House approves move to amend 1987 Constitution
The House of Representatives achieved last night the required ¾ vote to propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution or revise it.
Voting 224-22, with three abstentions, the Lower House approved on third and final reading Resolution of Both Houses No. 15 which proposes to convene Congress into a constituent assembly and introduce amendments to the 31-year-old charter.
Deputy Speaker and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro said that under the 1987 Constitution, only 219 “yes”
votes is required to pass RBH No. 15.
Castro said the measure will now be sent to the Senate for action. A ¾ vote is also required for final adoption of RBH No. 15.
Former President and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assured the Senate that the House acknowledges that constitutional proposals will be voted separately by the two legislative chambers.
Senators insist that the voting be undertaken separately because they will be easily outnumbered by congressmen.
The issue over the manner of voting has become a long-standing dispute between the Senate and the Lower House until Arroyo decided that the latter accede to a separate voting notwithstanding the failure of the Constitution to clear the air on the controversy.
The draft constitution in RBH No. 15 contains various proposals submitted by the Consultative Commission created by President Duterte, the PDP-Laban, and a number of bills filed by Reps. Eugene de Vera (ABS Partylist), Aurelio Gonzales (PDP-Laban, Pampanga), Alfredo Benitez (PDP-Laban, Negros Occidental), Arnolfo Teves (PDP-Laban, Negros Oriental), DV Savellano (NP, Ilocos Sur), Arroyo, and Castro.
Under the House draft constitution, the president and vice president will be elected with each other to serve four-year terms, subject to one re-election.
Lawmakers will serve four-year terms but they should be graduates of college degrees.
The proposal states that the first election under the proposed Constitution will be held on the second Monday of May, 2022.
The proposal, which calls for a presidential-bicameral-federal system, is different from the draft charter under Arroyo’s leadership and also different from the one submitted by the Consultative Commission (Con-Com).
Anak Mindanao Party-list Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan assailed the passage of RBH No. 15.
“This is blind pluralism meant to severely limit the engagement of the masses, our constituency, toward national development and unity.
Finally, the liberalization of our investment policies in favor of foreign nationals and entities is tantamount to giving up our external sovereignty,” said Sangcopan.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the federalism shift has already been exposed by the Duterte administration’s economic advisers who “have exposed it as not economically viable.” (Ben R. Rosario)