Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Stephen Paduano yesterday affirmed the constituent assembly approach to the transition to federalism is a “done deal” in the House of Representatives, and Congress is currently waiting on the Senate to act.

He noted, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez have already agreed on convening a constituent assembly.

The process requires Congress to deliberate amendments to the Constitution; as opposed to a constitutional convention, where delegates are chosen through an election.

Paduano added, talks of postponing the 2019 midterm elections are premature as it would depend on how long the transition process would take.

“The discussion and procedure leading to federalism would take a certain period [of time], so we cannot say if it would be finished in May, before the barangay elections, or before the midterm and local elections in 2019,” the partylist representative explained.

Last October, the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections were postponed after President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 10952.

The polls were rescheduled from October 23, 2017 to May 14, 2018./DGB, WDJ