Para magka-alaman na: Lagman urges House secretariat to publish voting of anti-terror bill

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

MANILA – Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman has urged the House secretariat to disclose the list of congressmen who voted in favor and against the controversial anti-terror bill amid “to ascertain the real score of the voting” following its third-reading approval last Wednesday.

In a letter dated June 6 to House secretary-general Atty. Jose Luis Montales, Lagman who is one the fierce critics of the measure stressed that there is need for the verified certification on how lawmakers have voted to House Bill No. 6875 or the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 since there “appears to be some confusion on the tabulation of votes as evidenced by changes and corrections made in the result of the voting by the attending staff of the Secretariat.”

Lagman said that the certified true copy of the voting must be “based on the individual voting in the Plenary and by Zoom as recorded in our all members Viber community.”

The data requested by Lagman includes the names of Representatives who voted: a. “yes”; b. “yes” with reservation; c. “no”; and d. “abstain.”

Lagman also asked that the certification should also include the names of those who subsequently changed their votes.

“A public disclosure of the voting record would also afford Representatives to clarify how they actually voted or that they did not vote at all,” said Lagman.

House committee on ways and means chair and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda as well as Bulacan Rep. Lorna Silverio have already withdrawn their affirmative vote as of Saturday while Laguna Rep. Sol Aragones, Bukidon Rep. Manuel Zubiri and Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo have clarified their votes as abstentions.

Section 106 of the House Rules states that “When a measure, report or motion is approved, adopted or lost, a Member who voted with the majority may move for its reconsideration on the same or succeeding session. Only one motion for reconsideration shall be allowed.”

The Lower House has adjourned “sine die” last Friday and it’s still unclear on whether or not President Rodrigo Duterte will call for a special session of Congress this legislative break to fast track the pending stimulus package proposals for COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)