Romualdez assures House collaboration with Senate as RBH 6 talks start

FILE PHOTO: House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Photo from the official website of House of Representatives / congress.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has assured the Senate that the House of Representatives will be ready to cooperate and collaborate with the upper chamber, as it is set to start discussing Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6.

In a statement on Wednesday, Romualdez said the House welcomes the Senate’s decision to tackle RBH No. 6, which seeks to amend the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions, by next week.

“We are heartened by the news that the Senate, finally, will commence hearings on Resolution of Both Houses 6 next week. This marks a significant step towards the much-awaited constitutional amendments,” Romualdez said.

“As the Senate embarks on this momentous task, the House of Representatives stands ready to collaborate and contribute to this significant legislative endeavor. We share a common goal – to ensure that any amendments to our Constitution serve the best interests of the Filipino people and lay a strong foundation for a more prosperous and equitable Philippines,” he added.

Earlier, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said discussions on RBH No. 6 will start next week.

READ: Senate to tackle economic Cha-cha next week 

Romualdez — amid rumors of distrust between the two chambers of Congress — also told senators that the House is ready to approve the amendments that the Senate will make in their version of RBH No. 6

“Asahan po ng ating mga senador na kasama nila ang House of Representatives sa misyong ito. Handa kami na umaksyon at aprubahan sa Kamara ang mga pagbabagong ipapasok ng Senado sa ating Konstitusyon, Matagal na namin itong hinihintay,” he said.

(Our senators can expect that the House is with them in this mission.  We are ready to act and approve, in the House, the changes that the Senate will insert to our Constitution.  We have been waiting for this for so long.)

“As Speaker of the House of Representatives, I await with great anticipation the outcomes of these Senate deliberations. The prospect of amending and potentially easing certain restrictive provisions in the 1987 Constitution is more than a legislative exercise; it is a great stride towards realizing the aspirations of our people and unlocking the full potential of our nation,” he added.

Last December 2023, Speaker Romualdez and Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. floated the possibility of discussing charter change proposals anew.  But since the Senate has not acted on RBH No. 6 — which calls for a constitutional convention to amend the Constitution — Gonzales said they might entertain PI proposals.

RBH No. 6 was approved by the House as early as March 2023.

READ: Romualdez: Senate’s RBH 6 may be answer for people’s initiative backers 

But after the PI’s signature campaign gained traction early January, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said that he, Romualdez, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have agreed that the Senate would just push for their own version of RBH No. 6.

Then on January 23, all 24 senators signed a manifesto against the PI, as the campaign asks that the House and the Senate vote jointly on the proposed constitutional amendments.  Such a voting scheme would allow 300 House lawmakers to overpower the vote of 24 senators.

Several senators including Senator Imee Marcos also said that the House leadership is behind the PI campaign, but 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.