Zubiri, Romualdez agree to ‘work professionally’
SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Speaker Martin Romualdez yesterday shook hands before President Marcos Jr. as they agreed to “work professionally” and stop the bickering among lawmakers over the people’s initiative (PI) campaign to amend the 1987 Constitution.
Zubiri said he and Romualdez had the chance to briefly talk during the 100th birthday celebration of former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile, now the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, in Malacañang.
“Yes, sa harap. Nagkita po kami, nagkamayan po kami. Nag-usap kami ni Speaker kanina, sabi po namin, let’s work professionally, tigil muna ang bangayan and let’s continue to work for the benefit of the administration, para sa ating mga kababayan (Yes, [we shook hands] in front [of the President]. We met and we shook hands. The Speaker and I talked, we said, ‘let’s work professionally,’ stop the bickering and let’s continue to work for the benefit of the administration, and our countrymen),” Zubiri said in an interview at the Senate yesterday afternoon.
“We committed to talk to each other, hopefully next week, for a second meeting kasi mabilis lang ‘yung pagkikita namin kanina. Nag-kamayan kami at ‘yan ang mensahe namin on the day of hearts: Isantabi muna namin ang away (We committed to talk to each other, hopefully next week, for a second meeting because we only met briefly. We shook hands and that is our message on the day of hearts: We will set aside our misunderstandings),” he also said.
The verbal squabble between senators and congressmen started when a signature campaign was launched by proponents of a people’s initiative to amend the Charter through a congressional assembly with both houses of Congress voting jointly.
Senators have accused congressmen of pushing the PI campaign, alleging that it was intended to reduce their power to approve or disallow amendments to the Constitution when proposed revisions are put to a vote, with the two houses voting jointly. The Senate only has 24 members, while the lower chamber has more than 300 members.
Senate have issued a strongly-worded manifesto rejecting the PI, a move which congressmen alleged violated the age-old inter-parliamentary courtesy between members of the two houses.
Congressmen have also denounced the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation on the reported buying of signatures for the PI campaign.
Noel Oñate, primary mover of the people’s initiative drive, has admitted to senators that he sought “guidance” from Romualdez and other congressmen on the conduct of the signature gathering.
When asked if the truce will mean a total stop to the word war between senators and congressmen, Zubiri replied: “It all depends on the members of the House, kasi hindi ba daily po ‘yung kanilang presscon. Kami naman wala kaming presscon daily with the members (It all depends on the members of the House because they are holding daily press conferences [on the issue]. We do not have daily press conference with our members).”
Zubiri said “most” of the senators agreed to a complete ceasefire. “According to most of our colleagues in the Senate, we’re willing to let bygones be bygones and continue to work for our people,” he said.
Zubiri said Romualdez committed to “work together” with the upper chamber so they can pass important legislations and resume meetings of the Commission on Appointments (CA).
“I know medyo nagkasakitan ‘yung ibang mga senador at mga congressmen, particularly my majority floor leader, but that does not mean we cannot work professionally (I know that some senators and congressmen were hurt [because of the word war], particularly my majority floor leader [referring to Majority floor leader Joel Villanueva] but that does not mean we cannot work professionally),” he said.
The Senate President, however, said he cannot order the committee of Sen. Imee Marcos to stop its investigation on the PI signature campaign, but said he will try “a good friendly persuasion.”
