Cha-cha not a House top priority for now — Romualdez

House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez. (Philippine Daily Inquirer file photo / RICHARD A. REYES)

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will not prioritize any Charter change (Cha-cha) proposal, for now, Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said Tuesday. 

“For the time being, it is not the top priority,” Romualdez said of Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez’s House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) No. 1, which seeks to amend portions of the 1987 Constitution.

READ: House proposes longer term for its members, local execs

But the House leader was also quick to point out that talks of Constitutional revision are not yet dead in the chamber.

“May sinasabi never say die, ‘di ba… alam mo naman, anything can change… for this time, I would never say it’s dead…” Romualdez said. 

The HCR 1 was referred to the committee on constitutional amendments on July 23. The measure proposes that the term of congressmen be extended from three years to four years while reducing the six-year term of senators to four.

Under the measure, senators can serve for four years and run for three consecutive terms. Currently, a senator can serve for six years and run for two consecutive times.

As for congressmen, the proposed law wants a four-year term for them as it seeks to let them serve for three consecutive periods. All elective local officials, meanwhile, will have a four-year term and can serve for three consecutive terms under the resolution.

The proposal also bats for an increase in the number of senators from the current 24 to 27. It further proposes that three senators should come from each of these nine regions: National Capital Region, Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. /jpv