Published January 14, 2021, 1:38 PM
Leaders of eight major political parties and blocs in the House of Representatives have inked a manifesto expressing their “full and unwavering” support for the approval of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco’s Resolution of Both Houses No. 2, which seeks to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO
“We believe that now is the most opportune time to resume the deliberation on the amendments to the economic provisions specified under RBH No. 2 for the primary purpose of mitigating and providing lasting solutions to the devastating economic effects brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the three-page manifesto read.
(Senate PRIB / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Drilon echoed other senators’ concern over Garbin’s claim his panel was already sitting as a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) when congressmen resumed the hearing on proposed amendments to the “restrictive” economic provisions in the Constitution.
“Cong. Garbin is wrong. The congressmen and senators were elected as members of Congress and as legislators to enact ordinary laws, not as members of a constituent assembly to propose amendments to the constitution,” Drilon said in a statement.
Drilon reiterated that in order that the House and the Senate can propose amendments to the Constitution, Congress with the two houses voting separately “must convert itself through a resolution into a constituent assembly.”
President Rodrigo Duterte said he is determined to leave Malacañang in 2022 even amid the possibility of a term extension due to the revival of charter change talks in Congress.
The hybrid meeting called by Velasco took place a day before the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments would conduct its hearing on Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 (RBH 2). (File Photo: House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook)
MANILA – Leaders from various political parties and power blocs in the House of Representatives met on Tuesday to back Speaker Lord Allan Velasco’s resolution proposing amendments to the restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.
The hybrid meeting called by Velasco took place a day before the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments would conduct its hearing on Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 (RBH 2).
ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro
The Makabayan lawmaker said there is no way to control nor prevent both houses of Congress from inserting political amendments to the 1987 Constitution, including term extension.
“Kung halimbawa po ang Senate na ngayon ay nagsasabi sila hindi lang economic provision, on party-lists, maybe on terms, anong mangyayari, Mr Chair? Halimbawa ito lang ang pinagbotohan natin and then sila meron silang iba?” Castro asked AKO partylist Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. , chairperson of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, during his panel’s resumption of the Cha-cha deliberations in the Loiwer Chamber.
(For example, the Senate is currently saying that the amendments are not just economic provision, may include provisions on partylists, maybe on terms, what will happen, Mr. Chair? For example, this is what we have just voted, and they have a different version?)