Arroyo denies House railroading federalism bid

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday denied claims that the chamber’s draft federal charter was railroaded despite of only three session days allotted on plenary debates for the controversial measure.

“It was part of the democratic process, there was a debate, it was voted on,” Arroyo told reporters in an interview.

The lower House approved on second reading Resolution of Both Houses of Congress (RBH) No. 15 which proposes a presidential-bicameral-federal system of government.

READ: House OKs draft federal charter on 2nd reading

The Pampanga congresswoman also said they would push for the third reading approval of the resolution on Monday.

“Because it passed on second reading, three days after the copy is circulated, we should be taking it up on third reading hopefully that would be Monday,” the former President said.

The House leader also said she had nothing to do with the lack of an anti-political dynasty provision in the draft.

“There was a debate no, so it was a, you ask the chairman. I did not participate in the debate because as I said, my only contribution there is the mechanism for setting up the federal states, the others are contributions of the other congressmen, they should answer for themselves,” she explained. /jpv