Is ‘Con-ass’ for ‘asses’? Pimentel frowns on acronym use

Lest people think of congressmen and senators as “asses or mules,” former Senate President Aqulino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. suggested in jest on Wednesday to drop the term “con-ass’ when referring to a constituent assembly.

Pimentel made the remark when he faced as a resource person in the ongoing deliberations of the Senate on Charter change proposal.

“Allow me to suggest that we should refrain from using the now popular acronym: Con-ass because mischievous minded people might be tempted to deride the efforts as run by asses or mules, rather than, by our respective representatives in both Houses of Congress,” he said.

The remark, however, came just a day after the House of Representatives passed a resolution constituting Congress into a con-ass to propose amendments or revisions to the 1987 Constitution.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon used the hearing as an opportunity to take a swipe at the House for hastily passing the measure.

“Last night, the House of Representatives passed a resolution constituting Congress as a con-ass. I think the conclusion that it was done in haste is something that is unanimous,” Drilon said.

“That’s why I disagree with the good friend Nene Pimentel here when he said that we should stop (calling it) con-ass because the impression is that it’s done by asses. Mr. Pimentel, you might not believe this but thats how people think of politicians today,” the opposition leader said.

Instead of Congress constituting itself into a con-ass, Pimentel preferred that any amendments or revisions to the 1987 Constitution should be done through a Constitutional Convention. /cbb