Senator Robin Padlila on Monday asked the Supreme Court (SC) for an “authoritative declaration” on whether Congress should vote jointly or separately on amendments to the 1987 Constitution.
In the petition, Padilla asked for the Court to declare on constitutional matters related to Sections 1(1) and 3, Article XVII of the 1987 Constitution.
“Inaamin na po ng mga nagsagawa, sumulat ng Constitution… sinasabi na po nila na talagang nagkulang sila sa usapin na ‘yun, na dapat ‘yun ay voting separately,” Padilla said in an ambush interview.
(The ones who drafted the Constitution have admitted, they said that they failed to address some things, that that should be voted separately.)
“Kaya sana po, sa wisdom po, sa tinatawag nating maliwanag na pag-iisip ng ating mga hukom, mabigyan na po nila. Hindi po tayo humihingi ng advice, humihingi po tayo ng resolba, nakikiusap po tayo sa Mataas na Hukuman na i-resolba na po nila itong away na ito,” he added.
(So I hope that in the wisdom of the Supreme Court and the justices, they can give clarity [to the issue]. We are not asking for advice, we are asking for a resolution. We are asking for the Court to resolve this conflict.)
Padilla stressed that the Senate and the House of Representatives had butted heads over the matter.
“Without the Honorable Court’s declarative pronouncements, these questions, as well as the unstable relations between the two Houses of Congress, shall persist,” Padilla said in a statement.
In February, the senator also filed a resolution seeking separate voting by the two houses of Congress in amending the Constitution.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, however, has said that the Senate will place proposals to amend the 1987 Constitution on the backburner.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
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