Nograles to file con-ass resolution when session resumes

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Prospero Nograles will file the controversial resolution that seeks to amend the 1987 Constitution through a constituent assembly, once session resumes on April 13. Nograles announced this on Thursday amid speculations that Malacañang would have him ousted if he fails to push Charter change at the House of Representatives. The solution authored by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte already has 175 signatures, according to Nograles. "The resolution of Villafuerte is now in my hands. He turned it over to me," the Speaker said. Nograles earlier authored House Resolution No. 737 that seeks to amend the Constitution's economic provisions to allow foreign corporations to acquire public and private lands in the Philippines. The resolution is up for plenary debate. However, the Nograles resolution did not state the means by which the Constitution could be amended. Thus, the Speaker asked the Camarines Sur representative to draft another resolution that would provide the process on how to change the Charter, according to Villafuerte. Nograles is hoping that the two resolutions will be tackled side-by-side as "they are germane to each other." He said HR 737 would likely go through the "normal" legislative process wherein the House and the Senate would separately pass their own versions of the resolution, then reconcile the versions, as stated in the House Rules. Nograles, however, said congressmen who are also lawyers might question the process because there are only three ways to amend the Charter, according to the 1987 Constitution: through constituent assembly, constitutional convention, and people's initiative. The Speaker was also not sure if the Villafuerte resolution would be automatically approved if it would be able to gather 197 votes or three-fourths of Congress. "Hindi ko alam, depende na sa floor yon [I don't know, that depends on the floor]." Villafuerte hopes to get 197 signatories to compel the Supreme Court to rule whether Congress should vote jointly or separately when amending the Constitution. Villafuerte is president of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino, the political party of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Nograles said no provision on term extension would be inserted in HR 737 even during the period of amendments. He said such move would be unconstitutional because a measure could not dwell on two subject matters. Thus, term extension and changes in the Constitution's economic provision cannot be tackled in a single measure. Still, Nograles admitted that the House would not have enough time to ensure that Charter change would materialize before the 14th Congress ends in June 2010. "We are now racing against time. Time will not be on our side." - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV