Pimentel: It’s ‘violative’ if Constitution amendments are passed ‘like law’

MANILA, Philippines — “Something is wrong… it’s violative for me if the intention is to pass it like a law.”

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III had this to say when he was asked on Wednesday if the upper chamber’s plan to pass amendments to the 1987 Constitution like a regular law violates existing policies.

In a phone patch interview, Pimentel repeatedly told reporters that lawmakers from both chambers of Congress must convene and “transform” into a constitutional assembly (con-ass) and exchange views on the proposed changes to the country’s highest law.

This is in contrast with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s earlier disclosure that the House of Representatives and the Senate need not convene as it will conduct its separate hearings on Charter change (Cha-cha).

According to Zubiri, the voting requirement for its approval will be two-thirds — a little higher than the majority vote required to greenlight a measure in Congress.

“Parang lawmaking lang ‘yung idea nila. Para sa akin masyadong shortcut ‘yun. Wala kaming exchange of ideas with members of the House. Pwede sanang ganon may exchange [with] members [of] the House. Sabihin ng one con-ass, pero voting separately,” said Pimentel.

(It’s like their idea is just lawmaking. For me, that’s too much of a shortcut. We do not have an exchange of ideas with members of the House. We should have an exchange with members of the House. It can be a con-ass, but we can vote separately.)

EXPLAINER: The process of Cha-cha and why we should monitor it

“Kung ang plano [ng Senate] is to pass it like a law, para sa akin malaking issue ‘yun. There must be a break. Pinasa itong mga proposed amendments sa Constitution, pinasa ng Senado as a con-ass, not as a Senate na second house ng Congress,” he emphasized.

(If the plan of the Senate is to pass it like a law, for me, that is a big issue. There must be a break. These proposed amendments to the Constitution should be passed by the Senate as a Constituent assembly, not as a Senate, which is the second house of Congress.)

But despite Pimentel’s reiteration, Zubiri maintained that there’s no longer a need for Congress to convene to tackle the proposed amendments.

Zubiri, in a separate message to reporters on Wednesday, said the agreement made in the Palace is that the Senate will pass the final version of the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 and the House of Representatives will only adopt the measure’s Senate version.

With President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s directive and go signal, the Senate, which was once cold in terms of Cha-cha talks, will lead the amendment of the 1987 Constitution.

Zubiri said the amendments will only focus on the law’s certain economic provisions, specifically the Public Services Act, education, and advertising.