Senate urged to decide on mode of cha-cha in 2 weeks

LEYTE Representative Roger Mercado urged the Senate to decide on their preferred mode of amending the 1987 Constitution.

Mercado, who chairs the House committee on constitutional amendments, said in a press conference on Monday, January 22, that he hoped the Senate would come up with a decision in two weeks.

He noted that the Senate has been conducting consultations regarding federalism.

“To my understanding, yung consultation nila (their consultation) is for the purpose of gathering inputs to be used by the senators in the constitutional assembly,” he said.

“But as to the mode, we are now talking about the mode of revising or amending the constitution. I believe that they can already make their own official action. Maybe in two weeks or..,” Mercado added.

He said the inputs from the consultation could be echoed once the chambers convene as a Constituent assembly to propose amendments in the present constitution.

“Ito naman ay mode lang naman e so dapat I think it should not take so much time to make a formal decision kasi yung input nila from their consultation will be used later when we will be convened as a constituent assembly,” he said.

“I think they should also give courtesy to the equal body at the House of representatives na hinihintay naman namin yung official action nila, bigyan naman nila kami ng official action,” Mecado further said.

The sub-committ ees under Mercado’s committee tasked to create guidelines for the Constituent assembly earlier proposed the creation of five states under a federal form of government. These are: Manila, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Bangsamoro.

This proposal, along with the others, will be deliberated and finalized once the Congress convenes to discuss the revisions in the 1987 Constitution.

Last week, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution compelling both chambers of the Congress to convene as a constituent assembly ( con-ass) .

The senators, however, agreed to boycott the con-ass and push for separate voting.

Under the Constitution, a two-thirds vote in Congress is needed to amend the Constitution. (Keith Calayag/ SunStar Ph i l i p p i n es)