Suarez to senators: Window to amend economic provisions closing fast

Quezon 2nd District Rep. David Suarez (Photo from his Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines — Deputy Speaker David Suarez has warned their colleagues in the Senate that the window to amend the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions might be closing fast, as the House wants to avoid a plebiscite side-by-side the 2025 midterm polls.

Suarez explained in a press briefing on Tuesday that after the President’s State of the Nation Address this July, the House would focus on deliberating the proposed 2025 national budget — which means lawmakers may no longer have enough time to assess the Senate’s Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6.

“That’s why you have to ask them, what’s their timeline?  Because by the time we reach June or July, it’s budget season for Congress, and 99 percent of our time will be devoted on the budget.  So when do we then get, so when is our window to actually get this whole charter amendments operationalized?  It’s within these few months,” Suarez stressed.

According to Suarez, the Senate might have to quicken its pace — by holding two or three hearings in a week — especially if the Senate plans to do out-of-town hearings.

Previously, Senator Sonny Angara who heads the Senate subcommittee tackling the RBH No.6 said that they are considering holding public hearings on economic Charter change outside Metro Manila to ensure that more voters get to participate and listen to the hearings.

Angara said Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri was open to the idea of holding hearings in Visayas and Mindanao — like key cities such as Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Iloilo, and Bacolod.

But Suarez said such an approach would take so much time.

“It’s gonna take so much time, really.  I mean if they plan to do a roadshow, there are a lot of ways of saying you’re in favor and you are not.  So I hope this is not one way that they are saying that they are not in favor ano.  Because what the President said is clear, he is for charter amendments, specifically on economic provisions.  And this does not need any delay on the part of the Senate and on the part of the House,” Suarez said.

“They can invite, they can do two, three hearings in a week if they want to.  But you know what, what needs to be done is we need to act on a quicker pace […] From where I stand, I don’t think that will be a prudent way of going through the process because remember, you mentioned a word subcommittee.  So meaning after the subcommittee, that would be brought up to the mother committee,” he added.

Suarez also called out the Senate again for sending mixed signals — referring to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s initial March deadline for RBH No. 6, while Angara was open to holding talks until October 2024.

“In the part of the Senate, you know it’s mixed signals eh.  SP Migz (Zubiri) said they can finish before Holy Week, now Senator Angara said maybe October, then some senators said that it should not be rushed.  So we really can’t hold on to a definitive timeline when it comes to how soon the Senate can act on RBH 6,” he added.

The House and the Senate have been at odds recently due to discussions about amending the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions.  After a People’s Initiative (PI) gained traction, the Senate accused the House of being behind the campaign, even claiming that the PI intends to abolish the Senate, by introducing joint voting in deciding on the proposed constitutional amendments.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and other House leaders have denied being behind the PI, saying several times that they do not intend to abolish the Senate.  Instead, lawmakers reiterated that they were calling for a constituent assembly through RBH No. 6 — where two Houses of Congress would vote separately.