House eyes passage of economic charter revisions before adjourning on June 5

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is eyeing the passage of the proposed economic amendments to the Constitution before going on sine die adjournment by June 5.

But the lower chamber cannot immediately proceed after adopting Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 2 as Congress must first pass a law for the conduct of a plebiscite on the amendments.

House constitutional amendments committee chair and Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. said seven lawmakers would interpellate on RBH 2 in the plenary deliberations.

“They will be given until next week and the target is to have it approved on second reading next week. There will be enough time to vote on third reading in time for the June 5 adjournment,” Garbin said in a Zoom interview with reporters.

Constitutional amendments panel vice chair and Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor noted that the House “still cannot proceed” even if it succeeds in passing RBH 2, which seeks to ease economic restrictions in the Constitution to allow more foreign direct investments in the country’s pandemic-battered economy.

In his interpellation on RBH 2 during Tuesday’s plenary session, Defensor noted that Congress needed to pass a law authorizing a plebiscite for the people to vote on the proposed amendments.

“Assuming that we pass this by a vote of three-fourth from the members of the House and without the Senate, we still need to enact a law authorizing such a plebiscite in order for the proposed amendments to be voted upon by Filipinos and approve the same,” Defensor said.

Even if the House and the Senate vote separately on economic Charter change (Cha-cha), the Senate is still needed “as part of a bicameral body as provided under the Constitution.”

Article 17 of the Constitution provides that amendments to the Constitution should be ratified by the people in a plebiscite.

Garbin, as the measure’s sponsor during the interpellation, agreed with Defensor.

“It is always my conviction that the three-fourth vote should be three-fourth of the Senate and three-fourth of the House of Representatives. Now if we approve any proposal in amending the Constitution, it still needs an enabling law to call for a plebiscite for the ratification of the approved proposal of both Houses of Congress, I agree,” he said.

Authored by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, RBH 2 is still in the period of interpellation and debate in the lower chamber.

Lawmakers who will interpellate the bill are Defensor, Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte, Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman. INQ