Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. INQUIRER.net / CATHY MIRANDA
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri has called on both Houses of Congress to “tone down the rhetoric,” sit down and discuss the Constitution that will be amended.
He suggested a Charter change (Cha-cha) summit between the leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives to iron out differences on the mode of amending the Constitution.
“Ang apela ko sa (My appeal to the) House of Representatives, all talk of abolishing the Senate will not help the Cha-cha. Let’s tone down the rhetoric let’s call it a summit,” Zubiri said in a media briefing on Thursday.
“Sa tingin ko kailangan natin magkaisa kasi grabe yung banatan no sa Senate sa colleagues sa House,” he lamented.
(For me, we really need to unite because the bashing of our fellow lawmakers in the Senate and House is getting worse.)
The senator said the proposed summit should be in a “neutral territory,” and should be participated by lawmakers, especially Senate President Aquilino Pimentell III, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, chair of the Senate constitutional amendments panel, and the respective leaders of the House.
“I think a summit is necessary so we could smoothen out the rough edges of these discussions and we will come up with the rules and guidelines. For example pwede i-discuss voting separately, kung papayag ang House wala nang problema uusad na ang Charter change (if the House agrees, there would be no more problem that Charter change will move forward),” Zubiri said.
The senator also said the summit should be open to the public because it “involves public accountability and the future of the Republic.”
Last Tuesday, the House adopted Concurrent Resolution No. 9, which seeks to convene Congress into a Constituent assembly (Con-ass) to amend the Charter.
The lower chamber is also pushing for a joint voting of the Congress, which the Senate is strongly opposing.
“Ako kasi for the record I am in favor of Cha-cha, I am a federalist because I am from Mindanao but also I fully support the Senate stand that we should vote separately,” Zubiri said.
“Tama sabi ni senator Drilon (Sen. Drilon is correct in saying) that we will push for the expulsion of any member who will partly join the House discussion. But in fairness to my colleagues 101.1 percent sila na dapat separate ang voting,” he added.
Zubiri has also expressed confidence that the Cha-cha would push through because of President Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity.
“I am confident that it will happen. The last Constitution change during (former House Speaker Jose) de Venecia, ‘di naitulak talaga kasi ang daming reactions (it wasn’t pushed for because there were a lot of reactions), but now with the President’s 85% approval rating I think we can convince the people to go on change,” he said.
Lawmakers have yet to decide on whether Constitutional amendment should be through a Constitutional convention (Con-con), where changes would be proposed by representatives elected by the people, or through a Con-ass to be composed of sitting legislators. After this, a referendum by the Filipino people would be held to approve the amendments. /jpv
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