House to Senate: PeopIe’s initiative ‘dead in water’ if you pass RBH 6

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe. From the Facebook post of Zamboanga City Rep. Jose Manuel Dalipe

MANILA, Philippines — House leaders assured senators on Tuesday that the surest way to kill off any people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution was by adopting the Senate’s own Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which restricted any Charter change (Cha-cha) to economic provisions.

The chamber offered the compromise to end an impasse over which mode to use for Cha-cha amid fears on the Senate’s side about a supposed House plan to railroad political amendments, such as lifting term limits, and render senators powerless in the voting.

“There is only one sure way to stop the people’s initiative: you pass RBH No. 6, and the House of Representatives will welcome it,” House Majority Leader Manuel Dalipe said at a press conference, addressing senators.

“You transmit it, your version. You [will] be the ones to establish what framework, what economic provisions [you want]. Then the people’s initiative will be dead in the water because everyone knows there can be no two initiatives in five years,” he said.

“Let’s not waste any more time on a Senate investigation into the PI,” said Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, referring to the people’s initiative launched by the People’s Initiative for Reform Modernization and Action (Pirma), which had begun gathering signatures nationwide.

Senate answer to PI

RBH No. 6 seeks constitutional reforms in three economic provisions: Article 12, 14 and 16, which set restrictions on foreign ownership of public utilities, educational institutions and the advertising industry.

It was introduced by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and other Senate leaders on Jan. 15 partly in response to concerns about the PI drive, which allegedly had the backing of the House leadership.

But proceedings on RBH No. 6 were stalled as the senators took a hard line against the PI following reports that its proponents sought to amend the Constitution so that any Cha-cha measure could be approved via a “joint” three-fourths vote by the House and the Senate.

The Senate has insisted that any voting by Congress for constitutional amendments should be done separately and not jointly, as it has only 24 members while the House has more than 300.

The Constitution identifies three ways to amend or revise the Charter: through a three-fourths vote by all members of Congress, a constitutional convention with nationally elected members, and a people’s initiative through a petition by 12 percent of all registered voters.

The senators unanimously signed a manifesto rejecting the PI on Jan. 23.

On Tuesday, a Senate committee investigating the people behind the PI move discovered that Pirma had been receiving help from the House led by Speaker Martin Romualdez.

‘Walk the talk’

But Roman said the Senate inquiry was “moot and academic” since the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had decided to halt all proceedings related to the signature campaign anyway.

“Let’s walk the talk. If you’re truly serious about RBH 6, then let’s start the ball rolling,” she said.

On Monday, Comelec Chair George Garcia said the poll body was suspending all activities related to the PI drive pending a review of election guidelines on such campaigns.

Last week, Romualdez wrote a letter imploring Zubiri to pass RBH No. 6 and vowing that the House would immediately adopt it.

During the press conference, Dalipe stressed the “urgency” of the Cha-cha measure: “As everyone knows, in each administration, if you embark on this kind of proposal to amend the Constitution, by the second half, that’s a goner, because everyone is already thinking of another administration.”

“If we really want to make this happen and not get left behind for another six years, we have to do it now,” he added.

Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. reminded the Senate President of his promise to amend the Constitution’s “restrictive” economic provisions by March.

“I hope they can muster that vote for the sake of our country, our economy and our people. We really need to hasten the entry of investments in our country,” Gonzales said, adding: “My worry, however, is that they might not be able to reach the votes.”