Dalipe calls out senators ‘engaging in baseless attacks’ vs House solons

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has criticized on Saturday some senators for “engaging in baseless attacks” against the House of Representatives.

According to House Majority Leader and Zamboanga 2nd District Representative Mannix Dalipe, the proposals of House Speaker Martin Romualdez for the Senate and the House to work together were met with “betrayal.”

READ: Senate, House clash over people’s initiative for Charter change

“At a time when our nation beckons for unity and cooperative governance, it is immensely troubling to witness a select group of senators engaging in baseless attacks against the Speaker and our esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives,” Dalipe said.

“The Speaker, in a gesture of goodwill and with an unwavering commitment to our democratic principles, extended an olive branch to our counterparts in the Senate, signaling a readiness to collaboratively amend our Constitution through a Constituent Assembly.

“Yet, this earnest endeavor to fortify the pillars of our republic was met not with reciprocation but with betrayal, as certain senators opted to wield their words like daggers, aiming at the very heart of legislative camaraderie,” he added.

Dalipe then urged his colleagues in the Senate and the House to work together to amend the “restrictive” economic provisions in the Constitution through a constituent assembly.

“It is imperative that we mend the fissures caused by such unprovoked hostilities and realign our focus towards the monumental task of constitutional reform, in the spirit of cooperation and for the greater good of our country,” he said.

READ: Senate manifesto nixes people’s initiative, warns of no-el scenario

“Let us not muddle the issues. Let us all go back to work and join hands in amending the Constitution using the mode of constituent assembly. Our focus should be on lifting the restrictive economic provisions that restrict the inflows of foreign investments into the country,” Dalipe added.

In recent days, some senators claimed that the current people’s initiative had stemmed from the House of Representatives.

READ: New initiative push: Perilous, dangerous

However, Romualdez said on Friday that the House did not initiate nor meddle in the people’s initiative.