Robin Padilla adjourns Senate hearing on economic Cha-cha

Sen. Robinh Padilla (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robin Padilla on Tuesday quickly adjourned a Senate panel hearing on the proposed amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, or Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 (RBH 6), citing unresolved obstacles and prior hearings.

“Kahit ano pong gawin namin ng Senado at Kamara, laging darating sa kuwestiyon – kuwestiyunin ang desisyon namin kung ito ba ay pabor o hindi pabor sa konstitusyon. Lagi pong magkakaroon ng tanong hanggang hindi naliliwanagan ‘yan kung ‘yan ay [pagbobotohan ba] jointly o separately,” said Padilla in his opening statement during the hearing.

(No matter what the Senate and the House do, it will always come into question – our decision will be questioned whether it is in favor or not of the Constitution. There will always be a question until it is clarified whether it is voting jointly or separately.)

“Masakit sa ulo dahil sayang ang pera ng bayan sa paggawa gawa ng hearing, pagdinig patungkol dito hangga’t hindi po ito nahaharap kung ano ba talaga,” he added.

(It is a headache because keeping to hold hearings on this issue until it is addressed is a waste of public funds. )

He also noted that the same measure had already been tackled by the same Senate committee when it was still led by then-Senator Sonny Angara.

“Kaya po akin pong iparating sa ating mga kababayan na ito pong RBH 6, na ginawan ng pagdinig ng ating kaibigan na si Sonny Angara, ay ia-adjourn na natin ang pagdinig nito sapagka’t nagawan, ginawan na po namin ito ng pagdinig, natapos na at nagkaroon na ng committee report,” he added.

(I would like to inform our compatriots that the hearing on RBH 6, which was the subject of a hearing conducted by our friend Sonny Angara, will now be adjourned because we already held the hearing, it was completed, and a committee report was prepared.)

Padilla said he would simply use the previous committee report and then submit it.

“Sapagka’t mga kababayan hindi na kailangan ulitin ulit at gumastos pa ulit at tanungin pa ulit, paulit ulit na tanong, pero ang babagsakan naman nito ay wala rin,” he said.

(Because there’s no need to repeat it, spend more money, and ask the same questions repeatedly only to end up with nothing.)

Earlier this month, Padilla filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking to resolve whether both chambers of Congress should vote jointly or separately during discussions on constitutional amendments.

READ: Padilla asks Supreme Court to resolve Cha-cha voting issues