The House of Representatives will concentrate on its draft federal charter in the coming week, Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Thursday.
Resolution of Both Houses of Congress (RBH) No. 15 is currently at the period of interpellations. Debates on it continued during plenary sessions this week but its passage on second reading had been unsuccessful due to lack of quorum.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the last of President Duterte鈥檚 SONA agenda. Everything else has already passed. So, I guess, we鈥檒l be concentrating on that next week,鈥� Arroyo said of RBH 15 during an interview in Porac, Pampanga.
鈥淥f course, we know that there will still be many steps. But the thing is, we will bring it as far as we can bring it in the hope that the next Congress can continue the work,鈥� she added.
Last October 2, the House constitutional amendments panel approved and referred to the plenary the draft charter which provides for a presidential-bicameral-federal system of government. The Arroyo-led resolution was filed on Sept. 19.
READ: Resolution聽of聽Both聽Houses聽Proposing the Revision of the 1987 Constitution
Conrado 鈥淒ing鈥� Generoso, the spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 Consultative Committee, has raised several red flags on the聽House聽draft charter, branding it as worse than the 1935聽Constitution.
搁贰础顿:听Arroyo鈥檚 draft charter 鈥榗ould be worse than 1935 Constitution鈥欌�擥eneroso
Under the聽House聽draft, members of Congress would be elected for a term of four years. There was no term limit provided, but the lawmakers should be tertiary education degree holders.
The first election under the proposed Constitution would be held on the second Monday of May 2022.
READ: Arroyo: Term limits for lawmakers under federal gov鈥檛 a 鈥榗ollegial decision鈥�
The draft also became controversial when it excluded the Vice President from the line of succession during the transition period to a federal form of government.
搁贰础顿:听Arroyo federal charter excludes VP from succession during transition
Because of the backlash, the lower chamber returned the draft to the committee level on October 10.
搁贰础顿:听House聽throws Arroyo鈥檚 draft federal Charter back to聽committee聽level
Last November 12,聽the House panel agreed to place聽Vice President Leni Robredo back in the line of succession. /muf
搁贰础顿:听Robredo to succeed Duterte in shift to federal gov鈥檛 鈥� House panel chair