Marcos consulting legal luminaries on economic Cha-cha

HANOI – Amid the ongoing feud between the House of Representatives and the Senate over the people’s initiative, President Marcos yesterday disclosed that he is consulting legal luminaries and Constitution experts on the most acceptable way to amend the economic provisions of the Charter.

Expressing his resolve to ease the restrictive economic provisions that hinder investments, Marcos emphasized that he does not want economic Charter change to be used for a political agenda.

“We have been in continuous discussion with both houses in recent days. In fact, I met with our legal luminaries and tried to find a way because I’m really after the economic provisions,” he said in an interview with Philippine media covering his two-day state visit here.

“I have asked the leaders of both houses and again some of the best constitutional minds that we have in the Philippines to come up with a simpler solution that does not cause so much controversy,” he added.

The best advice that they are getting, according to the President, is that the legislature is of a bicameral nature and therefore they must vote separately.

Meanwhile, two retired Supreme Court justices said the House cannot propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution in a constituent assembly (con-ass) without the help of the 24-member Senate.

Retired Supreme Court Associate Justices Adolfo Azcuna and Antonio Carpio gave their opinion during yesterday’s Senate electoral reforms committee hearing into the bribery that hounded the people’s initiative.

At the hearing, the constitutionalists doused the senators’ fears that the push for a con-ass would exclude the Senate in the Charter change debate.

Since Congress is composed of the House and the Senate, Azcuna said any act by Congress – including proposing amendments to the Charter – should require that both chambers meet a quorum before convening in a con-ass.

The standoff in Congress stemmed from the fact that the 1987 Constitution is silent on whether Congress should vote jointly or separately in the con-ass.

Should the people’s initiative succeed to make con-ass a joint vote by Congress, the 315-strong House would indeed outnumber the Senate in the required