Speaker Romualdez: House to adopt Senate’s RBH6 in toto

Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday said the House of Representatives would adopt the Senate’s proposed amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution under the upper chamber’s Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 (RBH6) “in toto” to dispel doubts that the lower chamber’s efforts to amend the Charter were “politically-motivated.”

The House’s top leader announced this during his opening remarks at the House Committee of the Whole’s first hearing on Resolution of Both Houses No. 7 (RBH7) which mirrored the constitutional amendments proposed by the Senate.

“To dispel doubts that the efforts of the House of Representatives in pushing for the amendment of the economic provisions of the Constitution are politically motivated, we are adopting all the three proposed amendments of the Senate version of Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, in toto,” Romualdez said.

“This should assure the public that Congress is only touching on the economic provisions that need to adapt to the changing times. There is absolutely nothing in RBH 7 that hovers on any political provision of the Constitution,” he added.

Romualdez decried the accusations against the chamber which claimed that they were against the “much-needed upgrade and facelift” of the economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.

“Categorically, we are denying this unfounded and baseless accusation… Ito lamang ang pakay natin. Ekonomiya, hindi pulitika,” he said.

RBH 6 was filed by Senate President Migz Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, and Senator Sonny Angara after the Senate and the House leadership agreed in January that the Senate would lead the deliberations on the amendments to the 1987 Constitution as long as the people’s initiative, which is believed to be supported by congressmen including Speaker Martin Romualdez, would be halted.

RBH No. 6 seeks to amend certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, particularly Articles XII, XIV, and XVI.

The constitutional provisions on public services, education, and the advertising industry would be amended by adding the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law.” — DVM, GMA Integrated News