Alvarez says House can convene into constituent assembly even without Senators

January 18, 2018

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Thursday the House of Representatives will convene into a constituent assembly even if no senator joins the initiative to push federalism.

If senators refuse to attend a joint session with the House of Representatives to propose charter changes towards federalism, Alvarez said it would continue to amend the Constitution by satisfying the three-fourths vote of all members of Congress.

Alvarez, secretary general of PDP-Laban, said this move would likely be questioned before the Supreme Court .

“We will continue with what we are working because only the Supreme Court can say if what we are doing is right or wrong," Alvarez stressed.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, chairman of the House committee on banks and financial intermediaries, said he “supports the position of Alvarez that Congress can convene into a constituent assembly even without the Senate.”

Alvarez said the House of Representatives and the  Senate should vote jointly when Congress convenes into a Con-Ass to propose amendments to the Constitution for a shift to a federal form of government.

Many senators have said voting should be done separately as the greater number of the House would overwhelm the Senate's position. DMS