Solon files bill to extend term of president, other officials

A congressman wants to amend the Constitution to extend the term or year of office of the president and other elected officials.

Pampanga Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr. filed the resolution, a day after the inauguration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.

Under the current 1987 Constitution, the president can only sit in the office for six years or one term.

The legislator wants to lower the term of office of the president and even the vice president to five years, but they can run again, in such a position once or it will be two terms.

Gonzales believes that the high vote won by Marcos (31 million) and Vice President Sademonstratesn) is a demonstration of the people’s support to amend the word law, and amending the provision for the term of elected officials.

“The clear majority mandate from the Filipino people for President Marcos and Vice President Duterte would be the green light from our citizenry to proceed with discussion of charter change,” the congressman said.

In Gonzales’ proposal, he also wants the people to vote for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates from the same party.

Solon files bill to extend term of president, other officials

Aside from the country’s two top officials, the proposal also includes extending the terms of senators, congressmen and local officials.

Gonzales proposed five years with one reelection for House representatives instead of the current three years with two reelections.

He said that the second three-year term is where the work happens. He explained the first term is a learning curve, while the third term is for reelection-related activities.

“This is true as well with a governor or city or town mayor,” he said in January.

“These have been with us for 34 long years. It may now be time to modify them to modify them to strengthen our political system and hasten national and local development,” he added.

Currently, the senator has a six-year term and can run for two consecutive elections.

While the term of the congressman is three years, he can run in three consecutive elections.