Escudero to meet Romualdez to mend Senate-House ties

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero is set to meet Speaker Martin Romualdez to “mend what needs to be mended” and establish rules between the two chambers.

Speaking at a Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday, Escudero said they have yet to finalize the meeting date, but he said it would happen sometime next week while Congress is on a break.

“Sabi ko sa kanya maguusap at magkikita kami sa darating na linggo, marahil. Para mapag-usapan una sa lahat ang relasyon ng Kamara at Senado — na sana maayos [at] wala nang palitan ng maaanghang na salita,” the newly-installed Senate chief told reporters.

(I told him that we should talk and meet this coming week, perhaps. So we could talk about first of all the relationship between the House and Senate, that hopefully it would become fine and there would be no more exchanges of harsh words.)

Members of the Senate and House of Representatives previously traded rude remarks over the controversial people’s initiative or PI to amend the 1987 Constitution. Senators believed the move was fired up by congressmen.

“I expect to meet with him soon during the break to discuss the relationship, mending what needs to be mended, and establishing rules and protocols on how to coordinate with respect to what they are pushing for and with respect to what [the] Senate is pushing for and to be able to coordinate and avoid misunderstanding or any miscommunication,” Escudero added.

But Escudero did not categorically answer whether or not Charter change (Cha-cha) would be tackled during his meeting with Romualdez.

Earlier, the House leader said the Senate would decide the fate of the proposed economic Cha-cha since Resolution of Both Houses No. 7 had already been approved in the lower chamber.

“I thank Speaker Romualdez for being gentle with his words — in so far as respecting the Senate’s prerogative are concerned,” Escudero simply said when asked about the matter during the press conference on Thursday.

Still, Escudero emphasized that his anti-Cha-cha stance will not change.

“Para sa akin, kung may sapat na boto para gawin ‘yun ay hindi ko rin hahadlangan. Pero hindi rason ‘yun para magbago ang posisyon kong personal,” he said,

(For me, if there will be enough votes to do it then I would not impede. But it wouldn’t be a reason for me to change my personal position.)

Following the leadership change in the upper chamber on Monday, May 20, former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said it was now clear that any amendment to the 1987 Constitution would not prosper under the new leadership.