‘Ball is very much in play’: Hontiveros on race to get 7 votes vs Cha-cha

Senator Risa Hontiveros (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros vowed on Thursday to “work hard” to get at least seven votes in the Senate to block the fresh Charter change (Cha-cha) bid.

So far, Hontiveros said she and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III were against the Resolution of Both Houses No.6 (RBH6).

The resolution seeks to amend economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution and is currently being tackled by the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments.

“I stand for no to Cha-cha as of now. The minority [senators] also stand for no to amending the economic provisions of the Constitution. I just feel that we have colleagues in the majority, based on their body language, that they don’t fully support Resolution of Both Houses No. 6,” Hontiveros said, speaking partly in a mix of Filipino and English, at the regular “Kapihan sa Senado.”

“Let us remember: They need three-fourths of the Senate to approve RHB6. This means they need to muster 18 votes, which means we need only seven votes to block it,” she added.

“So the ball is very much in play, and we will work hard. We can manage to gather enough votes even against RBH 6.”

At present, however, Hontiveros could not give an initial count of senators inclined to go against the resolution.

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“But the very confident or overconfident statement made at the beginning of RHB6 that they already have 18 is highly in doubt,” she said.

The resolution was initiated by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, and Sen. Sonny Angara to stop a people’s initiative for Cha-cha.

Some senators alleged that money changed hands in exchange for the PI signatures. This allegation is now being investigated by the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms.