Professor Tony La Viña: Constituent Assembly interpreted under 1987 Constitution Constituent Assembly interpreted under 1987 Constitution When sought for his comments on House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s plan to convene the House of Representatives – without the Senate – as a Constituent Assembly for Charter Change, Professor Tony La Viña observed that “it does not pass any kind of legal, policy, constitutional, or even logical test.” He explained that “the only way a Constituent Assembly can be convened is if there is a joint resolution by both Houses or, without a Senate resolution the House can convene and tackle constitutional amendments…

Prof. Tony La Viña: "Slippery slope of diminishing judicial independence" Professor Tony La Viña writes about the  "Slippery slope of diminishing judicial independence" in connection with the impeachment hearings of Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno being conducted by the House Judicial Committee. The opinion piece was published on Rappler.com on Dec. 6, 2017. He specifically warns that internal disagreements within the Supreme Court should not be the subject of an impeachment complaint as this would erode the independence of the Judiciary at the hands of the political branches of government. "There is no walking back from that; future Chief Justices…

Prof. Tony La Viña: A case of Perjury In an online Opinion in the Rappler, Professor Tony La Viña weighs in on the infirmities of the impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice, during the first hearing of the House committee on justice on 22 November. He shows how Atty Gadon, chief complainant, is “clearly wrong about the facts and definitely committing perjury.” In past opinion columns Prof. La Viña has argued that none of allegations in the complaint rises to the level of impeachable acts. The complete article can be accessed at : https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/189326-sereno-impeachment-larry-gadon-house-representatives