Padilla files reso seeking separate voting to amend Constitution

Padilla said the issue of voting jointly or separately must be resolved before Congress tackles other aspects of amending the Constitution. (File Photo: Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB via Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – Senator Robin Padilla on Monday filed a resolution pushing for the Senate and the House of Representatives to vote separately in amending the 1987 Constitution.

Under his Resolution of Both Houses 7, Padilla proposed that Section 1 of Article XVII be amended to allow any amendment to – or revision of – the 1987 Constitution to be proposed by Congress, “by a vote of three-fourths of both Houses in joint session assembled, voting separately; or a constitutional convention.”

“There is a need to amend the aforementioned provision in order to be consistent with the intention of the framers of the Constitution to adopt a bicameral legislature and to leave no room for interpretation as to the manner of voting which over the years have caused disputes among both the Senate and House of Representatives,” he said in a news release.

Section 1, Article XVII of the 1987 Constitution states: “Any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may be proposed by: (1) The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members; or (2) A constitutional convention.”

Padilla said the issue of voting jointly or separately must be resolved before Congress tackles other aspects of amending the Constitution.

He agreed with the majority of House members pushing to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution “to remove stumbling blocks to progress.”

Padilla cited the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Attractiveness Scorecard in 2020 which showed the Philippines in the 13th spot among the 14 economies in the Asia Pacific.

While Congress passed the Public Services Act to encourage more investments, he said questions brought before the Supreme Court have been a cause of worry for prospective investors.