CONGRESS' SITE SHOULD BE JOINTLY STUDIED BY BOTH CHAMBERS

The Senate and House of Representatives should jointly study the proposal to construct a permanent building of Congress and should consult architects and building authorities on the issue.

This was emphasized by Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today even as he cast doubts on the suitability of converting the Manila Film Center into a Senate building.

Pimentel said the Film Center, although adjacent to the present Senate building, was primarily built as a exhibition center for movies and will have to be extensively redesigned and reconstructed to fit the requirements of a legislative edifice.

Besides, he said the whole structure of the Film Center is a big question as cracks have developed in the foundation, columns and walls of the building as a result of earthquakes.

"I am not in favor of it. Better plan it with House so we can have one area where both the Senate and the House will be together in one place. If we will transfer to the Film Center, the same problem will persist. The two chambers of Congress will still be separate and distant from each other," the opposition lawmaker said.

The Film Center was also built too close to the Manila Bay and the strong winds and sounds of sea waves may cause noise problems that could distract plenary and committee deliberations.

Both the Senate and Film Center are located within the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay City -- part of the lands reclaimed from the sea. The Senate is renting its building from the Government Service Insurance System.

Pimentel said the conversion of the Film Center into a Senate building will probably cost much more than the projected P400 million initially mentioned by Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.

If it is constructed by a private contractor, it may be done through the build-operate-transfer law, in which case the Senate will end up paying monthly rent and finds itself back in the same situation as now.

Pimentel said it is important the Senate and House should be housed in one building to solve the problems of communications and holding joint meetings to reconcile and finalize and approve pieces of legislation.

"I think the ideal situation is for the two houses of Congress to do their work under the same roof and not to be separate from each other," he said.

Noting that the House is located at the national government center in Quezon City, Pimentel said it is difficult for the two chambers to communicate and coordinate their activities. Often times, he said it would take days before the two chambers could communicate with each other.

Pimentel recalled that during his presidency of the Senate, his proposal for a permanent Congress building in a 10-hectare lot within Fort Bonifacio in Makati-Taguig was approved by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Unfortunately, he said his proposal was forgotten after he ceased to be Senate president.