Tuesday, October 31, 2006 Gullas supports senators’ taking part in Con-Ass
REP. Eduardo Gullas wants the Senate consulted during the holding of the constituent assembly to pave the way for the changing of the 1987 Constitution.
Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) said although he wants a unicameral form of government, he signed House Resolution 1230 “with reservations” because the Supreme Court (SC) might question the constituent assembly if only one chamber will take up the matter.
Although the 1987 Constitution only states that Congress can vote on Charter change through a constituent assembly, the issue could further delay the discussions especially since there is no precedence in Philippine jurisdiction, Gullas pointed out.
“But how do you convene the constituent assembly when the Senate is not predisposed to it?” Gullas said yesterday.
When Congress resumes its session on Nov. 6, the House majority is expected to push for the constituent assembly after the SC voted 8-7 against the people’s initiative last Wednesday.
Following the junking of the people’s initiative, Reps. Simeon Kintanar (Cebu, 2nd district), Antonio Yapha (Cebu, 3rd district) and Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district) said they are still keen on supporting moves to amend the Charter since they favor the shift to a unicameral-parliamentary form of government.
All three lawmakers support the abolition of the Senate to ensure the faster passage of bills.
The bills include removing the doctors’ accreditation requirement for Health Maintenance Organization services, pushing for the modernization of state hospitals and declaring the Battle of Mactan anniversary as a holiday in Cebu Province.
Gullas, for his part, said he has four urgent bills that are of national and local importance that are also pending in the Senate.
“I bemoan the time left,” he said, adding that the seven months left before the next elections is expected to be “devoted” to several breaks and a long break for the campaign period.
English bill
Among his bills are on the use of English as a medium of instruction in schools, the Central Cebu Protected Landscape Act, the decentralization of the payroll service for teachers and the cityhood of the towns of Carcar and Naga.
Gullas said the English bill is “demanded by the times” with the growth in the call center industry while the protected landscape bill aims to integrate the five watersheds in Cebu and ensure their protection to secure the water needs of Cebu City and its environs.
“So many bills are competing for the attention of the Senate,” he lamented, adding that the Senate is still expected to take up the 2007 budget and the anti-terrorism bill.
Gullas, who is on his 11th year as congressman, said the situation has always been like that ever since he was elected as representative, even if the Senate and the House of Representatives were made up of mostly administration allies.
He believes this is one of the reasons for the need for a Charter change, citing that the Philippines is among the few countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations adopting the presidential form of government. (CYR)
