MANILA – Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday filed a resolution “expressing the position of the House of Representatives” that both chambers of Congress shall vote separately in a constituent assembly (Con-ass) to propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution.
“Yes this morning (I filed a resolution) expressing the sense of the House that we are voting separately,” Arroyo said in an ambush interview.
House Resolution No. 2056 was co-authored by majority leader Rolando Andaya, Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap, and Ako-Bicol Partylist Rep. Alfredo Garbin.
“There is an urgent need to convene the Senate and the House of Representatives as a constituent assembly in order to consider the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution,” the resolution read.
According to the resolution, the House will take the same position of the Senate, which preferred separate voting.
On Monday, Andaya said House Concurrent Resolution No. 9 will be withdrawn and will be replaced with a new resolution specifying separate voting on the Charter change proposal.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 9, which seeks to convene Congress into a constituent assembly, was adopted last January 16. (Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA)
