Lack of quorum delays special session

A lack of quorum in the House of Representatives delayed yesterday the three-day special session of Congress called by President Arroyo to hammer out the controversial value-added tax (VAT) bill.

Deputy Speaker Benigno Aquino III declared the session open promptly at 4 p.m. But just seconds after doing so, he ordered a suspension since fewer than 60 congressmen were present in the session hall.

The suspension in the House forced the Senate to suspend its own session until the larger chamber could muster a quorum. Sen. Joker Arroyo and other colleagues have said they would not proceed unless there was enough attendance in the House because it could raise constitutional challenges.

After two hours, the House had enough attendant members to call a quorum. A roll call showed 134 members present, 15 more than the required quorum of 119. The chamber then notified the Senate.

During the long break, Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. told reporters that it was foolhardy on the part of senators not to proceed in tackling the two House-approved VAT bills even if there were no quorum in the lower chamber.

"Kalokohan ’yun. They can proceed. They cannot question our quorum here. Have we questioned their quorum? Never!" said De Venecia, who was obviously irritated by the lack of attendance in his chamber as well as the refusal by senators to proceed with their own session.

"We are here only to accommodate the Senate. We have long approved these bills. The ball is in their court," he said.

When one reporter reminded him that senators were not going ahead with their discussion of the VAT measures without first confirming a quorum in the House, De Venecia shot back, "Are you speaking for the Senate?"

"I’m not blaming senators. I’m just asking them to do their work. They’d better put up or shut up," he said.

Assistant Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who was prepared to question the quorum, said the special session could not be held unless enough members were present in both chambers of Congress.

Lack of attendance in one chamber could open the VAT measure to a constitutional challenge, he noted.

"If this measure is really important to the administration, all they have to do is bring warm bodies here. All that is required is that we start the session with a quorum. And then we can suspend it and wait for the Senate until Friday, when the special session ends," he said.

Cayetano revealed that he was asked to sign a resolution notifying the Senate of a quorum in the House but he had refused "because there is no quorum."

Tarlac Rep. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. agreed with Cayetano and Sen. Arroyo on the need for the two chambers to muster the proper attendance before starting the special session.

"That is provided for under the Constitution and our own rules," he said.