Congress ceasefire broken

House slams ‘baseless’ Senate claims; senators take offense

MANILA, Philippines — It was a short-lived ceasefire.

The House of Representatives yesterday unleashed a volley at a “confrontational” Senate, releasing a resolution defending Speaker Martin Romualdez from “baseless accusations” of stealthily pushing a Charter change agenda detrimental to the Senate.

Party stalwarts from the super majority coalition authored and adopted House Resolution 1562 signed by 287 of the 310 congressmen, calling for senators’ “adherence to inter-parliamentary courtesy.”

“In the midst of Senate’s accusations and confrontational stance, we affirm our unwavering solidarity and support to the leadership of the honorable Speaker Romualdez and uphold the integrity and honor of the House,” Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. declared.

Senators immediately fired back, saying they took offense at the House accusing them of “intense assault.”

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said it is “unfortunate that it has come down to this,” pointing out that the congressmen were the ones “who held press conferences, attacking me.”

The House resolution stated that a Senate panel, led by Romualdez’s cousin, Sen. Imee Marcos, “conducted an investigation without a clear legislative purpose, specifically directed at discrediting” the Speaker and the House in general.

“While taking criticisms is part and parcel of a healthy and working democracy, the House takes exception to the recent statements and allegations made by the Senate that undermine the independence, reputation and integrity of the House and the leadership of the Speaker,” it said.

Among the signatories were House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Gonzales, Deputy Speaker David Suarez, Reps. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Toby Tiangco of Navotas, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro;

Reps. Kristine Singson-Meehan of Ilocos Sur, Eleandro Jesus of Romblon, Jurdin Jesus Romualdo of Camiguin, Mark Enverga of Quezon, Jack Duavit of Rizal, Albert Garcia of Bataan and Angelica Natasha Co of BHW party-list.

They all denounced the assault against the Speaker as well as the “confrontational tactics used by the Senate, which are detrimental to the spirit of cooperative governance and the public’s confidence in parliamentary processes.”

‘Unfounded’

The House also expressed its “strong objection to the accusations, viewing them as a breach of inter-parliamentary courtesy and a challenge to the integrity of the parliamentary institution.”

It said that in the face of these “unfounded indictments, the Speaker has taken up the cudgel in shepherding the members in steadfastly defending the integrity and honor of the House by strictly discerning and observing mutual deference to a co-equal legislative body.”

“With its slogan ‘One House, One Voice,’ the House stands united in rejecting the unfounded accusations, commits itself to defend the dignity and integrity of the institution and gives its full and unwavering support to the Speaker,” the resolution stated.

The House pointed out that in support of the goal of President Marcos to make the Philippines investor-friendly and globally competitive, it passed Resolution of Both Houses 6 calling for a constitutional convention “for the purpose of amending the economic provisions in the Constitution.”

The House adopted the resolution on March 6, 2023 and transmitted it to the Senate the next day, March 7.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada took the floor to denounce the House for its strongly worded resolution.

“If a leader is embattled or beleaguered, in the case of the House of Representatives, it is but normal for the members of the House to express their unwavering support. And if our Senate President here in the Senate is also beleaguered and embattled, we the members of the Senate will also express our full support to the leadership of our Senate President. That is normal,” Estrada said.

“But what I cannot understand is the phrase ‘intense assault’ coming from the Senate. I’ve been a defender of this institution for more than a decade and I love this institution. But what I cannot accept is that the title of the resolution is ‘intense assault’,” he pointed out.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said that while the resolution was meant to express support for the Speaker, the term “intense assault from the Senate” was unacceptable.

“As I understand the title, there are two accusations to the Senate, or three. Intense assault, violating inter-parliamentary courtesy and interfering in their performance of their constituents’ functions,” he said. “It could be easily ignored but the issue is written in the title. I don’t know what the House is after.”

“The document betrays something. They want something but they seem not to be able to state properly and directly,” Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said.

“I take offense as I join the gentleman from San Juan (Estrada) in raising this issue,” he added.

“We are all equal here in the Senate,” Zubiri said. “I have not said anything against any members of the House. All my statements and privilege speeches have been about checks and balances, bicameral nature of Congress.”

Zubiri added: “If they feel assaulted? How?”

‘Elephant in the room’

As senators began public discussions yesterday on a controversial resolution on Charter change, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said problems might emerge if discussions eventually touch political provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

“I’m talking about the elephant in the room is actually political reforms. I know we’re limited here to economic but the reality is people are concerned regarding political reforms,” said Cayetano.

The senator said he, being married to Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, saw problems on the three-year term for local chief executives. Under the Constitution, terms of the mayors, congressmen and other LGU officials are limited to three years and three terms.

“I see the problem with a three-year term. You get into office in June, and the funds of the office already ran out. You just finish out the year, the next year (2nd year) is your year, and then the third year, everyone’s saying it’s the election year now,” Cayetano noted. The senator said he would rather have a four-year or a five-year term.

He suggested that he hopes to find “a way to amend the Constitution” but “effective 10 years from now” so that no one would say “we’re doing this because of power, etc.”

At the opening of yesterday’s hearing on RBH6, Zubiri called on his colleagues “not to just listen to the noise but must rise above the fray.”

He made the exhortation at the hearing by the Senate sub-committee on constitutional amendments chaired by Sen. Sonny Angara.

For several weeks, the Senate has been trading barbs with the House of Representatives over the latter’s pushing for a Cha-cha agenda that would compel Congress to vote as one and not separately on proposed amendments. The House has more than 300 members, against the Senate’s 24.

“The Senate must be an institution of statesmen and women who will always look at the best possible outcome for our country and not only for our localities but for our country, and therefore let us filter out the noise and focus on the work at hand,” the Senate President said.

“But we will not be falling into a trap on any deadline, because to discuss such an important matter needs time. It needs study, it cannot be rushed, like any regular bill that is just approved without thinking,” he maintained.

Zubiri said the legal luminaries invited to yesterday’s hearing would help the chamber “in ferreting out the best way possible to remove restrictions in the Constitution.”

He said also vowed support for Angara’s presiding over a series of hearings on RBH6, containing Congress’ commitment to amend certain economic provisions of the Constitution, particularly on public services, education and advertising.

“The timeline is in your hands. If you feel it necessary we must discuss this with all members of society, not only our learned luminaries here, as well as different sectors that will be affected by proposed amendments to our Constitution. So we leave it all up to you. You have the full trust and confidence of this institution,” Zubiri said, addressing Angara.

For his part, Angara said his panel would need about four to five hearings to explore RBH6.

“Each sector will have its dedicated hearings. This is a general hearing, then we have one on public utilities, one on education, one on advertising,” Angara told reporters.

No deadline

When asked about the reported deadline set in March, Angara said there was no target deadline.

“We will consult our colleagues if they are satisfied with the information. But the deadline for the filing (of certificates of candidacy for the 2025 midterm elections) is in October. Maybe Comelec (Commission on Elections) will need to finalize the ballots,” he said.

But as senators and congressman debate over which Cha-cha route to take, members of an advocacy group against Cha-cha gathered at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City to voice their stand.

In a statement, the Buhay Ang EDSA campaign network said personal agenda and vested interest motivated proponents of Cha-cha.

“They want to overturn the 1987 Constitution to advance their personal agenda and self-interest. The Constitution is the heart of our law and the soul of our democracy,” lawyer Chel Diokno said in a speech at the rally.

Diokno also urged leaders to first address pressing issues like rising prices, hunger, poverty, criminality, corruption, unemployment and injustices, before tinkering with the Constitution. — Mark Ernest Villeza