A neophyte solon wants lawmakers to explain their votes on an issue before and not after casting their votes.

Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco’s House Resolution 1186 urged the House leadership to consider amending Section 17 of the present rules of the lower chamber.

Under the present rules, lawmakers can only explain their votes after the result has been announced by the Secretary General.

“That’s the wrong order. It’s like putting the carriage before the horse. The whole point of giving an explanation of your vote is to air all the issues in open debate and convince undecided members to accept one’s argument. This would be legislative due process,” Tiangco said.

According to Tiangco, it is more effective and orderly if the explanation is simultaneous with the voting or is done before a lawmaker casts his vote.

He urged the Committee on Rules to bring back Section116 of the Rules of the 14th Congress which provided that a member may explain his or her vote within three minutes during nominal voting,

The purpose is to give the members a chance to hear more opinions before they vote.

Tiangco made the proposal in preparation for the Reproductive Health bill discussion during which lawmakers are expected to explain their votes.

“We have important bills pending before the House, like the RH bill, which  is why we must have rules that are in consonance with the principles of legislative due process,” Tiangco stressed.

The RH bill is one of the controversial measures pending before the House of Representatives.

Minority Leader Edcel Lagman, one of the proponents, said the RH debate  will resume next week.

He added that advocates are already gathering supporters and expressed confidence that the bill will be approved by the current Congress.