Miriam, Lito Lapid won't show up at House con-ass

By JOAN DAIRO, GMANews.TV The show may have to go on without a senator in sight when the pro-administration House of Representatives convenes on Tuesday as a constituent assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution. Senate President Manuel Villar said on Thursday that he now expects no one in the Senate would show up at the constituent assembly, after having said earlier in the day that at most three of 23 senators would take part. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, a staunch ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, said on Thursday that while she believes the Senate and the House do not have to vote separately on a constituent assembly, she would not participate if "only three or four senators" take part. "If a substantial number of senators decide to participate in the constituent assembly, I shall accompany them. However, in my mind, three or four senators would not be substantial compliance with the Constitution, and I would hence decline to participate in a constituent assembly," Santiago said in a statement. Santiago also conceded that if the House proceeds to change the Charter though a constituent assembly sans the Senate, "the Supreme Court will strike down the fruits of its labors." The House of Representatives, in a letter on Thursday afternoon signed by Secretary General Roberto Nazareno, formally invited the senators to take part in a joint session to amend the Constitution at 10 a.m., December 12. Sen. Lito Lapid, also an Arroyo ally, said in a statement that he would not take part in the constituent assembly. "Although I am an administration senator, I do not agree with the position of the Lower House that the Constitution can be changed through a constituent assembly that only the Representatives have approved," Lapid said in Filipino. Another administration solon, Sen. Bong Revilla said he would make his position known on Monday. But Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who opposes a constituent assembly, said Revilla has committed to affixing his name to the resolution already signed by 21 of 23 senators that branded the constituent assembly as unconstitutional. Only Revilla and Santiago have not signed the Senate resolution. Santiago said that the resolution signed by 21 senators "indicates that a reasonable number of senators cannot be mustered to participate in the constituent assembly, sufficient to fulfill the Constitutional requirement of Senate participation." -GMANews.TV