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[av_heading heading=’‘House needs Senate to amend Charter’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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January 30, 2018
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MANILA – Any move at the House of Representatives to amend the Constitution without the participation of the Senate would not bear fruit, according to two senators.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez should “put an end” to this “absurd” plan, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said.
Alvarez has declared that the House already started the amendment process.
After the required number of House votes is met, the Filipinos may ratify the proposed amendments via a plebiscite, said the representative from Davao del Norte.
“Constitutional law experts are in virtually unanimous agreement that the proposal of amendments or revisions to the 1987 Constitution under Article XVII, Section 1(1) requires both chambers of Congress to convene in a Constituent Assembly,” Gatchalian said.
The House cannot change the Charter without the participation of the Senate, and vice versa, he stressed.
“Indeed, it would be absurd for one chamber of a bicameral legislature to be able to change the fundamental law of the land without the participation and assent of the other chamber,” he said.
According to Gatchalian, Alvarez should work with the Senate for an “inclusive” and “constitutionally sound” plan to convene Congress as a Constituent Assembly.
“If the House continues down the reckless path it has set upon, their risky experiment in constitutional alchemy will result in an illegitimate draft constitution, which will surely be rejected by the people via plebiscite,” Gatchalian said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Escudero said changing the Constitution without Senate participation “contravenes the basis for such move.”
Congress has adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 9, which seeks to convene Congress into a Constituent Assembly to amend the Charter, he said.
“The title in itself, ‘concurrent resolution,’ is already an admission that any proposal or move to amend the Constitution necessitates the separate votes of both houses of Congress,” Escudero explained.
“Hindi kailanman sa anumang mundo at sa anumang panahon pwedeng pwersahin ng Kamara ang Senado gawin ang isang bagay na ayaw gawin ng Senado at iyong kabaligtaran naman ay totoo rin – hindi rin naming pwedeng pwersahin ang Kamara sa ayaw nila,” he stressed./PN
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