MANILA \u2013The House committee on constitutional amendments will be submitting its committee report calling on Congress to constitute itself as a constituent assembly (Con-ass) to propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution.<\/p>\n
In a press conference on Monday, committee chair Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado said the panel recommends Con-Ass as a mode for a Charter overhaul and its report will be referred to the committee on rules, which will calendar the measure for second reading.<\/p>\n
Mercado is targeting the start of deliberations on the proposal in May, well after the plenary debates on the death penalty are finished as Congress adjourns on March 18.<\/p>\n
The congressional recess will run through March 18 to May 1. Session is set to resume on May 2.<\/p>\n
“It is our hope that Congress will give priority in our business when we open our session come May this year,” Mercado said.<\/p>\n
Mercado said congressional leaders are leaning toward two chambers of Congress voting separately, and this arrangement could be tackled in the plenary for the period of amendments.<\/p>\n
The House leader also noted that a constituent assembly will only cost the normal operation expenses of Congress as compared to a constitutional convention (Con-Con) which will cost about PHP8.1 billion pesos.<\/p>\n
“A constituent assembly does not cost anything because it is still Congress which will be functioning using the same budget appropriated for its operation,” Mercado said.<\/p>\n
“The cost alone to elect the delegates of a Con-Con, if synchronized with the Barangay and SK elections is about PHP8.1 billion,” he added.<\/p>\n
There are three modes of amending the Constitution: a constituent assembly, a constitutional convention, and a People\u2019s initiative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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