House to pursue con-ass sans Senate

MANILA - Senators have agreed to boycott the constituent assembly that the House of Representatives wants to convene for the purpose of amending the Constitution.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said majority of the senators in a caucus on Wednesday, January 17, agreed not to adopt House Resolution No.9, which seeks to convene both chambers into a constituent assembly.

The senators have also agreed to expel colleagues who will attend the joint session.

Senator Nancy Binay confirmed the consensus reached during the caucus initiated by Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.

"We will close ranks among senators na hindi kami a-attend kung magkaroon man ng joint session. Majority ay may ganoong commitment sa Senado," said Senator Nancy Binay.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, in a radio interview on Thursday, January 18, said the House will pursue the constitutional assembly even without the Senate.

The House alone, which has nearly 300 members, can satisfy the constitutional requirement for three-fourths vote to amend the 1987 Constitution. There are only 24 senators.

“Sa akin kasi, kanyakanyang paniniwala tayo. Iginagalang ko yung paniniwala nila na separate voting. Ako naman ang aking paniniwala ay voting jointly. Kasi para sa akin malinaw naman ang titik ng ating Saligang Batas na ¾ of all the members of Congress, ibig sabihin pare-pareho kami ng boto,” Alvarez said.

Sectjon 1, Art. VII of the Constittution provides that “any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may be proposed

by: (1) The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members.”

“Kami ay representatives ng mga tao. We are the nearest link doon sa mga tao, kaya naman bakit magkakaroon ng mas mabigat na boto yung mga senador kesa sa mga congressman?” Alvarez added.

Despite the position taken by majority of the senators, Alvarez said he expected Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, who heads the ruling Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino, to speak out on the issue.

On Tuesday, majority of the House approved the resolution compelling both chambers of Congress to convene a constitutional assembly and deliberate the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution, including the shift to a federal form of government. Keith Calayag with PS Jun Sarmiento/SunStar Philippines

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