Sinabi ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri na nais ni Pangulong Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. na ang Senado at hindi ang Kamara de Representantes na pinamumunuan ng pinsan nito na si Speaker Martin Romualdez, ang manguna sa pagrepaso at posibleng pag-amyenda sa mga economic provinsions sa Saligang Batas.

Sa pulong balitaan nitong Lunes, sinabi ni Zubiri na nakausap niya si Marcos sa Vin d'Honneur noong Enero 11. Kasama niya sa pulong sina Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda at si Romualdez.

Sa naturang pag-uusap, natalakay ang Peoples' Initiative na isang paraan sa pag-amyenda sa Saligang Batas na itinuturing mapaghati umano sa mga Pilipino.

“The President agreed with us that the proposal was too divisive, and asked the Senate to instead take the lead in reviewing the economic provisions of the Constitution. In this way, we can preserve our bicameral nature of legislation,” ayon sa lider ng Senado.

Ayon kay Zubiri, bukas ang Senado na pag-usapan ang pag-amyenda sa economic provisions.

Kasunod nito, naghain na umano sila nina Legarda at Sen. Sonny Angara ng Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, na nagmumungkahing amyendahan ang ilang probisyon tungkol sa ekonomiya sa ilalim ng 1987 Constitution

Kasama rito ang reporma sa Public Services Act, education, and advertising industry na may nakasaad din na, "unless otherwise provided by law."

“Sabi niya sa akin at kay Speaker, why doesn’t the Senate take the lead in the discussions of the economic provisions and then you approve your version which the House can adopt? Para hindi na tayo maglalagay pa ng kung anu-ano pang mga amendments na sa tingin natin ay magagalit ang taumbayan," ayon kay Zubiri.

Idinagdag ni Zubiri na suportado umano ng 14 senador ang hakbang na repasuhin ang economic provisions sa Saligang Batas.

Inatasan din si Angara na pangunahan ang subcommittee on the Committee of the Constitutional Amendments, na talakayin ang naturang usapin.

Sa isang pahayag, sinabi ni Romualdez na suportado niya ang hakbang ng Senado tungkol sa pag-amyenda sa economic provisions sa Konstitusyon.

"As Speaker of the House of Representatives, I would like to express my unwavering support for the Senate's initiative to file a Resolution of Both Houses of Congress. This resolution using the mode of Constituent Assembly is a decisive step towards amending the 1987 Constitution, particularly in terms of relaxing the economic provisions that currently restrict the entry of foreign direct investments into the Philippines," ani Romualdez.

"Our nation stands on the cusp of transformative economic growth, and it is imperative that we adapt our constitutional framework to the evolving global economic landscape. The amendments proposed are not just timely but necessary to unlock the full potential of our economy, fostering a more competitive, inclusive, and robust economic environment," dagdag pa ng lider ng Kamara.

Ayon kay Zubiri, maaring magdulot ng constitutional crisis, at “destabilizing our bicameralism and upsetting the system of checks and balances,” ang hakbang na amyendahan ang Saligang Batas sa paraan ng people’s initiative.

“While we respect and recognize the people as our sovereign, with the right to call for Constitutional change, we must guard against any attempt to revise the Constitution by exploiting our democratic process under the guise of a people’s initiative,” sabi ng senador. -- FRJ, GMA Integrated News