House leaders vows no political Charter amendments in RBH 7
MANILA, Philippines — Leaders in the House of Representatives assured the public and their fellow lawmakers that Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7 will only be limited to amending the three economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution and will not extend to political revisions when taken up in the plenary on Monday.
The lawmakers made this statement after some members of the Makabayan bloc aired concerns that the lower chamber might entertain political amendments when conducting debates on RBH 7.
“I believe, talking to most members of the House, almost all are supportive of the [resolution that it] will be limited to the three amendments (public utilities, basic education, and advertising),” Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo First District Rep. Janette Garin said in a press conference on Thursday, adding that “adoption of proposals that are political in nature is very impossible.”
“It will be political suicide. The purpose of RBH 7 or economic Cha-cha is to give investors a chance to enter the country, to alleviate poverty, increase salaries, and at the same time make utilities affordable since there’s competition [with other countries],” she further said.
READ: House committee of the whole approves RBH 7
She questioned the connection between national security and economic Charter change, reiterating the resolution’s benefits.
Likewise, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo appealed to the Makabayan bloc to trust their colleagues in the majority, assuring them that he would block any attempts to add any political amendment to the resolution.
For his part, Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong encouraged lawmakers to review the hearings held before the approval of RBH 7 where they had the chance to “actively participate.”
“Isn’t it already proof of what we have seen for several weeks since the start of the discussion of RBH 7? Isn’t it enough that it is proof that we are only limiting our discussion to economic provisions? We saw the flow of the hearing of the Committee of the Whole,” he said.
“No invitation was sent to any organization, individual, or expert on political issues. So, I think we have to work on the basis of trust…we cannot achieve anything if every step of the way, we always have doubts in our colleagues,” he said.
Garin, on the other hand, claimed that the Makabayan bloc’s apprehensions are just “speculations.”
“The speculations or fears they talk about are the problems. If you are legislating with many fears behind your mind, then it will become a problem. As members of Congress, we should look at what kind of laws the country needs. Where can we participate? That statement possibly points to a distrust within the system, and that is something we should remove,” she added.
