Lack of quorum derails House concurrence with amnesty grant

The House of Representatives on Wednesday failed to approve the resolution concurring with President Benigno Aquino III’s Proclamation 75 granting amnesty to suspected mutineers due to lack of quorum. "Kulang ang tao (We don't have enough number of congressmen on the floor to vote on the resolution)," Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said in a text message to GMANews.TV. A nominal voting, where lawmakers have to state his vote and explain it if he or she wants to, is needed to adopt House Concurrent Resolution 8. The chamber just continued with the interpellation period where lawmakers were allowed to ask questions and clarify matters with Rep. Niel Tupas, chairman of the House justice committee, who sponsored the resolution. The House opened its session at 4 p.m. with 201 members present, but the number had dwindled significantly when it adjourned session around 7 p.m. The chamber needs around 141 members present on the floor to constitute a quorum. The Senate concurred with the proclamation Tuesday. A proclamation will only be effective upon concurrence by the both houses of Congress. In an earlier interview, Tupas said he sees no problem with the list of qualified applicants for the amnesty grant, saying it has no bearing on Proclamation 75. “I don’t think it’s defective. To us in the House committee, we just considered the parameters. As long as you are involved in the three incidents and you committed crime pursuant to that three incidents, then you may apply [for the amnesty]," he told reporters. He said the inclusion of Senator Gregorio Honasan’s name on the list is a minor glitch that would not stall the Congress' action on Proclamation 75. “The proclamation does not contain a list and it is basically a proclamation that would involve a set, a class of individuals. So with respect to the list, it has actually no bearing. It will depend on the application after the concurrence," he told reporters. He further said the application for amnesty is in the hands of the Department of National Defense and not Congress. “The possible grantees can apply, but still, it depends on the DND if they will approve it or not," Tupas said. Tupas said an early concurrence with Proclamation 75 by the Congress could result in the grantees spending Christmas with their families. The suspected mutineers covered by the amnesty proclamation are those who were involved in the following incidents: