Con-ass Ok’d as mode of changing constitution

MANILA — The House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Amendments on Wednesday approved a concurrent resolution calling Congress to constitute itself as a constituent assembly to propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

The Constitutional Amendments committee approved the motion led by House deputy speaker Gwendolyn Garcia with 32 affirmative votes, 7 negative and 3 abstentions.

“This panel approves concurrent resolution calling for [the] Congress the Philippines to constitute itself into a constituent assembly for the purpose of proposing amendments to or revisions to the 1987 Constitution,” said Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, who chairs the House panel.

A technical working group will also be created to consolidate the bills proposing Con-ass as a mode for charter change.

The resolution must still be approved by the House of Representatives in plenary.

The House is also waiting for an executive order from President Rodrigo Duterte creating a 25-member Constitutional Commission to aid Congress, acting as constituent assembly, in amending the present constitution towards the shift to a federal form of government.

There are three modes of amending the Constitution: a constituent assembly, a constitutional convention, and a people’s initiative. An attempt to do so through a people's initiative was rejected by the Commission on Elections in 2006.