Congress eyes TWG to draft revisions to Constitution

MANILA, July 26 — Both houses of Congress have agreed to form a joint technical working group (TWG) that will draft proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution even without the Constitutional Commission (Con-Com), a body of experts to be formed by MalacaƱang that will aid Congress in proposing Charter changes.

House Majority Leader Rodolfo FariƱas revealed this to reporters on Wednesday after emerging from a meeting with leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives to discuss their common legislative agenda for the second regular session.

“Ang napag-usapan namin, if we cannot wait for the commission being created by the President, both houses magbubuo na lang kami ng parang Technical Working Group,ā€ FariƱas said.

According to FariƱas, the TWG will be composed of at least six to 12 members from each chamber to draw up a working draft that shall be deliberated upon by Congress when it convenes into a Constituent Assembly.

President Duterte ordered the creation of a 25-member Con-Com body that would review the 1987 Constitution and make recommendations toward a systemic shift to federalism. However, MalacaƱang has yet to name the members of the Con-Com.

Earlier, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Congress will convene itself as a Con-Ass next year to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

In December 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed Executive Order 10, creating a consultative committee, composed of 25 different experts from the country, that will review the Constitution.

Duterte has been pushing for a shift from a unitary form of government towards a federal system to allow the better distribution of public services. (Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA)

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