Voting 17-2 with zero abstention, the House of Representatives committee on constitutional amendments on Monday approved a committee report that calls for a “hybrid” Constitutional convention to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Charter.
At the same time, the committee chaired by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez adopted the committee report containing the substitute bill that includes amendments such as the P10,000 per day salary for Con-con delegates.
Under the measure, the Con-con will be composed of at least 304 delegates, the majority of which will be elected by the public.
Of the said number, 20 percent will be reserved for qualified sectoral representatives to be appointed by the President.
Rodriguez said the committee report would then be referred to the House committee on appropriations chaired by Ako-Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co for budget-related deliberations.
House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas opposed the Con-con bill’s approval as she questioned the P10,000-a-day compensation for each delegate.
She said such high pay is “a punch in the gut for ordinary workers.”
Brosas added the country does not need Charter change.
“We are firm in our belief that amending or revising the Constitution will not directly address the urgent economic concerns of Filipino women and people,” she said
Last week, the Rodriguez panel adopted the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 calling for a Constitutional convention to effect the proposed economic Charter change.
This developed as Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Monday appealed to the senators to give Charter change a chance.
“We appeal to members of the Senate to have an open heart and mind about this issue,” Villafuerte said in a television interview.