KIKO: DON'T WASTE SC'S TIME ON ILLEGAL HOUSE-ONLY CONASS

Following statements from members of the House that the Senate is interfering with the Supreme Court on the issue of ConAss with two houses voting separately, Independent Senator Kiko Pangilinan today said that the Senate has the right to voice out its stand on the matter, and that it will stand united to defend the Constitution.

"Even a first year law student knows that the correct interpretation of the law is to have two houses voting separately. Logic dictates that the House and the Senate have equal weight as institutions. Why should they be given unequal weight when it comes to changing the Constitution?" Kiko said.

"Contrary to their allegations that the Senate is interfering with the SC, it would be a complete waste of the SC's time to bring this issue to the High Court. It is the mandate of the Senate as an institution to promote and protect the correct observance of the Constitution as well, especially when proponents of the House-only ConAss is a maneuvering to ram this down the throat of our peop0le," Kiko said.

Kiko introduced a resolution against House-only ConAss which was signed by all 23 senators of the 14th Congress and filed in the Senate. The resolution expresses that any attempt by the House of Representatives to unilaterally propose amendments to, or revision of, the Constitution without approval by three-fourths of the Senate voting separately is unconstitutional.

"Kung ang pagpapalit nga lang ng pangalan ng kalye, kailangangan ang dalawang chambers, ano pa kaya ang pagbago ng Konstitusyon? You only disregard the Senate when your agenda is hideous," Kiko added.

"They should be sensitive and drop all their initiatives to hold ConAss without the Senate as the people have spoken. The Senate as an institution has also spoken. To borrow the words of the Supreme Court, we will not tolerate this gigantic fraud being foisted on the people by desperate individuals in the House. They'd be digging their own graves if they push this mode of ChaCha. They shouldn't test the patience of the people who have been disenchanted by self-serving politicking a long time," Kiko ended.