House to fast-track bill increasing its membership

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives will seek to fast-track the approval of a bill increasing its ranks by 100 members when session resumes Monday. House Bill 5943 seeks to increase the number of members in the House of Representatives from 250 to 350 in time for the 2010 national elections. “It is clear that the 250 members of the House of Representatives no longer satisfy the necessity of popular representation as our population has already reached beyond 90 million, hence the need to increase the membership in the House of Representatives," author Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr. (Iloilo City) said in an article on the House of Representatives Web site. He noted a similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. Gonzalez said there is enough time to pass House Bill 5943, which he authored to make the House membership proportionate to the increased population. He cited Section 5, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution provides “the House of Representatives shall be composed of not more than two hundred and fifty members, unless otherwise fixed by law." “If true people’s representation in the affairs of the State is to be realized as constitutionally enshrined and mandated, a medium must be provided so that the ideal, or the nearest to the ideal number of representation of the people may be maintained," he said. Gonzalez said the new members of the lower chamber shall be elected from legislative districts apportioned among the provinces, cities, and Metro Manila area. Likewise, Gonzalez said on the basis of a uniform and progressive ratio, party list representatives shall also be elected who will represent their registered national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations. Gonzalez, in pushing the approval of his bill, said the latest figures of the National Census and Statistics Office (NCSO) showed a tremendous increase in the country’s population since the 1987 Constitution was passed. - GMANews.TV