House opens floor debates for con-con

Charter change at the House of Representatives is not dead as the chamber opened on Wednesday night debates on the proposal to call for a constitutional convention that would amend the 1987 Constitution. The chamber's initial adoption of House Concurrent Resolution No. 32, which proposes the election of con-con delegates on Oct. 25, 2010, opened debates on its accompanying measure House Bill 6975, which fleshes out the implementation of the con-con. La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, chairman of the committee on constitutional amendments, sponsored the measure. The resolution, however, was reconsidered after Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez pointed out that a favorable vote from two-thirds of the chamber's members is needed for the resolution's approval. "We will just take it up next week," said Ortega. The resolution noted that the 22-year-old Constitution contains certain provisions which have "seemingly outlived their purpose and need to be revisited to institute much needed socio-economic and political reforms." "Calling for a Constitutional Convention to propose amendments to the Constitution is the least divisive and most transparent, exhaustive, and democratic means of implementing constitutional reforms, among the three modes of amending the Constitution," it said. Its accompanying bill proposes that each legislative district should have one delegate to the convention, which will commence on the third Monday of November 2010. Ortega said proponents have set the date of election of delegates to Oct. 25, 2010 to coincide with the barangay elections as a budget for the general elections has already been included in the proposed 2010 budget. - GMANews.TV