House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also wants to “correct” the line of succession under the lower chamber’s draft federal Charter, a lawmaker said Thursday, dismissing any insinuations of an alleged “power grab” attempts by the House leadership.
Cebu City 1st District Rep. Raul del Mar, in a press briefing, said he talked to Arroyo about the removal of the Vice President as President Rodrigo Duterte’s successor during the transition period to a federal form of government under the draft Charter.
READ: Arroyo federal charter excludes VP from succession during transition
“Both of us (Arroyo) shared the sentiment that it needs to be corrected,” the Liberal Party (LP) lawmaker said.
When he told Arroyo he would introduce an amendment to that provision, putting back the Vice President as next in line to succeed the President, Del Mar said the former Chief Executive supported it.
“Now, she not only readily agreed. She said, ‘We can’t wait! That has to be done immediately’,” Del Mar said.
Arroyo then asked Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. to support Del Mar’s motion to return the draft Charter to the committee level – which transpired during their Wednesday session, the lawmaker from Cebu said.
READ: House throws Arroyo’s draft federal Charter back to committee level
Del Mar also dismissed insinuations of a power grab.
“There was no power-grab much less any participation of the Speaker,” he said.
Article 17 Section 4 of Resolution of Both Houses of Congress No. 15 puts the Senate President as the President’s successor should a vacancy arises during the transition period to federalism.
This is different from the current line of succession provided under Section 8, Article 7 of the 1987 Constitution, which puts the Vice President as the next to succeed the President in the line of succession, followed by the Senate President and then the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The proposed federal Charter introduced by Arroyo and other lawmakers was at the period of sponsorship on the House floor since Monday. /kga
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