Congress will definitely convene as a constituent assembly (Con-ass) early next year to work on the Charter amendments, even without the inputs from the Constitutional Commission (Con-com) that Malacañang is supposed to create, Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez said on Tuesday.
In an interview, Alvarez said lawmakers are still awaiting the appointment of members of the Con-com at this time.
“The ball is still with the Palace. We already submitted recommendation [of the names of Con-com members],” he said.
“Definitely, if there’s no action [from Palace] this year, with or without the commission, Congress will start working on it by next year…we could convene as Con-ass,” Alvarez added.
The lower chamber’s plenary discussions on the Charter change were originally scheduled
this month.
According to Alvarez, members of the Con-com will help Congress, acting as Con-ass, in amending the present Constitution to change the present unitary form of government to a federal system.
All amendments to the 1987 Constitution are expected to be drafted by the Con-com.
Last December President Duterte has signed Executive Order 10, creating a committee that will review the Constitution. The committee will be composed of 25 different experts from the country.
The constitutional commission will be given six months to start drafting the new Constitution before Congress convenes as Con-ass to debate and finalize the draft of the new Charter made by the commission.
Earlier, the lower chamber has conducted its massive information campaign on the proposal shifting the country’s form of government from presidential to a federal system through Con-ass.
House Committee on Constitutional Amendments Chairman and PDP-Laban Rep. Roger G. Mercado of Southern Leyte said the campaign seeks to educate the public on the workings and benefits of federal system.
Moreover, Mercado said the measure filed in the lower chamber limits its scope on the mode of Charter change, which is Con-ass, as it will only cost the normal operation expenses of Congress, as compared to a constitutional convention, which will cost at least P8 billion.
He said the manner of voting, which may be done separately by the House and the Senate, can be introduced as an amendment to the measure during the plenary proceedings.
Since the proposal is in the form of a bill, Mercado said the process is that, after the House passes the measure, it will be submitted to the Senate. Then if it will be approved in the Senate, there will be a bicameral conference. After that, the bill will be submitted to the President for his approval.