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MANILA - A no-elections scenario in 2019 may be necessary in order for lawmakers to finish the process of revising the Constitution and shift to a federal form of government, a lawmaker said Thursday.

Speaking to ANC, Oriental Mindoro Representative Rey Umali said it will be difficult to even muster a quorum when lawmakers who will be running for public office are already busy preparing for 2019.

"I guess it will be a necessary evil, if you want to say that -- that we may have to do our constitutional mandate as to be able to complete the process of changing the constitution," he said Thursday.

"Many or most of the members of the Congress now would either be graduating or running for other public offices and when that happens we may not be able even to muster a quorum," he added.

Umali, who chairs the House justice committee, is a member of President Rodrigo Duterte's PDP Laban party.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier said the possibility of having no midterm elections in 2019 is possible, citing the need for a transition government.

• No elections in 2019? Anything is possible - Speaker

Meanwhile, Umali also said there is a strong possibility of extending the term of President Rodrigo Duterte as the government shifts to federalism although he does not see Congress going beyond 2022.

In fact, the lawmaker said, it will also be possible for Congress to cut short the President's term by a year or two if a new constitution will be approved by 2020.

"That was the very exact words of the President. Once the new constitution and a federal form of government is established and approved by the people in a plebiscite then he will resign," he said.

Senate President Koko Pimentel earlier said Congress may be open to extend Duterte's term depending on the transitory provisions that will be approved, and only if necessary.

• Extension of Duterte's term possible under federalism: Koko