Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
The 17th Congress will convene in a constituent assembly (Con-ass) next year to propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution for a federal form of government, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said.
In a briefing with reporters聽on Tuesday, Alvarez said the ball is in the hands of Malaca帽ang after President Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order creating a Constitutional Commission which will aid Congress to propose amendments to the Charter.
Alvarez said Congress would push through with the Con-ass, where both Houses of Congress would vote to propose amendments to the Charter.
搁贰础顿:听Con-ass plenary debates to follow death penalty bill听触聽Duterte issues EO creating body to review Constitution聽
But the issue had been stalled over debate whether Congress would vote jointly or separately, a question which was unanswered in the Constitution.
Alvarez said Con-ass would continue next year even without the President鈥檚 appointment of the members of the constitutional commission.
鈥溾�橮ag hindi siya mangyari this year, definitely with or without the commission by next year, uumpisahan na ng Kongreso 鈥榶an (If it does not happen this year, definitely with or the commission by next year Congress can start on that),鈥� Alvarez said, referring to Con-ass.
Alvarez said he does not mind if Congress would vote separately on the Charter amendments, the main crux that stalled any agreement between both Houses of Congress.
The Senate would be at a disadvantage if both Houses of Congress will vote jointly because the upper chamber would be far outnumbered by the 292-strong lower House.
鈥淧wede namang voting separately, okay naman. Para sa akin, wala namang problema 鈥榶an eh (Voting separately is OK for me. There is no problem about that),鈥� Alvarez said.
搁贰础顿:听Alvarez: 鈥極kay鈥� to separate voting for House, Senate in a Con-ass聽
Alvarez said the House would finish first the deliberations on the 2018 budget before it focuses on amending the 1987 Constitution to pave the way for a shift from unitary to a federal form of government.
The lower House originally planned to tackle the concurrent Con-ass resolution this May in the plenary. The resolution has hurdled the committee level and is now up for second reading approval, debate and amendments.
But the concurrent resolution is yet to be fielded to the plenary for second reading debates. The lower House would adjourn for sine die on聽May 31.
搁贰础顿:听Con-ass hurdles House聽Charter聽change聽committee
Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, chairperson of the constitutional amendments committee, earlier said the plenary debate on the concurrent resolution would limit the discussions on the Con-ass mode of Charter change.
The House is tackling聽Charter聽change聽following a call of President Duterte for Congress to convene in an聽assembly聽to propose amendments to the Constitution to pave the way for聽changing聽the form of government from unitary to federal parliamentary.
搁贰础顿:听It鈥檚聽Con-ass, not聽Con-con
The committee had finished its report on聽Charter聽change聽after it聽approved the concurrent resolution calling on Congress to convene in an聽assembly聽to propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution.
Under Article 17 of the Constitution, there are three modes of amending the聽Charter.
Under Section 1, one mode of聽Charter聽change聽is through a聽Con-ass聽where Congress upon a vote of three votes of its members may propose amendments. It is silent whether or not Congress votes jointly or separately.
Section 1 also provides for a constitutional convention聽where delegates will be elected by the public to propose amendments.
Congress is looking at taking on its own hands amending the聽Charter聽with the help of a Constitutional Commission, the members of which is set to be appointed by President Duterte.
Con-Con, Congress is told, would be too costly at a whopping P8.1 billion.
Meanwhile, under the People鈥檚 Initiatives, as stated under Section 2, proposal for constitutional amendments may be instituted by the people 鈥渢hrough initiative upon a petition of at least twelve per centum of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least three per centum of the registered votes therein.鈥�
Charter聽change聽has been criticized as a move to extend the term limits of public officials, among other amendments that would be self-serving to politicians. JE/rga
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