Arroyo: House to vote separately from Senate on Cha-cha

The House of Representatives is now willing to vote on the amendments to the 1987 Constitution separately from the Senate once Congress convenes into a Constituent Assembly (Con-ass), Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Wednesday.

Arroyo said this would be the “realistic” way to move forward.

“We want to move forward, to be realistic. Better to move forward and achieve something rather than be stubborn and achieve nothing,” she said in an ambush interview during a planting activity at the NLEX San Fernando City.

Arroyo, however, said she has no particular timeline for the proposed Charter change (cha-cha).

“None. But we should move forward from the time when I was President. I ended my presidency with the same stalemate. You remember we have the same stalemate on voting separately and voting together and a few years later we are in the same stalemate.

“We should move forward and the way to move forward is to agree to voting separately,” she continued.

The former president also vowed to work “hand-in-hand” with the Senate on Cha-cha.

READ: Arroyo: House to continue prioritizing Charter change

As early as January 18, the lower chamber already adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 9, convening Congress into a Con-ass to amend the 1987 Constitution, enabling the country to shift to a federal form of government.

While the House has already made its move, Cha-cha efforts remain pending in the Senate.

But senators were also united in their stand that once Congress convenes as Con-ass, the two chambers should vote separately instead of jointly, as proposed by the House.

READ: Senators’ consensus: Congress should vote separately on Cha-cha

Former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez opposed the idea of the two chambers voting separately, arguing that the 1987 Constitution only requires 3/4 votes of all members of Congress, without specifically requiring separate voting, to approve the proposal to amend the Charter. /ee