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Senators vow to block con-ass

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abs-cbnNEWS.com | 06/03/2009 12:41 PM

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Instead of joining the constituent assembly (con-ass), the Senate will try to block the convening of the constituent assembly (con-ass), which was approved late Tuesday by the House of Representatives.

"The Senate has already passed [Senate] Resolution 154 unanimously. The sense of the Senate is that any attempt of the House of Representatives to unilaterally propose amendments or revisions of the Constitution without the approval of the Senate, voting three-fourths separately, is unconstitutional," Senator Mar Roxas told ABS-CBN News Channel's News@8.

Sen. Francis Escudero said they have several ways by which they can retaliate against the move of the House of Representatives.

By approving House Resolution 1109, he said the lower House disrespected the authority of the Senate by proposing to unilaterally tackle amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

Escudero said among their options are to snub the budget deliberations for the plebiscite that will be called by the House to approve the charter amendments, and to put on archive the local legislations proposed by congressmen, including the very simple changing of school and street names.

"Let's see if they can change street names by themselves or pass an appropriation legislation for the plebiscite that they will call [for the proposed constitutional amendments]," the senator told ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda."

Escudero said the Senate will have an all-member caucus to discuss its possible move against the House's passage of House Resolution 1109, which was originally pushed by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte.

He said the Senate can also call for a meeting with House leaders and the proponents of the resolution, or instantly ask the Supreme Court to intervene.

Roxas, meanwhile, said the Senate may simply not act on the resolution. He said that if the resolution is brought to the high court, the Senate will automatically challenge it.

"Just like any other resolution passed by the House that has not been acted upon by the Senate, it's (HR 1109) dead and archived. The Senate will not act on this. This is dead on arrival," the senator said.

He said he may also file his own brief against the con-ass resolution "at the appropriate time" with the high court.

Watch out

Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez, meanwhile, said there is a big possibility that the four assurances or items "pledged" by the supporters of HR 1109 may be discarded once the con-ass is convened.

One of the four is the assurance that the proposed amendments to the Constitution will not include the extension of terms of office of incumbent elective officials, including that of the President and the Vice-President.

The con-ass resolution, which was signed by 171 congressmen, cites: "Whereas, the advocates of charter changes including critics thereof stipulated that whatever charger changes are proposed and or approved should not extend the term of office of the incumbent President and Vice-President and that whatever governmental system or systems shall be proposed and adopted, future elections shall be synchronized, and the terms of office of incumbent elective officials in the process of synchronization shall not be shortened or extended."

Golez said that during Tuesday's debates, he asked La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, one of the sponsors of the bill, for an assurance on these items, and he received an "I'm not sure" answer.

He said Ortega's exact response to his question was: "I cannot promise anything. Anything can happen."

Golez said several groups that have been watching the efforts of the administration to change the Constitution at the House should now be more watchful of administration congressmen.

He said the House's  passage of the resolution may be a desperate attempt by the administration to postpone the 2010 elections.

The congressman alleged that the House majority has become used to lying, citing previous assurances that the con-ass resolution will be debated upon at the committee level first before it is brought to the plenary for voting, which never happened.

He said a member of the House majority can just move for the postponement of the elections during the con-ass, which may also easily pass considering the "numerical" muscle of the administration in the lower chamber.

Meanwhile, members of Kaya Natin! Movement said in a statement that the passage of HR 1109 is "a blatant attempt by the present administration to postpone the elections in 2010."

The group, which was formed in search for good governance in the country, said the House majority's move will create further disunity in the country.

Meanwhile, one of the backers of con-ass, Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino said in an "Umagang Kay Ganda" interview that he will use all his powers to preserve the pledged items of HR 1109.

"I will use all my influence to make sure that those four covenants will be fulfilled," he said.

Antonino said the House majority still has no immediate next step regarding the passage of HR 1109. He said the con-ass resolution will be brought to the Senate for their approval.

He said they are also focused on getting a ruling from the Supreme Court's on the con-ass resolution.

"It will create a justiciable controversy that will make the Supreme Court decide on Section 17, which states that all members of Congress with three-fourths vote can amend the Constitution," the congressman said.