President Rodrigo Duterte appointed a Boholano who was his former law professor at the San Beda College in Manila as one of the 19 members of the committee who will review the 1987 Constitution.
Former OIC Gov, Victor de la Serna, a bar topnotcher himself, was appointed to be among those who will review the Constitution as part of the legal process in doing the Charter Change (Cha-cha). He was also an elected member of the 1972 Constitutional Convention.
De la Serna who was earlier asked by the President to assume a national post declined to accept the offer. However, this time, the Boholano bar top notcher expressed elation of having been chosen as one of the 19-member consultative body.
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno who is an advocate on federalism was appointed to head the committee.
Former Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. who is a renown expert on the local government code was also named as member of the body.
Others appointed to the post were former SC Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes; Radio Mindanao Network founder Atty. Reuben Canoy, former Justice and Solicitor General Antonio Nachura Jr, Julio Cabral Teehankee, former dean of the De La Salle University’s College of Liberal Art and Father Ranhilio Aquino, dean of the San Beda’s Graduate School of Law.
Others members of the review body are Kalinga Rep. Laurence Wacnang; former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Roan Libarios and Executive Director of Local Government Development Foundation Edmund Soriano Tayao.
Of the 19 appointed members, three are Muslims. They are former Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi chancellor Eddie Mapag Alih, former congressman of Lanao del Sur Ali Pangalian Balindong and Randolph Climaco Parcasio, lawyer-spokesman of the Moro National Liberation Front founder Nur Misuari.
Of the 19 members, three are supporters of the PDP-Laban Federalism Institute. They are Pimentel, Tayao ug Teehankee.
Pres. Duterte signed last December Executive Order 10 creating the 25-member committee to review the 1987 Constitution.
The committee was tasked to submit their report and recommendations to the President. On top of the agenda is the proposed Charter Change which is now being prioritized by the 17th Congress as well as in the Senate.