House of Representatives. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Party leaders in the House of Representatives have assured senators that they have no plans to abolish the Senate, adding that they support the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 which seeks constitutional amendments.
In a manifesto released on Monday, party leaders maintained that they want a reassessment on the economic provisions of the Constitution — which RBH No. 6 seeks — and not what other sectors might have thought of.
“We address recent misapprehensions and misunderstandings on the need to amend the Constitution with a call for unity and constructive dialogue, the key to sustained reform and national advancement,” the party leaders said in the manifesto.
“Acknowledging the critical need for economic revitalization, we advocate for a strategic reassessment of the economic clauses in our Constitution. Our aim is clear: to foster an environment conducive to increased foreign investment and economic diversity,” they added.
The House leaders also noted that RBH No. 6 — a version of which was filed before the Senate early January — is a testament to their commitment to amending the constitution by tapping the help of the Senate.
“Our collaboration with the Senate, manifest in Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 […] is a testament to our shared commitment to nurturing an economic landscape that is dynamic, inclusive, and forward-thinking, ensuring that prosperity reaches every corner of our nation,” they said.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to support the historic endeavor of the Senate in its approval of the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, and together with our dear Speaker, Honorable Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, we stand firm in our commitment to approve RBH No. 6 in the House of Representatives,” they added.
Earlier, several party leaders like Rizal 1st District Rep. Michael John Duavit who heads the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) said that there is no impending vote to remove senators.
“With regard to the fears and allegations that the House would want to abolish the Senate, we would just like to let everybody know that as far as our party is concerned, there is no way we will be voting in any form to remove our five senators,” Duavit said after the party leaders; caucus on Sunday, video footage of which was released Monday.
“And if we are not going to remove our five senators, then the other 19 senators can be assured,” he added.
Duavit was referring to five senators who are from NPC — Senators Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, Lito Lapid, Sherwin Gatchalian, and JV Ejercito.
Deputy Speaker and Ilocos Sur 2nd District Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan, also an NPC member, echoed Duavit’s statement.
“To our Senate friends, because as part of NPC, we have five senators from NPC, and of course we will never abolish them. So we’re here to commit that we would not include abolishing the Senate when we do amend the Constitution,” she noted.
Lakas-CMD member Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. maintained that political reforms are not part of the House’s goal in amending the 1987 Constitution.
“We have no plans to abolish the Senate, it’s just part of their imagination. That’s not true,” he said.
“We will embrace RBH No. 6 because that’s the economic provisions. And that’s what the country needs. And the Speaker always says we will embrace RBH No. 6 because this would help the economy and the President’s policies,” he added.
Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of the Nacionalista Party (NP) and Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co meanwhile appealed to senators to observe the parliamentary courtesy between the two chambers of Congress.
“Let’s work towards achieving what we want to achieve for the country. Economic reforms are the key in achieving the goals and the objectives of our Bagong Pilipinas movement. We pray for their support and we would like to appeal to them to look at the better picture of doing something good for this country,” Barbers said.
“On behalf of the party, we would like to urge the senators to support the economic change that we have been proposing in the last four decades. We need a double-digit growth for our country to alleviate the lives of our countrymen. And it’s for the past years already that there’s no innovation that our country has been making on the economic change,” Co, who heads the Party-List Coalition Foundation, Inc., said.
Last December 2023, Romualdez and Gonzales floated the possibility of discussing charter change proposals anew when session resumes in January 2024, with the goal of amending the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions.
However, Gonzales said that they may entertain PI proposals since the Senate has failed to act on RBH No. 6 — originally a resolution of the House calling for a constitutional convention, which was passed last March 2023.
After the PI’s signature campaign gained traction early January, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he, Romualdez, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have agreed that the Senate would just push for their own version of RBH No. 6.
READ: Many senators becoming lukewarm to push Cha-cha – Villanueva
But on Tuesday, all 24 senators signed a manifesto against the PI, as the campaign asks that the House and the Senate vote jointly on whatever provisions of the Constitution that will be amended. Should this be the case, the stand of 24 senators can easily be overwhelmed by over 300 lawmakers in the House.
READ: Romualdez: Senate’s RBH 6 may be answer for people’s initiative backers
Senator Joel Villanueva also said that many senators no longer want to push RBH No. 6 because the House leadership is supposedly behind the PI campaign. Romualdez and other House officials denied this, with the Speaker himself even noting that he welcomes the Senate’s RBH No. 6 and is willing to work with them in this regard.
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MANILA, Philippines — Party leaders at the House of Representatives have assured senators that they have no plans to abolish the Senate, adding that they support the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 which seeks constitutional amendments.
After a party leaders’ caucus, several party leaders like Rizal 1st District Rep. Michael John Duavit who heads the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) said that there is no impending vote to remove senators.
“With regard to the fears and allegations that the House would want to abolish the Senate, we would just like to let everybody know that as far as our party is concerned, there is no way we will be voting in any form to remove our five senators,” Duavit said after the caucus on Sunday, video footage of which was released Monday.
“And if we are not going to remove our five senators, then the other 19 senators can be assured,” he added.
Duavit was referring to five senators who are from NPC — Senators Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, Lito Lapid, Sherwin Gatchalian, and JV Ejercito.
Deputy Speaker and Ilocos Sur 2nd District Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan, also an NPC member, echoed Duavit’s statement.
“To our Senate friends, because as part of NPC, we have five senators from NPC, and of course we will never abolish them. So we’re here to commit that we would not include abolishing the Senate when we do amend the Constitution,” she noted.
Lakas-CMD member Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. maintained that political reforms are not part of the House’s goal in amending the 1987 Constitution.
“We have no plans to abolish the Senate, it’s just part of their imagination. That’s not true,” he said.
“We will embrace RBH No. 6 because that’s the economic provisions. And that’s what the country needs. And the Speaker always says we will embrace RBH No. 6 because this would help the economy and the President’s policies,” he added.
Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of the Nacionalista Party (NP) and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co meanwhile appealed to senators to observe the parliamentary courtesy between the two chambers of Congress.
“Let’s work towards achieving what we want to achieve for the country. Economic reforms are the key in achieving the goals and the objectives of our Bagong Pilipinas movement. We pray for their support and we would like to appeal to them to look at the better picture of doing something good for this country,” Barbers said.
“On behalf of the party, we would like to urge the senators to support the economic change that we have been proposing in the last four decades. We need a double-digit growth for our country to alleviate the lives of our countrymen. And it’s for the past years already that there’s no innovation that our country has been making on the economic change,” Co, who heads the Party-List Coalition Foundation, Inc., said.
Last December 2023, Romualdez and Gonzales floated the possibility of discussing charter change proposals anew when session resumes in January 2024, with the goal of amending the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions.
However, Gonzales said that they may entertain PI proposals since the Senate has failed to act on RBH No. 6 — originally a resolution of the House calling for a constitutional convention, which was passed last March 2023.
After the PI’s signature campaign gained traction early January, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he, Romualdez, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have agreed that the Senate would just push for their own version of RBH No. 6.
But on Tuesday, all 24 senators signed a manifesto against the PI, as the campaign asks that the House and the Senate vote jointly on whatever provisions of the Constitution that will be amended. Should this be the case, the stand of 24 senators can easily be overwhelmed by over 300 lawmakers in the House.
READ: Senate manifesto nixes people’s initiative, warns of no-el scenario https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/
Senator Joel Villanueva also said that many senators no longer want to push RBH No. 6 because the House leadership is supposedly behind the PI campaign. Romualdez and other House officials denied this, with the Speaker himself even noting that he welcomes the Senate’s RBH No. 6 and is willing to work with them in this regard.
READ: Many senators becoming lukewarm to push Cha-cha – Villanueva https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/
READ: Romualdez: Senate’s RBH 6 may be answer for people’s initiative backers https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/