CON ASS updates

House approves resolution convening constituent assembly

By Maila AgerINQ7.netLast updated 06:35am (Mla time) 12/07/2006

(UPDATE) After the debates on Charter change ended, the House of Representatives on Thursday dawn approved through voice voting a resolution filed by the majority bloc to convene Congress into a constituent assembly.
At 5:37 a.m. Thursday, the House adopted viva voce, or through voice voting, House Resolution 1450 calling on Congress to convene and propose amendments to or revision of the Constitution upon a three-fourths vote of all its members.
Majority Floor Leader Prospero Nograles said the House would start sending invitations on Friday to all members of Congress, the House and the Senate included.
And at 10 a.m. on Dec. 12, Congress sitting as a joint assembly would convene at the plenary hall of the House of Representatives to start the process of proposing amendments to the 1987 Constitution.
The period of sponsorship and debates on HR 1450 began before midnight Wednesday and ended a little past 5 a.m. Thursday.
Over 10 lawmakers, mostly from the opposition bloc, except for Representatives Teodoro Locsin (Makati) and Rufino Biazon (Muntinlupa), interpellated Camarines Sur Representative Luis Villafuerte, the sponsor of the resolution.
Minority Floor Leader Francis Escudero grilled Villafuerte on the set of amendments that the majority bloc had allegedly prepared once a constituent assembly was convened.
Escudero specifically questioned the plan of the majority to postpone the May 2007 elections to November, thereby extending the term of incumbent officials for another six months, and the removal of term limits of members of the parliament.
But while the term of incumbent officials would be extended by six months, Villafuerte pointed out that the terms of those who will be elected in the November elections would be shortened by six months also.
He said members of an interim parliament, who will be elected in November 2007 will only serve until June 30, 2010.
Escudero argued, however, that the extension of term would only be good for incumbent officials who would run and win in the November elections but not for those who would be elected for the first time as they would only serve for two and half years.
Escudero also questioned how the House of Representatives would run if the constituent assembly is convened at the same time.
Villafuerte said that they could always find ways to harmonize the schedule of the assembly and the House.
Administration allies in the House rejected all the amendments the opposition bloc proposed on the resolution, including the separate voting of the House and the Senate on any proposed amendment to the Constitution.
Anti-Charter change advocates in the gallery, who monitored the session until morning, booed the voting.
Despite the setback, the House minority said they will continue to oppose the Charter change process and are considering a plan to file for a temporary restraining order.
Senate President Manuel Villar on Wednesday served notice that the chamber was prepared to fight the House-only constituent assembly (Con-ass) on all fronts.
He said the Senate was also long prepared to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the House-only constituent assembly.
Villar also said the Senate was prepared to mount a showdown in case a plebiscite would be called to ratify the changes proposed by the House