Separate or joint House, Senate sessions on Cha-cha proposed

MANILA, Philippines – A measure allowing the two chambers of Congress to propose constitutional changes separately or jointly has been lodged in the Senate.

Senate Resolution No. 941 was initiated by Senator Francis Tolentino on Monday following Senator Francis Escudero’s disclosure that the upper chamber has no rules on how to amend the 1987 Constitution.

The resolution then proposed adopting rules that would guide the  Senate on how it should amend or revise the Constitution.

“Any amendment to or revision of the 1987 Constitution may be proposed by Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members either through joint or separate constitutional session assembled,”  the measure reads.

“In case of separate constitutional sessions, the Senate may propose an amendment to or revision of the Constitution through a resolution called for that purpose and approved by three-fourths of all its members subject to the concurrence of the House of Representatives,” it further said.

The approval of a measure seeking constitutional changes should follow the procedure of a regular bill, according to  Tolentino’s bill.  

However, once approved at the committee level, the  Senate should convert itself into a constitutional assembly. 

As a constituent assembly, the Senate should meet in the morning to tackle the proposed constitutional changes before the regular 3:00 p.m. session.

“Provided, further, that in case of disagreement between the versions adopted by the Senate and the House of Representatives, a conference committee of both chambers shall be called to reconcile the disagreeing provisions,”  according to Tolentino’s resolution.

The bicameral report must be approved separately by the Senate and the House, also by a three-fourths vote.

“Any proposal to amend or revise the Constitution shall be valid when ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite called for the purpose,” the resolution further said.

Escudero took the Senate floor last week to caution his colleagues against holding further hearings on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which seeks to amend specific economic provisions of the Constitution.

Unlike the House of Representatives, he said, the Senate lacks a clear set of guidelines on amending the Constitution.

Despite this warning,  the Senate subcommittee on constitutional amendments headed by  Senator Sonny Angara pushed through with its fourth hearing on RBH No.6 this Tuesday.