Lawmakers remind President: We can override veto

While they respect the power of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to veto a bill postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election, lawmakers reminded the President that Congress can override such veto. The members of the House of Representatives thus asked the President to respect the decision of the Congress on the matter. "Theoretically, a veto can be overridden by the Congress so this (issue) could be a test case," House minority leader Edcel Lagman said in a press conference. Based on the HOR website, if Congress decides to override the veto, the House and the Senate will separately reconsider the bill or its vetoed items, by a vote of two-thirds of the members of each House. However, Lagman expressed confidence that Aquino will not veto the bill, despite the earlier Malacanang statement. "I don’t think we would reach that stage because if the policy of Congress is to reset the barangay elections, I think the President will think more than twice in rejecting the political will of the Congress," he said. In a text message to GMANews.TV, Davao Rep. Karlo Nograles said veto is a power that Aquino can exercise "but if the bill passes both houses of Congress, and given that Congress is the representative of the people, the President ought to deem it more wise to respect the decision of his co-equal branch in government." Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone proposed that President Aquino convene the LEDAC (Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council) "to have a consensus on the issue. It's not good for our country to have a gridlock between the executive and the legislative." He also asked the House leadership to have a majority coalition caucus on the issue. Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez echoed Evardone's sentiment in a separate text message to GMANews.TV. "The President has the power to veto any bill as enshrined in our Constitution. Although I am not one of those whom Malacanang has consulted regarding the issue, but it is very necessary that the President should convene a dialogue with members of Congress to discuss the concern while there is still time," he said. Zambales Re.p Ma Milagros Magsaysay expressed hope that the President would respect the decision of the Congress, pointing out that the congresspersons are the ones in touch with "the grassroot level." The House committee on suffrage and electoral reform is set to vote on the consolidated bill postponing the barangay and youth polls Wednesday. –VVP, GMANews.TV