House leaders: Senate development on RBH 6 to elevate level of discussion on constitutional economic amendments

HOUSE leaders on Wednesday said they expect the developments in the Senate on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 to elevate the level of discussion on the issue of constitutional amendments.

Thus, said House Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe and Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) House bloc leader and Rizal 1st District Rep. Jack Duavit as they welcomed the start of hearings on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 in the Senate next week.

“So we welcome, we would like to thank our counterpart in the Senate for finally sitting down—as what we have been requesting—let’s bring it out to a higher level of discussion particularly the meat of the matter, the economic amendments to be made to help this country, the economic amendments to update that 37-year-old Constitution,” Dalipe said.

“Senate President Migz Zubiri even gave them a timeline that they will pass it this by March. The House is patient enough in waiting for them to pass the measure this March. Maghinintay po ang House,” Dalipe said.

RBH No. 6 seeks the revision of the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution via Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) of Congress. Congress is composed of the 300-plus-strong House and the 24-member Senate.

House leaders underscored the importance to have the restrictive economic provisions lifted so that its economic potential could be unleashed.

“Masaya kami no dito sa nangyayari na sa Senate na nag-schedule na sila na meron na silang hearing. Like I said two days ago, in an ideal world nga, ‘yung mga debate mangyayari sa official na kapasidad and I think that is the beginning of that. Just to start it is good,” Duavit said.

“Again we respect them, a lot of them were our colleagues and I think this is a start of things simmering down and getting back to work, so we welcome it very much,” he stressed.

“Makikita nyo naman sa records namin ‘yung mga pangalan naming lahat, napanindigan na rin namin. And we are looking forward to that happening also in the Senate. Maski ano man ang desisyon nila na nandun din naman ang mga pangalan nila at ang stand nila,” Duavit said.

The House leadership had earlier said it would adopt RBH No. 6 once the Senate approves it.