PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has formed a consultative committee to review the 1987 Constitution, by way of appointment letters sent out by Malacañang on Thursday, Jan. 25.

The appointments follow on the heels of a meeting over dinner Wednesday night between leaders of Congress to settle their row over how the legislature should vote on charter amendments.

The following were appointed to the committee:

Former chief justice Reynato S. Puno was appointed chairman of the 19-member committee (including Mr. Puno), which also includes former Senate president Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr., retired associate justice Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura, former assemblyman Reuben R. Canoy, and analysts Ranhilio C. Aquino and Edmund S. Tayao.

The other committee members are Arthur N. Aguilar, Eddie M. Alih, Antonio B. Arellano, Ali Pangalian M. Balindong, Virgilio C. Bautista, Victor S. dela Serna, Roan I. Libarios, Susan U. Ubalde-Ordinario, Randolph C. Parcasio, Bienvenido L. Reyes, Rodolfo D. Robles, Julio C. Teehankee, and Laurence B. Wacnang.

On Wednesday night, leaders of Congress have agreed to focus on coming up with amendments to change the 1987 Constitution and to set aside debates over the manner of voting in a constituent assembly, the heads of both the Senate and the House of Representative said Thursday.

“We have decided to focus on the revisions that have to be made rather than how these changes will be effected,” Senate President Aquilino L. Pimentel III said in a statement.

“We agreed to discuss the manner of voting in another time. We will first talk about the details, for example, the government structure, until we amend the Constitution. And when we have finished, it will not make any difference anymore if we vote separately or jointly,” House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez said in a radio interview.

A consensus was also reached among the leaders for the need to shift the government structure to federalism, according to Mr. Alvarez.

The agreement was made during a meeting over dinner Wednesday night among Messrs. Pimentel, Alvarez, Senate majority leader Vicente C. Sotto III and House majority floor leader Rodolfo C. Fariñas.

Both Messrs. Sotto and Alvarez described the gathering as “cordial.”

Asked if there were specific amendments discussed in the meeting, Mr. Pimentel said they talked about the system of government and the economic provisions in the present Constitution.

Business groups as well as other lawmakers have been calling for amending the Constitution but only for the purpose of changing its economic provisions, particularly on foreign ownership limits.

“It’s just a matter of explaining to the people that we are doing this to benefit the country. Number one, to save money by streamlining some processes, number two, by equalizing development all over the country by sharing powers and resources, and number three, making the government, the administration more accountable because of the adoption of some parliamentary concepts,” Mr. Pimentel said.

Over the past weeks, the Senate and the House of Representatives have been in sharp disagreement over the manner of voting to amend or revise the Constitution if both chambers are convened as a constituent assembly.

While congressmen pushed for a joint voting, the senators — arguing against the House outnumbering them — took the position of separate voting, also in accordance with the procedure under a bicameral legislature.

Mr. Pimentel said the differing views on how to amend the charter “should not distract us from the crux of this exercise: to make revisions to the charter that will help improve our people’s lives.”

But he said he would leave the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes to determine the preferred mode of changing the Constitution since resolutions were filed to call for a constituent assembly and, on the other hand, a constitutional convention.

“Let us await the report of the committee, since it will now start hearing all of these referrals given to it,” the Senate leader said.

Mr. Alvarez said a more detailed discussion of the proposed features of federalism would be held in the coming weeks, in subsequent meetings between the support staff of both chambers of Congress.

“Both the House and the Senate have support staff that will first discuss proposed amendments. When the proposals are clearer, we will sit on it until it gets approval in the majority,” he said in Filipino.

He added that both chambers would strive to harmonize the contentious issues in the charter amendments.

Sought for comment, Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, said he would like to be informed first what was discussed on Wednesday.

“The Senate met in a caucus last week and took a common stand on the matter of charter change. I am certain my fellow senators would like to be briefed first by the leadership as to what was discussed in the meeting before we can commit to anything in this regard,” he said in a text message to reporters.

Mr. Pangilinan held a hearing last week on charter change with constitutional experts, including Mr. Puno, supporting a separate vote should Congress convene as a constituent assembly.

Senate minority leader Franklin M. Drilon said it was best to await the Senate’s decision on the matter. “The Senate is a collegial body. The need for cha-cha, the mode amendment and related issues are being heard by the Senate committee on constitutional amendments. It is best that we await the decision of the committee and the Senate itself on these issues,” he said in a text message to reporters.

Senator Francis G. Escudero, who remained unconvinced on federalism, said: “The issue has always been the manner and process of doing so. But I guess, as the saying goes, let’s agree on what we can agree and set aside for tomorrow what we cannot agree upon.”

Ifugao Representative Teodoro B. Baguilat, Jr. of the House minority bloc described the way Congress leaders decided on charter change and federalism as “whimsical and frivolous.”

“Now after dinner of selected House and Senate leaders, a temporary cease-fire is in effect with no clear picture on what type of federalism are we going to tackle, how both Houses will vote on the proposed charter changes and the time line,” he said. — main report by Camille A. Aguinaldo

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