The Senate, led by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, slammed Wednesday the passage of a resolution in the House of Representatives converting itself into a constituent assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution describing the move as a “joke” and an “illegal act.”

Last Tuesday night, the House cut short plenary debates on House Resolution 1109 and adopted the resolution seeking to convene Congress into a constituent assembly to change the Charter.

Enrile said the move of pro-charter change lawmakers in the Lower House has no bearing, reiterating that the House alone could not convene itself into a body that would amend the charter.

But Enrile said it is “not justiceable”  to question the House’s action before the Supreme Court.

“It’s a joke. Kataka-taka kung magagawa nila iyan nang solo, pero di sila maaring mag-con-ass,” Enrile said.

Enrile also said it is doubtful if the House can convene itself into a constituent assembly during recess. Congress is set to adjourn sine die on June 5 and would resume on July.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. also agreed that the charter change resolution without the Senate’s participation is a “dying gasp of a terminally ill House that wishes to bring the nation to brink of upheaval.”

“(The) CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) was their collateral damage in their insane priority,” Pimentel said in a text message.

Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the approval of the resolution only reveals how the administration is so out of touch with reality.

“Our economy is on a downturn, the election campaign is less than nine months away. The Commission on Elections says they can’t hold a cha-cha referendum and we don’t have an approved budget for cha-cha. Clearly it is the interest of this administration and not of the nation that is brazenly being pushed here,” Pangilinan said.

Sen. Francis Escudero also said he could not believe that their counterpart lawmakers in the Lower House would be oblivious to the public’s sentiments against charter change.

“Pilit at manhid na galaw ito ng Kamara. Alam na nilang hindi tama, ginawa pa rin. Alam nilang ayaw ito ng sambayanan at may mga mas mahalagang dapat pag-usapan na panukalang batas tulad ng CARP extension, tinuloy pa din,” Escudero said.

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See also:

• Melo: Elections assured even with Cha-cha
• Palace allies push Con-ass approval