Nene: Shift to federal will not allow GMA extension

SENATE minority leader Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel yesterday stressed his proposed federal system of government will not allow any extension to the term of President Arroyo.

"That will not happen because it is clear in my proposal that the term of the incumbent president will not be extended. Even my term as senator will be terminated in 2010," he said.

Pimentel made the clarification in the light of speculations that a federal system will allow the President to stay in power either by running for re-election or by extending her term as a "hold-over" or "transitional" president.

Pimentel is the principal author of Joint Resolution 10 calling for the convening of Congress into a Constituent Assembly to initiate amendments to the 1987 Constitution and lay the ground for a federal system.

He said the joint resolution is explicit in barring the incumbent president from benefiting in whatever changes to the Constitution.

Article 19 of the proposed federal Constitution provides: "Unless the incumbent president is removed from office, dies or resigns, the incumbent shall serve until 2010, the year her Constitutional term of office ends. She is however not qualified to run again under the Constitution."

Pimentel also said under his proposal, both the president and vice president will serve for a term of six years and be voted as a team, which means that a vote for a presidential candidate would be automatically be counted as a vote for his running-mate.

The resolution calls for the election of six senators in each of the 11 component federal states that are envisioned to be created.

In addition, nine other senators will be elected to represent Filipinos overseas. This will considerably expand the membership of the Senate which has 24 members.

On the other hand, congressmen will be elected by district but limited to a maximum of 350.

The resolution provides that the senators will serve for six years while the congressmen will serve for three years. The senators will be limited to two terms and congressmen, four terms.

At least 15 senators have expressed support for Pimentel’s proposal, including Senate President Manuel Villar, majority leader Francis Pangilinan, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Edgardo Angara, Rodolfo Biazon, Pia Cayetano, Juan Ponce Enrile, Francis Escudero, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Juan Miguel Zubiri. – Dennis Gadil