed political order. He said that without cleaning up state institutions and restoring public trust, constitutional reform efforts, however well-intentioned, would be futile.
‘The caretaker government is a bridge from the present, after having accomplished its immediate task, to the future,’ said Cauiguiran.
‘[This is] just my proposal instead of a snap election, that will just change the personalities involved but the old system remains. There must be a radical change,’ he added.
Puno had similarly warned of how vague constitutional provisions have undermined the rule of law and cited controversy around the word ‘forthwith’ in the impeachment process which he said had enabled procedural deadlock and undermined accountability.
‘A single ambiguous word can become the justification for legislative inaction, procedural manipulation or worse, the erosion of accountability itself,’ Puno said.
Puno stressed that his proposal was ‘not a call to discard the Constitution’ but to ‘complete and correct it.’ A Con-Con would be free from conflicts of interest faced by sitting lawmakers and would allow for clearer, more representative, and forward-looking provisions that speak plainly to all citizens.
Though Puno’s call stands out as one of the few from within Congress, civil society leaders say the momentum for reform must come from outside. Cauguiran cautioned that the administration will likely attempt to defuse public outrage by filing selective cases against public works officials and a few local politicians where cases that may drag on for years without meaningful resolution.
‘Their goal is to manage unrest, not to address the root issues. Ayuda here, elections there-then nothing changes,’ Cauguiran said.
Cruz also said that even if a Con-Con is convened, public vigilance is essential to prevent it from being co-opted.
‘People will have to vote for the Con-Con. So while they frame it, we also have to see it while they are on it,’ Cruz said. ‘We are only prolonging the agony if we think lawmakers alone will give us the solution.’
Both Cruz and Cauguiran reject the idea that elections alone will resolve the crisis, especially in a system where alleged plunderers are allowed to run and win office without consequence.
‘Don’t change the people, change the law,’ Cruz said. ‘We’ve tried changing the people before. Impeachment after impeachment. It didn’t work.’
‘The fight against corruption should not stop in the streets,’ Cauguiran added. ‘It must be structural.’