hen lawmakers declare that the 1987 Cory Constitution is in dire need of amendments, the proponents have no specific draft of their intent in printed booklet form or a clean mimeograph of the proposed amendments. What National Assembly? Citizens, since the 1940 amendment of the 1935 Constitution, prefer to recall that Quezon asked or ordered the second National Assembly to extend the term of the president and vice president - from six years without reelection to two four-year terms or eight years. Quezon himself orchestrated the ways/manner of getting the desired amendment. Beyond 8 years When Quezon died as president, he had served a total of eight years, nine months, and 16 days - from November 15, 1935 to August 1, 1944. If the 1940 amendment was strictly followed, Quezon ceased to be president on November 15, 1943 or exactly eight years from his first oathtaking on November 15, 1935.
Ways/means? It was wartime and Quezon sought ways/means to remain as president. He did not believe that the constitution was "operative in the present emergency" and wanted President Roosevelt to intervene to keep him in office. The US attorney general had pointed out that Roosevelt himself could not extend his own term of office. By implication, Roosevelt was without power to extend Quezon's term beyond eight years. Division on succession Quezon convinced his wartime Cabinet but to his bitterness, the members were divided on the issue of succession.
