House breaking inter-chamber courtesy with Cha-cha push – solon

03/31/2009

Moves by members of the House of Representatives to push Charter change (Cha-cha) clearly show their utter disrespect to the Senate and as such, they should be barred from attending bicameral conference committee meetings.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. made the comment yesterday amid the unwavering position by some congressmen to convene the House into a Constituent Assembly (Con-ass) before the conduct of elections next year and carry out amendments in the 1987 Constitution, even if it means disregarding the participation of the Senate.

Clearly, the senator stressed, Cha-cha proponents from the House are stepping on their authority, as far right in engaging such a highly sensitive issue, is concerned.

As the rate things are going, the long-standing tradition on the so-called inter-chamber courtesy is already affected by the move. This could take its toll on matters pending before the bicameral conference committee levels, especially if some of their colleagues would support his call as a way of showing their disgust over the continuing disregard of the Senate in resolving the issue of Cha-cha.

Pimentel reiterated his warning to congressmen pushing Cha-cha to re-think their position on the issue as it would only sow confusion and tension not only between the two Houses of Congress but also a new round of protest from the public.

No amount of denials by the administration can hide the fact that the obsession of President Arroyo to keep herself in power beyond 2010 is the underlying motive behind the frantic moves of the administration congressmen to push the approval of the Charter change resolution, he said, noting that the President and her legislative allies are more interested in installing a unicameral parliamentary system of government where she hopes to become a prime minister.

The minority leader said they are so desperate at pursuing their fake version of Charter change that they have gone to the extent of devising a plan where the House will unilaterally amend the Charter in view of the refusal of the Senate to cooperate with their ill-conceived scheme,

A member of the House, for his part, also yesterday accused Malacañang of bribing 12 senators in exchange for their support for a House resolution seeking to amend the Constitution via a Con-ass.

According to Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson, he received information from no less than an administration lawmaker who claimed the Palace had already “bought the support” of the 12 senators for the Con-ass resolution which has yet to be filed at the House of Representatives.

He refused to name his source, however.

He, however, did not clarify how the senators were “bribed” and the amount of the bribe involved.

“Even if only one senator would appear before the House to attend the Assembly, it would be considered as a joint House-Senate Con-ass, so the issue of whether Congress votes separately or not would already be settled,” he pointed out.

With the support of 12 senators, the signatories to amend the Charter would now total to 187 including the 175 House members who have already signed the still unnumbered Con-ass resolution which Speaker Prospero Nograles bared he would file as soon as Congress resumes session on April 13.

“Before, the belief was that the bribe would come n the form of an additional P1 billion pork barrel for each of the remaining 10 lawmakers needed to complete the required number of 197,” Joson said.

“However, sourcing from the pork barrel would be more risky and exposed to the prying eyes of the media and the public,” he added.

The bribe money, according to Joson, would instead come from illegal gambling, commissions from importation and other government projects and from businessmen whose support have been solicited by the Palace. “The huge intelligence fund enjoyed by the administration could also be one source of the bribe money,” Joson said.

Angie M. Rosales and Charlie V. Manalo

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