RBH 7 talks may take 3 hearings at most, says House rep

MANILA, Philippines — The House Committee of the Whole may finish discussions on the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7 after three hearings, Lanao del Norte 1st District Rep. Khalid Dimaporo said on Wednesday.

Dimaporo explained in a press briefing at the House complex that the committee of the whole hearings would be faster because the House Majority can take note of concerns by those against RBH No. 7 and have the leadership answer it.

RBH No. 7 is a proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions, which the House leadership has aligned with the Senate’s RBH No. 6.

“So if it will be taken up via committee of the whole, I believe that will be fast, and you will hear only the naysayers who have issues. And if those issues are valid, then the Majority will probably relay their concerns to our leadership,” Dimaporo said, speaking partly in Filipino.

“But generally I’m sure that the House will resolve issues quite fast.  So if it’s not going to be one committee sitting, maybe two. If it’s [a] Committee of the Whole maybe the most, three,” he added.

Dimaporo also noted that time management would be crucial because it will be hard to hold hearings through a committee of the whole, compared to conducting committee meetings.

“Typically when it’s done through a Committee of the Whole because it’s hard to do that. If it’s in individual committees, we can meet as many times as possible. But if it’s done through a committee of the whole where all of us are at the plenary, I think time management would be an issue,” he explained.

“So I think there will be a lot of homework within the leadership of the House to organize the concerns are of individual congressmen.”

Meanwhile, sources have informed INQUIRER.net that the Committee of the Whole would start tackling RBH No. 7 on Monday, February 26, and not on Wednesday as originally announced.

READ: House to convene as committee of the whole to deliberate RBH 7

During the same press briefing, La Union 1st District Rep. Francisco Paulo Ortega also made references to setting the tone on the Committee of the Whole hearings by Monday.

“The timeline is before the break, but of course, we will have healthy debates and we will set the tone by Monday, but that’s the target before Congress goes on a break,” he said.

Last Monday, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David Suarez, and Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe filed RBH No. 7.  According to them, the current RBH differs from RBH No. 6 — which was approved last March 2023 —  in terms of the mode of amending the Constitution.

RBH No. 7 now proposes a constituent assembly, which would likely result in separate voting for the two chambers.

During the session on Tuesday, Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin moved to convene a committee of the whole starting Wednesday, February 21, at 1:00 p.m.