Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has formally taken over from Senator Robin Padilla as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes.
The change in leadership was approved during Tuesday’s plenary session after Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito moved to elect Pangilinan, with Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada presiding. No senator raised an objection.
A lawyer by profession, Pangilinan previously led the same panel, which oversees proposals to amend the Philippine Constitution and revise existing legal codes. “I accept this responsibility with humility and a firm resolve to safeguard the democratic ideals enshrined in our Constitution,” he said, stressing that any changes to the charter must be rooted in the people’s aspirations and undergo a principled, participatory process.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva earlier noted that Padilla’s decision to relinquish the post considered the need for a lawyer to head the panel. Padilla, however, recently refiled a resolution calling for a constitutional convention to amend the 1987 Constitution.
