House has no plans to dissolve the Senate
THE leaders of the House of Representatives have no plans to dissolve the Senate in their proposed constitutional reform.
This was assured yesterday by Rizal Rep. Jack Duavit, the leader of 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 “Dong” Gonzales Jr., and Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia, the secretary general of the National Unity Party (NUP).
They stressed that the fear, that the House of Representatives is planning to demolished the Senate, is only in the mind of those speculating it.
The congressmen also reaffirmed the support of the House and the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez to Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 of the Senate that seeks to amend the economic provision of the Constitution.
The RBH No. 6 was authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Loren Legarda, and Juan Edgardo Angara. The proposal was submitted to the special subcommittee chaired by Angara.
In the Senate, the NPC members are Sen. Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, Lito Lapid, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Joseph Victor Ejercito.
“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.
Singson-Meehan, also a stalwart of the NPC, has also expressed support to the statement of Duavit. He said, “To our Senate friends, kasi as part of NPC, we have five senators from NPC, and 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.”
According to the congressmen, they support the amendment to the economic provision of the Constitution so that foreign investors who are prohibited from owning businesses in the country, can do business in the Philippines more freely.
“At at the same time when the economy gets better, alam mo ‘yung basic social services na binibigay natin, laging sinasabi ng mga people from our district na kulang. Kulang ‘yung TUPAD, kulang ‘yung AICS, pati ‘yung medical assistance sa hospitals. But when our economy gets better, ‘yung collections, ‘yung funds ng government, tumataas na rin,” the lady solon said.
“So then maybe, there will be a time na kung nagbago nga natin itong Constitution, naging open tayo sa foreign investment, biglang lumalaki na rin ‘yung pondo ng government and our people will suddenly feel this,” she added.
Gonzales, stalwart of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), insisted that political amendments are not included in what the House is promoting.
“Wala po kaming sinasabi na i-abolish natin ang Senado, guni-guni lang po nila ‘yan. Hindi po ‘yun totoo,” Gonzales said. “We will embrace RBH No. 6 because that’s the economic provisions. At ‘yan po ang kailangan ng ating bansa. At si Speaker, palaging sinasabi, we will embrace RBH No. 6 because itoy makakatulong sa ating ekonomiya lalo na ating Pangulo.”
Garcia, meanwhile, talked in behalf of the NUP, “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.”
For his part, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, stalwart of the Nacionalista Party (NP), has appealed to the senators to be calm and insisted on the importance of having parliamentary courtesy between the Senate and the House.
“Let’s work towards achieving what we want to achieve for the country. Economic reforms are the key in achieving the goals and the objectives of our Bagong Pilipinas movement. We pray for their support and we would like to appeal to them to look at the better picture of doing something good for this country,” Barbers said.
This was seconded by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, the president of the Party-List Coalition Foundation, Inc. (PCFI). He said, “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. And it’s for the past years already that there’s no innovation that our country has been making on the economic change.”
He added, “This is the only way. Many presidents and administrations have promised to alleviate the lives every election, but it never happens. So I think this is the best time that we will achieve this and a game-changer for our nation. Let’s stand together and help each other.”
House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe also expressed his support to the RBH 6 of the Senate.
“We are one also with the other political parties in supporting that. And we would like to remain focused on what we have to achieve for the Filipino people. So let us stop all of these useless bickerings and focus more towards those economic provisions in the Constitution that we have to amend. So let’s work, focus for the Filipino people,” said Dalipe, executive vice president of Lakas-CMD.
Meanwhile, according to Camiguin Rep. Jesus Jurdin Romualdo, the Philippines has been lagging behind its neighboring countries in encouraging foreign investment.
“Makikita po na malayo na talaga tayo. With Bagong Pilipinas program, amending the Charter, baka naman, palagi namang sinasabi na walang asenso ang Pilipinas, palagi na lang bitin, palagi ang gutom ang Pilipino. But amending the Charter and I hope our counterparts in the Senate will look into this. Kasi ito lang talaga ang pag-asa ng ating bayan,” Romualdo said.
The Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. David “Jay-jay” Suarez and Agusan del Norte Rep. Jose “Joboy” Aquino II also insisted the importance of amending the economic provisions of the Constitution to increase employable jobs and livelihood of Filipinos.
“Ibinoto ang ating presidente dahil sa pagkakaisa. At ang kasunod ng pagkakaisa ay malimit ay pag-asa. At upang makamit at maisakatuparan ng pag-asa, kailangan natin ang pagbabago. At ito siguro ang nilalaman at nilalayon ng Bagong Pilipinas. Sinusuportahan po namin ang administrasyon ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos. Nagpapasalamat po kami sa kaniyang adbokasiya at nandito ang partidomg Lakas-CMD, inuulit ang aming suporta sa kanyang administrasyon. Gusto rin po namin muling ulitin sa Senado na wala dapat silang ikabahala. Sana huwag nilang isasara ang usapin tungkol sa pagbabago dahil ang nakasalalay dito ay ang buhay ng mga Filipino,” Suarez, treasurer of Lakas-CMD, said. “With regards to economic provision, it is very, very important because ito ho ang makakatulong sa Maharlika Investment natin na na-approve na.”
