The House of Representatives has given up hopes of amending the 1987 Constitution through a constitutional convention.
In a press conference yesterday, Speaker Prospero Nograles said the chamber will be coming up with a shorter list of legislative priorities to be acted on the floor with House Joint Resolution 5403 expected to be stricken off.
HJR 5403 seeks to allocate P2 billion for the election of delegates and the holding of a constitutional convention that would revise the 22-year-old Charter. It was calendared for second reading and had earlier been included in the list of House legislative priorities that will be acted upon in the remaining nine sessions of the chamber.
Citing lack of cooperation from the Senate, Nograles said his leadership has no intention of wasting its time on a measure that has little chance of being approved.
“Mukhang deadma naman ito ng Senado. I don’t want to waste time (on a measure) that Senate will not act upon,†he said.
However, the House leader said his colleagues are supportive of the measure and want to tackle it.
“Sana they (senators) will concur with our resolution. Pero parang ayaw nila patulan, so mahirap nang mag-tackle,†Nograles said. “We will come up with a short list (of priorities).â€ÂÂ
HJR 5403 is among the 16 legislative measures that Nograles had listed as part of the priorities to be disposed of by the Lower House before the election campaign adjournment.
Congressmen supportive of the bill lamented the change of heart of a number of senators who have been pushing for a constitutional convention as the manner by which the Charter will be revised.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said Liberal Party congressmen and senators were among those who have sought approval of a Con-con measure.
HJR 5403 was sponsored on the floor last November and has been readied for plenary debates.
The P2-billion allocation the measure provides was to cover the holding of the election and the one-year operation of a constitutional convention that will be convened next year.
Election of delegates to the convention will coincide with the October barangay polls.
The House Committee on Constitutional Reforms voted 5-2 in favor of the measure for a Con-con to be participated in by 219 delegates.
via Inq
Eepal-epal pa kasi wala namang sumasang-ayon.
