House leader asserts no political amendments to Constitution, calls fear irrational

A House leader on Monday reiterated the stance of the House of Representatives against injecting political amendments to the 1987 Constitution, saying such a move would be tantamount to political suicide.

In a press conference, Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman, Chairperson of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality, voiced frustration over what she termed as “irrational fear” among some senators regarding the ongoing deliberations on proposed economic constitutional reforms potentially leading to amendments in political provisions.

“Paulit-ulit naman po naming pinapangako sa ating mga kaibigan sa Senado na talagang what you see is what you get. We have RBH 7 at ito po ay purely economic provisions,” Roman said, referring to Resolution of Both Houses No. 7, mirroring RBH 6 currently being deliberated in the Senate, which seeks to amend specific economic provisions in the Constitution pertaining to public services, education, and advertising.

“Well, from a political point of view, it will be political suicide for any politician na magsisingit pa siya ng mga political amendments. I mean no politician in his right mind would actually try or even attempt to introduce political amendments when for the longest time we have been assuring our friends in the Senate na we are only interested in amending the economic provisions,” she added.

Roman also emphasized that the intentions of both President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. and Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez are clear, with a focus solely on economic provisions.

Drawing parallels to historical struggles, Roman emphasized the importance of rationality over irrational fears.

“So trust us, trust us. And you know what? It’s not good to operate on the basis of irrational fears eh,” Roman said.

She continued, “Walang mangyayari kung ganyan din ang naging mentalidad nung panahon na ipinaglalaban ng kababaihan ang karapatang bomoto, ay nakakatakot kasi baka naman ‘yong mga babae medyo subject to their mood swings, baka hindi makapili ng tamang maglilingkod sa ating bayan.”

“Kung ganyan ang pinaiiral nating mga fears, siguro hanggang ngayon hindi pa bumoboto ‘yong mga kababaihan, di po ba? Just to put on some sort of parallelisms, what we really need is to be rational, to be professional about it, and be efficient,” she said.

Meanwhile, Roman expressed deep concern over the potential consequences of the Senate’s failure to approve proposed economic reforms, labeling it as a “missed opportunity” to demonstrate the country’s commitment to change.

“I can tell you what’s going to happen ‘pag hindi naaprubahan sa Upper House, we shall have lost a very golden opportunity na patunayan na gusto nating magkaroon ng pagbabago sa ating bansa,” Roman said.

Roman emphasized the need to prioritize the people’s interests over monopolies or specific business interests, citing the potential positive impact on countless Filipino lives.

“We shall have lost the opportunity to show that we truly care for the interest of the people, ng taongbayan, hindi ‘yong mga monopolyo o kaya ‘yong mga particular business interests,” she asserted.

Roman lamented the recurring challenge in advancing reforms, with the Senate often serving as a roadblock to progress. “Pero lagi na lang ang Senado ang nagiging balakid, masasabi ano?” she lamented.

Calling for action and accountability, Roman urged the Senate to prioritize the genuine interests of the people.

“Maybe it’s time for our friends in the Senate na patunayan, this is a different batch of senators,” Roman said. “A batch of senators that can actually put in their hearts the real interest of the people.”