House leaders hit Zubiri for ‘constitutional crisis’ warning
HOUSE leaders yesterday slammed Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri for warning of a constitutional crisis instead of promoting constructive dialogue in response to Speaker Martin Romualdez’s offer for collaborative work with the Senate on the proposal to amend the Constitution.
“It is disheartening to see Senate President Zubiri jump to the conclusion of a constitutional crisis instead of embracing the spirit of collaboration put forth by Speaker Romualdez. We need dialogue, not doomsday predictions,” House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe said in a joint statement with other House leaders.
Zubiri issued the statement last Saturday in reaction to Romualdez’s two-page letter where the Speaker said the House is just waiting for the Senate to pass the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 and that they “commit to adopt this measure pertaining to the amendments” of restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution.
The Senate President also continued to denounce the ongoing signature drive for a people’s initiative (PI), calling it “unconstitutional” as he noted the statements of some senators accusing the Speaker of being behind the campaign.
Dalipe told Zubiri that a “constitutional crisis is not the path we should embark on.”
“Instead of fueling discord, we must engage in constructive dialogue to find a consensus that addresses the economic concerns without jeopardizing the stability of our constitutional framework,” Dalipe said.
House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga said that “rather than fostering unity and constructive engagement, the caution about a constitutional crisis only exacerbates an already contentious situation.”
“This is a time for dialogue, not escalating tensions,” said Gonzales, the author of a bill which seeks political amendments to the Charter, including giving the President a five-year term with one re-election.
“Let us not be hasty in our actions. We owe it to the Filipino people to uphold the rule of law and ensure that any amendments are made within the bounds of our Constitution. This requires a collaborative effort and a commitment to preserving the democratic foundations that define our nation,” he said.
Deputy Speaker David Suarez of Quezon said the Speaker’s gesture of collaboration “should be met with an open mind and a willingness to explore common ground. It is disappointing to witness a swift dismissal rather than an embrace of the opportunity for meaningful dialogue.”
“We risk further polarization and gridlock by prematurely labeling the situation as a constitutional crisis. The responsibility lies with both chambers to navigate this complex terrain with prudence and a commitment to the democratic process,” Suarez said.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said the Senate’s manifesto condemning the PI “is baseless and irrational,” adding that allegations that the initiative’s goal is to render the Senate’s vote irrelevant in the joint voting “is an unfounded and deceptive attribution to the House.”
Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva has said the PI’s goal is apparently “to make it easier to revise the Constitution by eliminating the Senate from the equation” by proposing that the two Houses vote jointly on the amendments.
Villanueva, a former congressman, also warned that the PI is a “prelude to further amendments, revisions, or even an overhaul of our entire Constitution.”
“The manifesto is apparently portraying a demonized image on the supporters of the PI,” said Barbers.
Barbers said the motive being attributed to the House “is not only speculative but groundless in the light of the expressed and clear language of the Constitution that repeatedly states vote by “all” members of Congress without distinction between Senate and House of Representative in proposing charter amendment.”
“The plain language of the Constitution needs no interpretation, but some quarters tried to create a confusion that the term “all” members of Congress should be understood to mean separate votes of the Senate and of the House of Representatives,” he said.
Barbers underscored that the supporters of the PI in the House differ with the “voting separately” interpretation, and the Senate must respect with courtesy and candor the proponents of the said interpretation.
“It is thus a matter of differing opinion on the matter which has been lingering for several decades and for the past several administrations. The Senate should also respect with dignity the proponents of opposite interpretation, and not demonizing them to a level that is tantamount to hindering democratic freedom of expression,” he said.
‘NOT IGNORANT’
Sen. Francis Escudero yesterday said Romualdez “cannot feign ignorance” on the people’s initiative signature drive, as he presented a video footage showing the House leader announcing the House’s plan to pursue the PI to revise the Charter.
Escudero said a video taken during the Philippine Economic Briefing held in Iloilo City last December 11 showed that Romualdez “proudly announced” that the recommended manner to change the 37-year-old Constitution was through the PI.
Romualdez said: “We are thinking right now of addressing the procedural gap or question on as to how we amend the Constitution. We will highly recommend that we embark on a people’s initiative to cure this impasse, so to speak, on how we vote. And I hope we can undertake this as soon as possible so we could have some clarity on the procedure.”
“So, we would like to amend the Constitution vis-í -vis how we procedurally amend the same. And that’s either we vote jointly or separately, we would like to have the result by and through people’s initiative,” Romualdez also said as shown in the footage.
With the way Romualdez presented the idea of Charter change, Escudero said: “This is clearly a politiko’s (politician’s) and not a people initiative.”
“How can Speaker Romualdez deny he is not behind this ‘pekeng initiative’ (fake initiative)’ when he bragged about it last December and took credit for it?” Escudero said on his “X” account (formerly Twitter), where he also shared the 45-second video clip of Romualdez talking about his Cha-cha plan last December.
“History has taught us that nothing good comes out from anything that begins with a lie,” Escudero said.
Reacting to Escudero’s statement, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said the Speaker’s statement in favor of the PI campaign which he made last December “does not equate to direct participation or control by the House in the people’s initiative process.”
“The role of the House of Representatives, as envisioned by Speaker Romualdez, is to encourage public discourse and awareness regarding constitutional amendments, ensuring that citizens are well-informed and engaged in the democratic processes that shape the nation.”
In that public engagement , Salceda said Romualdez merely discussed the potential of addressing constitutional amendments through the PI mode as provided for by the Constitution and it “has sparked discussions and inquiries regarding the role of the House of Representatives in this process.”
Salceda reiterated the Speaker and the members of the House “are committed to upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring that the voice of the people is heard and respected.”
“This commitment includes providing the necessary support for a transparent and inclusive process that allows every Filipino to participate meaningfully in shaping the nation’s destiny. We hope this clarification reassures the public of the House’s respect for the People’s Initiative as a citizen-driven process and its commitment to the democratic principles that underpin our nation,” he said.
‘HANDS TIED’
Sen. Imee Marcos, in an interview with radio dzBB, alleged said that his brother, President Marcos Jr., is being forced support the PI.
“Nagugulat lang ako. Kilala ko ang aking kapatid at parang nakatali siya. Hindi ko maintindihan paano nabihag ang kapatid sa mga kung anu-anong demonyo diyan (I am surprised because I know my brother and his hands seem tied. I cannot understand why my brother was apparently captured by the evils surrounding him),” Marcos said.
Marcos said his brother may have been misinformed about the PI campaign but did not elaborate.
She also said she does not have any ill-feelings with their counterparts in the House, much more with Romualdez, their cousin, as she is just fighting for what is right.
“Ang issue dito ay ang bansa, ang Constitution, ang batas at ang tamang pamamaraan ng pagpalit ng ating Saligang Batas. Huwag nating ibenta ‘yan, walang kama-kamag-anak at walang kaibi-kaibigan, magtiisan tayo at hindi madadale ‘yan sa usapang pinsan, usapang kapatid. Pag mali na ang ginagawa tututulan ko tiisan tayo, sorry na lang (The issue here is our country, our Constitution, the law and the right processes to amend our Constitution. Let us not sell it. We must set aside our being cousins, siblings because I am ready to defend what is right. I will oppose any wrongdoing, I am sorry),” she added.
She also insisted that the House’s PI campaign should stop.
“Hindi naman ako kontra sa Cha-cha, hindi naman ako kontra dyan sa PI mismo. Ayoko lang itong binibili ‘yung boto at sinasamantala ang kahirapan ng nakararaming mamamayan. Hindi naman tama ‘yun, nakakainis, nakaka-insulto. Yun ang ayaw natin (I am not against Cha-cha and the PI itself. What I don’t like is that they are buying the signatures. They are taking advantage of the vulnerability of the poor. That is not right, that is insulting. That’s what I don’t like),” she added.
Likewise, Marcos said Romualdez should go slow in his denial on his alleged involvement in the PI signature campaign as everyone who wants to speak out will be given the chance to do so when the Senate hearing on the PI signature campaign kicks off on Tuesday.
“Kalma lang, relax lang, huwag sila masyadong hyper defensive. Masyado silang deny to death eh Martes pa naman ‘yung ating hearing. Pakikinggan natin lahat at sabi ko nga na lahat ng gustong magsalita ay kumbidado naman (Be calm, relax, don’t be hyper defensive. They are already vehemently denying it when our hearing will still be on Tuesday. We will listen to everyone and all of those who want to speak have been invited),” she said. — With Raymond Africa
