Dragging the Senate into a Constituent Assembly is easier than we think. I’m basing the following on my experience as a Senate reporter.

Imagine the following scene:

The third Monday of July which falls on the 27th is the first and only time of the year that Congress is required by the Constitution to convene jointly to listen to the President address the nation.

Nothing in the Constitution bars congressmen from also using the occasion for another purpose – like convening a Constituent Assembly.

After the senators and congressmen are jointly assembled, both the Senate President and the Speaker of the House announce the session open.

Then the President speaks.

Afterwards the Speaker bangs the gavel to announce the session adjourned. What if in the same sentence that he announces the adjournment he declares the Constituent Assembly open then just as quickly adds the Assembly would meet the following day. Then bangs the gavel.

This would merely take seconds.

Any objections or walkout by any of the senators could become useless by then. Because by then, the deed is done. They need not even attend any of the Assembly sessions because their presence would no longer be needed nor wanted.

If the Speaker does this, he could well create a justiciable controversy that could throw the entire issue onto the lap of the Commission on Elections and the Supreme Court.

Morals aside, this is a beautiful, brilliant and simple doable plan. I’m not suggesting they do this. Merely suspecting they might do it.

It’s similar to what Speaker Manuel Villar did in the year 2000 when he suddenly declared then President Joseph Estrada impeached by the House and declared he was sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate just before banging the gavel.