SENATOR Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan officially replaced Senator Robin Padilla as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes on Tuesday.
The motion to elect Pangilinan was approved by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada following a motion by Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito, with no objections raised by other senators.
Pangilinan, a lawyer with prior experience leading the Senate panel on constitutional amendments, accepted the responsibility with a commitment to protecting democratic ideals. “I accept this responsibility with humility and a firm resolve to safeguard the democratic ideals enshrined in our Constitution,” Pangilinan stated.
He emphasized that any changes to the Constitution must be rooted in the aspirations and welfare of the people and undergo a thorough and participatory process.
The change in leadership comes after Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva suggested that being a lawyer was a key consideration in determining who should lead the committee.
Padilla had previously refiled a resolution seeking to revise the 1987 Constitution through a constitutional convention.
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