(POLITIKO) Senator Jinggoy Estrada challenges House claims, advocating for separate Senate voting on economic charter change as constitutional.
- Senator Jinggoy Estrada contests House representatives’ claims, defending the Senate’s approach to economic charter change as constitutional.
- The House alleges the Senate’s resolution for separate voting on constitutional amendments is unconstitutional, preferring a joint Congress vote.
- Estrada urges the House to adhere to President Marcos Jr.’s guidance, allowing the Senate to spearhead the economic charter change efforts.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada refuted the claim of lawmakers from the House of Representatives that the Senate’s economic charter change resolution is unconstitutional.
Congressmen branded Senate Resolution of Both Houses 6 as unconstitutional for containing a provision that makes voting on the constitutional amendments separate.
Meanwhile, the House version Resolution of Both Houses 7 cites the provision in the Constitution that says all members of Congress vote on the amendments, meaning the House wants a joint vote.
It is the House resolution that violates the 1987 Constitution for insisting that Congress vote jointly as a constituent assembly, according to Estrada.
“That would be unconstitutional. Kailangan talaga voting separately,” Estrada said of the House resolution on Friday (Feb. 23).
Estrada advised the House lawmakers to follow the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to let the Senate take the lead in the economic charter change.“
They should heed the President’s advice. Ang sabi ng Presidente, let the Senate take the lead,” he said.