SENATOR CHIZ ESCUDERO (CHIZ): To educate us as well, may I ask my former professor, Justice VV, ‘yung pag-uusap po ba sa pagitan nina Commissioner Suarez at Commissioner Regalado na kailangan joint session voting separately kapag ang napagkasunduan ay bicameral ay nasa record ng Constitutional Commission? O pribadong pag-uusap po ba iyon?
JUSTICE VICENTE V. MENDOZA (VVM): It’s in the record, Mr. Chairman and I can cite the record if you give me time.
CHIZ: If it’s in the record, Mr. Chairman, I think there is good reason to proceed with it cautiously because all of these proceedings might be for naught. Because as we know, the debates in all of the laws we passed form part of the intent of the Congress.
And in so far as the Constitution is concerned, the debates too would form part of the intent of the framers of the Constitution. And if that is what they intended for it to mean, then we might be treading on questionable, to say the least, waters if we proceed in this manner.
Baka may bagong akusasyon na naman na sinasabotahe ng personal. It’s better to proceed with it cautiously and take note and take heed of the points raised by Justice Mendoza, as well as the other justices and chief justice before we proceed. Because this is already the beginning of our second hat. I think that’s the point of Justice VV.
We don’t know yet and the committee report will be the product of these proceedings. So perhaps we can proceed and hear out all of our resource persons for today, until we decide on the matter and be guided accordingly. Para naman hindi masayang ang hearing today. I appeal to Senator Risa, at least for this afternoon.