MANILA, Philippines — Amid critics questioning the timing of pushing for amendments to the Constitution, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Monday that constitutional reform is in fact connected to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya asserted that the purpose of constitutional reform is to bring countryside development. ADVERTISEMENT“Is the argument now that because of the pandemic, everything should now be about the pandemic? In fact this issue is connected to the pandemic,” said Malaya. “Every time charter change, or constitutional reform, is on the table, there is always this argument: why now?

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 20, 2020 04:18 UTC