Leaders of the House of Representatives assured senators Jan. 29 that they are not out to abolish the Senate in their push for constitutional reform.
The assurance was made by Rizal Rep. Jack Duavit, who heads the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) bloc in the House, deputy speaker and Ilocos Sur Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan, senior deputy speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr., and Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia, who is secretary general of the National Unity Party (NUP).
They said that any fear that the House is seeking to scrap the Senate is just in the mind of the one expressing it.
At the same time, they reiterated the support of the House and its leadership, led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, for Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which is pending in the Senate and which proposes amendments to the “restrictive” economic provisions of the Constitution.
The resolution is authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and senators Loren Legarda and Juan Edgardo Angara.
The Senate has referred it to a special subcommittee, chaired by Angara.
“With regard to the fears and allegations that the House would want to abolish the Senate, we would just like to let everybody know that, as far as our party is concerned, there is no way we will be voting in any form to remove our five senators. And if we are not going to remove our five senators, then the other 19 senators can be assured,” Duavit said in an interview during the House party leaders caucus presided over by Romualdez, president of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), that started late Sunday night.
The senators belonging to NPC are Legarda, Francis Escudero, Lito Lapid, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Joseph Victor Ejercito.
Singson-Meehan, who also belongs to NPC, echoed Duavit’s statement.
“We have five senators from NPC; of course, we will never abolish them. So, we’re here to commit na hindi po masasama ‘yung mga usapang abolition ng Senate when we do amend the Constitution,” she said in a press release from the Office of Romualdez.
According to them, they are supporting economic amendments because if foreign investment come into the country, the employment rate will increase.
Gonzales, a CMD stalwart, said political amendments are not part of the Charter reform advocacy of the House.
Speaking for NUP, Garcia said, “I would like to assure our friends from the Senate that we are not supporting any move to abolish the Senate. We just want economic reforms so that we can improve our economy to produce more jobs, better pay, and better lives for our citizens.”
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, a Nacionalista Party (NP) House leader, appealed to senators for sobriety and for parliamentary courtesy between the House and the Senate.
Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who heads the Party-List Coalition Foundation, Inc., echoed Barbers’ appeal. “On behalf of the party, we would like to urge the senators to support the economic change that we have been proposing in the last four decades. We need a double-digit growth for our country to alleviate the lives of our countrymen.”
House majority leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe expressed strong support to the proposal of the Senate to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution through the RBH 6.
Camiguin Rep. Jesus Jurdin Romualdo said the country has been lagging behind its neighbors in attracting foreign investments.
Deputy speaker and Quezon Rep. David Suarez and Agusan del Norte Rep. Jose Aquino II said the economic amendments to the Constitution will result in more jobs and livelihood. ||
