Ex-CJ Panganiban thinks House, Senate should vote separately on cha-cha

February 26, 2024

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

Retired Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban weighed in on the issue of how the House of Representatives and Senate should go about in pursuing changes to the 1987 Constitution.

Among the issues raised about the process is how the voting should work, given that the current charter is silent on the voting scheme.

“The basic law did not specify whether the two houses of Congress shall vote jointly as one chamber, or separately as two chambers,” the abogado explained.

“My opinion: They should vote separately, not jointly, because Congress is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives that meet and vote separately and independently of each other in making, amending, or revising ordinary laws,” he added. “Hence, they should also vote separately when amending or revising the most fundamental law.”

For him, there is one definitive way to settle the debate.

“I encourage those who sincerely believe the two Chambers should meet jointly but vote separately, or vice versa (meet separately but vote jointly) to bring the issue to the Supreme Court to settle this hiatus for our definitive guidance,” Panganiban said.