MANILA - Voting 6-1, the House committee on constitutional amendments approved on Tuesday afternoon a consolidated resolution calling for a Constitutional convention (Con-con), whose delegates will be elected in the 2010 elections.

"Whereas, calling for a Constitutional Convention to propose amendments to the Constitution is the least divisive and the most transparent, exhaustive and democratic means of implementing constitutional reforms, among the three modes of amending the Constitution as provided under Sections 1 and 2, Article XVII of the 1987 Constitution," says the concurrent resolution given to House reporters on Wednesday.

"Whereas, to dispel fears of promoting any vested interests among the incumbent elected officials and to defray the cost of a separate election for delegates to the Constitutional Convention, it shall be conducted simultaneously with the May 10, 2010 elections. The process of amending the Constitution shall only take place thereafter," it adds.

Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza registered the lone negative vote.

“I don’t agree with the economic basis of changing the Constitution. I believe that there should be one basic change in the orientation of the people running our government. There are serious reforms that we can have under the present constitution,” an unofficial transcript of the Tuesday hearing quoted Maza as saying.

Muddling the polls

Maza also echoed the position of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Elias Yusoph, who said in the previous hearing that electing the Constitutional Convention delegates in 2010 would only muddle the elections.

“Like the Commission on Elections, I believe that it's going to be confusing. We have to remember that it would be fully automated. There are warnings against failure of elections or massive electronic cheating. If we drag Constitutional amendments into the confusion, it will be dangerous,” Maza added.
 
But Quezon province Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III of the Liberal Party disagreed with the Comelec. "I don't think there will be confusion. Pwede namang separate ang ballot for the Concon e," he said.

The LP has issued a collective statement pushing for a Constitutional convention in 2010.

Aside from Maza, other party-list representatives also opposed the move to amend the Constitution. More influential members of the House committee on constitutional amendments were not present in Tuesday's hearing.

House reporters failed to attend the committee hearing since it was not in the official schedule regularly released by the House. Apparently, the committee failed to communicate with the office in charge of publishing committee schedules.
 
Sectoral delegates

The House committee on constitutional amendments also agreed that one delegate will represent each legislative district. But they have not agreed on the involvement of sectoral groups in the Constitutional convention.

"Technically, walang controversial na provision except yung sectoral representation. We left that section out first. We discussed the other sections first. Okay naman," Tañada said.
 
Committee chairman La Union Rep. Victor Ortega argued that there were no delegates from the sectoral groups in the 1971 Constitutional Convention.

“In '71, there were no sectoral representatives. Each delegate coming from each district should represent all sectors,” Ortega said.

But Tañada disagreed. “If we hold the same view, we would be moving backwards. We cannot just turn our eyes away from the fact that sectoral representation should be included,” he said.

Ortega said they will discuss the implementing guidelines, including how to elect the sectoral representatives, in the next hearing on September 8. After the implementing rules are approved, the resolution will be sent to the House plenary for approval.

Tañada said they are mulling the election six (6) sectoral representatives for every region. If approved, there will be 303 delegates in the Constitutional Convention. There are 219 legislative districts and 14 regions.

P2,000 daily allowance?

The committee also discussed the allowance of the delegates.

Ortega said they had P100 daily allowance in 1971. They were also allowed to reimburse P1,000 in transportation expenses monthly. Although it has not been discussed if they will give the convention a deadline to finish the new Constitution, Ortega said the convention could last from six to 12 months.

Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan proposed a P2,000 daily allowance.

Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo also proposed that delegates should not be entitled to their daily allowance if they are absent in the deliberation.