House to prioritize revenue bills over Cha-cha — Cayetano

MANILA, Philippines — The House is still not keen on prioritizing any Charter change (Cha-cha) attempt towards federalism, House Speaker Alan Cayetano said Monday.

The House leader said that while they would prioritize revenue measures first, the committee on constitutional amendments chaired by Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez may still hold hearings on Cha-cha.

“Wala pa sa ating (It’s not in our priority). We’ll finish siguro mga (the) revenue measures muna (first) before we discuss. But we’re not stopping the committee on constitutional amendments from having its own hearing,” Cayetano said in an interview.

Cayetano’s statement is almost similar to Majority Leader Martin Romualdez’s pronouncement last August.

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

Rodriguez has filed Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 1, which seeks to amend portions of the 1987 Constitution and extend the term of congressmen 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 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.

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

Meanwhile, RBH No. 2 and 3 of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco and Aklan 2nd District Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr., respectively, seek to revise certain economic provisions of the Charter.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon earlier said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s non-mention of federalism and Constitutional change in his fourth State of the Nation Address last July 23 meant that the campaign promise had already been “laid to rest.” /je

READ: Cha-Cha ‘laid to rest’ after Duterte Sona — Drilon