By Liezelle Soriano
MANILA — The Office of the House Secretary General clarified on Thursday, May 23, that 131 — not the 126 initially announced — voted in favor of the Absolute Divorce Act proposal in the House of Representatives.
There was no correction made to the number of negative votes and abstentions.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the bill was approved with 126 lawmakers in favor, 109 against, and 20 abstentions.
“The earlier announced results were 126 in the affirmative, 109 in the negative, and 20 abstentions. The rectification in the Records of the House will be done when the session resumes in July 2024,” House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said in a statement.
Meanwhile, former Senate President Tito Sotto III questioned the change in the number of votes.
“When a parliamentary body reports a vote in plenary then changes it the following morning not in plenary, what do you call that? A mistake! And they have the tenacity to say I was wrong!” Sotto said on X, formerly Twitter.
“Passed incorrectly! Now they are changing the numbers out of plenary? That’s not legal!”
(el Amigo/mnm)
