Senators insist Senate, House vote separately on Charter change

Senators on Wednesday insisted that the Senate and House of Representatives should vote separately on Charter change.

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said that while he is amenable to forming Congress into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), the proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution should not be rushed and both Houses of Congress should vote separately to ensure “check and balance.”

“I am amenable to forming Congress into a Constituent Assembly. We are, after all, duly-elected representatives of the people. Electing a Constitutional Convention is ideal but maybe impractical at this point,” Ejercito said.

“Con-Ass will save us money, time and resources without sacrificing the mandate of the people. Remember that the 1987 Constitution allows for three ways to change the charter, ConAss being one of them.

“I think we should start the serious study and thorough debates on charter change. But two points are very important to me about the process: we should not rush it and set unrealistic timelines, and both Houses of Congress should vote separately to ensure check and balance,” he stressed.

Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, on the other hand, said the minority bloc is prepared to bring up the issue of voting either jointly or separately all the way to the Supreme Court.

“We are open to it. Ultimately, it will have to be decided by the Supreme Court.”

“I cannot imagine that the framers of the Constitution contemplated of the situation where the Senate’s vote is just equivalent to that of 290 or so congressmen in a joint voting. No senator will agree to this kind of interpretation,” he said.

Asked what mode he prefers for the Constitution to be amended, Drilon said he is open to either, although he has filed a resolution calling for a Constitutional convention or Con-con.

“At the end of the day, it is the review of the constitution that is more important. How can we achieve that in the best possible way is something that we can debate upon,” Drilon said.

“One thing, we are of the view is that we have to vote separately – the Senate and the house. I cannot imagine a situation where the Senate would be an irrelevant institution,” he said.

A former Justice Secretary, Drilon said nowhere in the Constitution does it state that the Senate and House should vote jointly.