MANILA, Philippines — The two legislative chambers will be busy next week with two separate hearings — Charter change (Cha-Cha) at the Senate and Sereno impeachment at the House of Representatives.
On Sunday, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan announced that during the resumption of the proposed Cha-cha at the upper chamber on Monday, former Supreme Court chief justices Reynato Puno, Hilario Davide Jr. and, Artemio Panganiban, and former Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr. would be among the 51 persons invited by the Senate to become resource speakers.
At the lower chamber, House Committee on Justice Chairman Reynaldo Umali said the same day that three high court justices — Lucas Bersamin, Diosdado Peralta, and Samuel Martires — would attend the hearing on the complaint filed by lawyer Larry Gadon against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
At the Senate, Pangilinan, stressed “the need to hear the voice of wisdom of as many sectors as possible because the implications of a revised or amended Constitution are deep and far-reaching.”
“No one chamber of Congress can do it alone. The changes should also come from the people,” Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes.
Besides the three former top magistrates and Pimentel, the Senate also invited other former justices and former members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission, members of the academe, representatives of sectors and of the executive branch.
They are:
1. ANTONIO B. NACHURA
Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
2. VICENTE V. MENDOZA
Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
3. ADOLFO S. AZCUNA
Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
4. CHRISTIAN S. MONSOD
Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission
5. JOSE LUIS MARTIN GASCON
Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights
6. RENE V. SARMIENTO
Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission
7. FELICITAS AQUINO-ARROYO
Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission
8. RICARDO ROMULO
Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission
9. BERNARDO VILLEGAS
Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission
10. FLORANGEL ROSARIO BRAID
Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission
11. SALVADOR MEDIALDEA, executive secretary, Office of the President
12. SALVADOR PANELO, chief legal counsel, Office of the President
13. ERNESTO M. PERNIA, National Economic and Development Authority director-general
14. ADELINO SITOY, secretary, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office
15. DANILO L. CONCEPCION, president, University of the Philippines
16. PACIFICO AGABIN, former dean of the UP College of Law
17. FLORIN HILBAY, associate professor, UP-College of Law
18, RAPHAEL P.M. LOTILLA, chair, Center for the Advancement of Trade Integration and Facilitation
19. JORGE V. TIGNO, UP Department of Political Science, College of Social Science and Philosophy, UP-Diliman
20. MARIA FE VILLAMEJOR-MENDOZA, dean, UP National College of Public Administration and Governance
21. TERESA S. ENCARNACION TADEM, executive director, UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies
22. MARIA ELA L. ATIENZA, chair, Department of Political Science, University of the Philippines Diliman
23. SEDFREY M. CANDELARIA, dean Ateneo de Manila University School of Law
24. RONALD U. MENDOZA, dean, Ateneo de Manila University School of Government
25. ANTONIO LA VIÑA, former dean, Ateneo de Manila University School of Government
26. MELENCIO STA. MARIA, dean, FEU- Institute of Law
27. BENEDICTO R. BACANI, executive director, Institute for Autonomy and Governance, Notre Dame University
28. ABDIEL DAN ELIJAH S. FAJARDO, chairman of the board, Integrated Bar of the Philippines
29. ARCHBISHOP ROMULO G. VALLES, president, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
30. MANUEL M. LAZARO, chairman, Philippine Constitution Association
31. RAMONCITO S. FERNANDEZ, president, Management Association of the Philippines
32. EDMUND TAYAO, executive director, Local Government Development Foundation
33. GERARDO SICAT, fellow, Foundation for Economic Freedom
Fellow
34. AL OXALES, consultant, PDP Laban Federalism Institute Study Group
35. EDGAR O. CHUA, chairman, Makati Business Club
36. GEORGE T. BARCELON, president, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry
37. RAMON C. CASIPLE, executive director, Institute for Political and Electoral Reform
38. AMINA RASUL-BERNARDO, president, Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy
39. GOVERNOR RYAN LUIS V. SINGSON, president, League of Provinces of the Philippines
40. MAYOR EDGARDO D. PAMINTUAN, national president, League of Cities of the Philippines
41. MAYOR MARIA FE V. BRONDIAL, national president, League of Municipalities of the Philippines
42. EDMUND R. ABESAMIS, national president, Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas
43. TEODORO A. CASIÑO, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
45. MARIE HAZEL LAVITORIA, executive director, Saligan
46. RUBEN TORRES, president, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines
47. ISAGANI SERRANO, Social Watch Philippines
48. KHRYZZA MAE PINZON, national chair, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines