Farinas: Claims of ‘railroaded’ con-ass resolution unfounded

FILE: House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas (PNA photo)

MANILA — House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas has dismissed as “false, unfounded, and unfair” the claims of progressive lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc that the adoption of a resolution convening Congress into a constituent assembly to revise the Constitution was railroaded by the supermajority.

In a statement issued Thursday night, Fariñas said the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) No. 9 was duly done in accordance with House rule with a quorum of 186 members.

“It is a product of democratic and exhaustive debates not just in the plenary hall of the House of Representatives, in the several committee hearings conducted by the committee on constitutional amendments, but also in nationwide public consultations in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” Fariñas said.

Fariñas cited that the initial committee deliberation was held on Oct. 12, 2016 and the resolution was adopted on Oct. 19, 2016.

He said public hearings were held with representatives from the business and finance sectors, academic and research institutions, local government organizations, constitutionalists, basic sectors, and related government agencies.

He further noted that the committee report was filed on Feb. 15, 2017, included in the calendar of business on Mar. 1, 2017, and only sponsored to the plenary on Dec. 13, 2017.

“Clearly, this afforded members time to consider the pros and cons of the measure,” Fariñas said.

The resolution was sponsored by House constitutional amendments committee chair Roger Mercado together with vice chair Vicente Veloso and Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia, followed by interpellations by Representatives Antonio Tinio, Lito Atienza, Carlos Zarate, and Ariel Casilao.

The debate resumed on January 16 with Mercado sponsoring and Casilao interpellating.

Fariñas recalled that the House members were in the process of debating on the resolution when a member of the Magnificent 7 bloc, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, sought to prevent the discussion by questioning the quorum.

Fariñas said the roll was called a second time during the same session with 186 members in attendance.

“HCR No. 9 has been exhaustively discussed in the plenary. The House members decided it was time to vote on it after hearing the discussions and debates on the measure,” Fariñas said.

“The desire of many of the members to close the debate which led to the adoption of HCR 9 finds basis in the rules of the HOR,” he added.

He cited a House rule providing that ‘a motion to close the debate on a measure shall be in order after three speeches in favor and two against, or after only one speech in favor and none against.”

Fariñas reminded critics that the charter change issue is not new as it had been introduced and discussed in previous Congresses.

“The clamor for Charter change had long been there. It is time we seriously consider it for the benefit of our country and people,” he said.