INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON
Leaders of the House of Representatives have kept mum about moves by senators to prevent the two chambers from convening jointly into a constituent Assembly amid a difference of opinion and fears of one outnumbering the other.
Constitutional amendments committee chair Rep. Roger Mercado said in a phone interview: 鈥淲e would better wait for the [Senate鈥檚] black-and-white position. We want everything to be done formally and in accordance with interparliamentary courtesy.鈥�
Meanwhile, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fari帽as told reporters: 鈥淚 will not comment on the acts, omissions, or pronouncements of Members of the other Chamber.鈥�
Several senators on Wednesday told reporters that they have unanimously agreed that the 23-member chamber may convene and vote separately on the amendments to the Constitution, which the Duterte administration had pushed ostensibly in a bid to shift to a federal form of government.
House members have insisted that the wording of Article 17 of the Constitution, which required that amendments be approved by 鈥渢he Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members,鈥� meant the two chambers would have to convene and vote together.
Such a setup meant the nationally-elected senators would be outnumbered by the 292 district and party-list representatives.
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