From the Manila Bulletin:”We will assert our role in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, as simple as that. Meaning, we’ll not enter into a joint session or convene into a joint session kung hindi malinaw na voting separately,” Sen. Lacson said. 

Lacson: ‘We’ll stand as one body, as the Senate’

Published July 24, 2018, 8:02 PM
By Mario Casayuran

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Tuesday the Senate would not enter into a joint session with the House of Representatives if its stand that they vote separately is not accepted by the Lower House leadership.

Interviewed after attending an all-senators caucus presided by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, Lacson said the Senate would really make a stand on the report of the Consultative Committee (Con-Com) seeking amendments to the 1987 Constitution, including a proposed shift from the current unitary to a federal form of government.

“We will assert our role in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, as simple as that. Meaning, we’ll not enter into a joint session or convene into a joint session kung hindi malinaw na voting separately,” he added.

Following the change of House leadership from Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to former President Gloria M. Arroyo, current Pampanga congresswoman, Lacson said the Senate has never been more united than now.

“We’ll stand as one body, as the Senate. That’s why we are conveying the same message to the minority. From here, we’ll meet as a whole body,” he added.

The House leadership then under Alvarez’s leadership had stated that it wanted both the 24-member Senate and the 300-member Lower House to meet and vote jointly in considering Charter amendments.

Senators objected to this proposal because they would be drowned out by the big number of House representatives.