Fr. Bernas On Con-Ass: House of RAPISTSentatives announced they’ll commit a crime

father bernas, SJ is a reknowned expert on the constitution and the law says what the congressmen did was to announce they will commit a crime when they passed HR 1109. fr. bernas was being very kind.

what the congressmen did was a gang rape of the country and democracy, the constitution it’s first victim. that earns the 2009 philippine congress the title House Of Rapistsentatives.

 

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Bernas: They announced they’ll commit a crime

by Leila Salaverria

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:51:00 06/05/2009
MANILA, Philippines—There is no reason to take House Resolution No. 1109 to the Supreme Court because what the majority members in the House of Representatives essentially did on Tuesday night was to announce that they would commit a crime, constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas said Thursday.

“To my mind, the only thing they achieved was that they shot their foot. They did not do any damage yet,” Bernas said in a forum at Ateneo de Manila University.

“What they said was, ’Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to violate the Constitution.’ But they did not violate the Constitution. That is why, to my mind, there is nothing yet to bring to the Supreme Court,” he said.

And if the House tries to bypass the Senate and takes proposed constitutional amendments to the Commission on Elections for a plebiscite, it will be “a fatal mistake,” Bernas also said.

“The amendments can only take effect if approved by a plebiscite, which they have to present to the Senate,” he pointed out.

Commenting on the possible extension of the terms of elective officials, Bernas said the Supreme Court and the military would play a part in pushing it through.

“So how real is the threat of extension? It is real only if the Supreme Court will cooperate … and more so the military,” he said.

The alternative, he said, might be a people power revolt similar to what took place in 1986. He noted that after that revolt, the justices of the Supreme Court were replaced.

“Justices might think of that if ever they are tempted to cooperate in the gang rape of the Constitution,” Bernas said.

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