By Ben R. Rosario
Senate has only two weeks to decide whether or not to join the Constituent Assembly proposed by the House of Representatives to amend the 1987 Constitution.
Otherwise, congressmen will launch Con-Ass and proceed to amend the Charter, said Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, chairperson of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments.
Mercado said that the House will stand pat on its position for a joint voting of all members of the Con-Ass on all Charter proposals.
“We don’t what a tyranny of the minority. In a democratic system, the rule of the majority always prevails,” he said.
Senators insist on a separate voting on all Charter issues just like in the passage of legislative measures.
Mercado said that he is expecting a caucus among all House members to act on the proposal to convene Con-Ass with or without the Senate’s participation.
“As to the mode, I believe senators can already make their own official action in two weeks,” said Mercado as he noted that the House is now awaiting Senate adoption of its version of House Concurrent Resolution No. 9 authorizing the convening of Con-Ass.
Mercado said the House can proceed with amending the Charter without senators should the two-week timeline passes without a Senate version of HCR No. 9.
The senior administration congressman explained that he will make such a proposal in a all-member caucus that the House leadership is expected to call as soon as it becomes apparent that the Senate will not cooperate in passing a Con-Ass resolution.
If majority of congressmen prefer to await Senate action on the proposed Con-Ass resolution, the committee chairman said the constitutional amendments panel will continue to make preparations to push for Charter revision.