MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is not in a rush to amend the Constitution, Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said on Wednesday.
“This is not something new. There is nothing that’s being rushed here. This has been the debate for the past three decades. We make sure that here in the 19th Congress, we had four public hearings, and we have gone around the country — CDO, Iloilo,” Rodriguez said.
“So nobody is even saying that we are rushing this. I have not heard anybody rushing this. Because if they say so, that is not the fact. The fact is that this is fully discussed. All the reactors, the big ones, the sectoral representatives — they were asked in our public hearings and consultations. So, therefore, it is now time to make decisions,” he added.
Rodriguez assured, however, that lawmakers would be given time to question sponsors of House Bill (HB) No. 7532, which was referred to the plenary on Wednesday.
“We cannot set deadlines, but as chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments, we allow all our colleagues who would wish to interpellate so that we can clarify more questions. If you notice in the RBH, all of them who listed themselves were able to ask,” he said.
“And so now, after my sponsorship speech, we’re open to everyone who wish to comment or propose amendments to the accompanying bill implementing Resolution of Both Houses No. 6,” he added.
The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, which Rodriguez chairs, recently approved Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which calls for a constitutional convention, and HB No. 7532, which if enacted, will be the implementing law of RBH No.6.
On Tuesday, the House approved RBH No. 6 on its second reading.
As to why his panel is following the hybrid constitutional convention proposed by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, Rodriguez said that they would want to avoid mistrust from the public if a constituent assembly – often referred to as con-ass — were to be implemented instead.
In that case, sitting House members will convene as delegates amending the Constitution. This might be seen as self-serving for Congress, Rodriguez said.
Under Puno’s suggestion, the constitutional convention would be composed of both elected and appointed delegates to ensure a balance between political families and constitutional experts.
The House speaker and the Senate president would be the ones to make the appointments.
“There’s always a mistrust, but there’s even more mistrust if it will be Congress proposing amendments because it will be self-serving,” Rodriguez said.
“That is why it does not fly, the con-ass, because they are saying these congressmen and senators are going to protect their interest and that is why we want to have a democratic, more inclusive constitutional convention, that is what we are proposing, give it back to the people, the power to whatever they want especially on the economic provisions,” he added.
Despite the committee’s insistence on a constitutional convention, there are some stakeholders — like Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul Daza — who prefers a constituent assembly as it would cost less.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Daza said that a constitutional convention would cost around P10 billion to P15 billion, which could be better spent for public services.