House panel wants 253 delegates elected, 51 appointed
THE House Committee on Constitutional Amendments yesterday voted 17-2 in favor of the measure proposing a 304-member “hybrid” constitutional convention (con-con) to tackle amendments to the 1987 Constitution.
After a hearing that lasted two hours and 45 minutes, the panel chaired by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez approved the provisions of a still unnumbered substitute bill which will accompany the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 calling for a con-con.
Under the proposed measure, each of the country’s 253 legislative districts will elect a representative to the convention.
They will be joined by 51 delegates to be appointed jointly by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The two leaders of Congress would have to concur with each choice for the appointment to be valid.
Rodriguez said the 51 appointees would not be submitted for the approval of either the Senate or the Lower House.
The election of delegates would be held on October 30, 2023, with an estimate cost of P1.5 billion if held simultaneous with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).
Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga’s recommendation to reduce the number of delegates to just 91 based on the country’s different regions was defeated on a 15-3 vote with one abstention.
In support of his motion, Barzaga pointed out that the 1787 Constitution of the United States was drafted by only 55 delegates while the Philippines’ own 1935 con-con only had 98 delegates.
He said having a fewer number of delegates would ensure faster deliberations and save taxpayers money on fewer names and fewer people to pay allowances.
Likewise voted down was Kabayan party-list Ron Salo’s proposal that 20 percent of the seats in the convention be automatically allotted to party-list organizations registered with the Commission on Elections whether sitting or not, in addition to 310 delegates from legislative districts.
Among the sectoral delegates who would be part of the hybrid con-con would be retired members of the judiciary, members of the academe, economists, and representatives from the business, labor, peasant and urban poor, farmers and fisherfolk, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, veterans, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities sectors.
Each delegate will serve for a term of seven months and thirteen days from Nov. 21, 2023 until June 30, 2024 when the convention is expected to have completed its work on the Charter amendments.
Delegates will receive P10,000 daily allowances for every day of actual attendance, exclusive of expenses on travel and lodging while the convention is in session.
