Senate President Vicente Sotto at the Senate Session. EDWIN BACASMAS
The Senate does not share the sense of urgency of the House of Representatives on a shift to a federal form of government, according to Senate leaders.
While the House may push a proposed federalism charter all it wants, the Senate has no time for it, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said.
Sotto said the chamber’s priority was the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act, or the national budget.
No rush
“We’re not even sure to be able to pass the (budget) before the end of the year because of the delayed transmittal to us from the House of Representatives, how can we tackle such a very controversial matter?” Sotto said in a text message referring to Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s proposed federal charter.
He said any changes to the 1987 Constitution needed time for study and should not be rushed.
Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, an advocate of federalism, also said the House could continue discussions on federalism, but it might not see similar action at the Senate.
“The Senate has no more time for that because we are focused on the budget,” Pimentel said in an interview over radio station dwIZ.
“Let the House take the leadership on Charter change,” he said.
The Senate is rushing plenary deliberations on the 2019 budget bill so that it could be ratified and sent to the President before the end of 2018.
Failure to enact a new budget would lead to reenacted budget in January which economic managers of Mr. Duterte said would delay the “Build, build, build” program.
For future use
Pimentel said any output from the House on federalism might not be used by the current Congress, which was set to end next year.
But records and transcripts could be helpful in future discussions, Pimentel said.
He said he expected discussions on federalism to continue in the next Congress.
He acknowledged that many were against shifting to a federal system now, but he added that the number of supporters of federalism was growing as well.