Senators united in not rushing Cha-cha, against no-el – Zubiri

Philippine senators on Tuesday agreed to extensively discuss the proposed amendments to the Constitution, and to reject any attempt to cancel the 2019 midterm elections.

Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Senate would let the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, chaired by Senator Francis Pangilinan, to hold hearings on the matter and would not rush Charter change.

“What we approved was to discuss the amendments proposed by the Consultative Committee in the committee of [Senator Pangilinan], continue discussing it until we can come up with a common ground,” Zubiri told reporters after the session and the all-senators caucus.

“Hindi talaga pwedeng madaliin ito dahil total overhaul of the total political system of the country. We all agreed that this has to be studied and debated upon extensively but definitely hindi mamadaliin ito."

Zubiri added that there was no need to either hasten or stop discussions to amendments to the Constitution.

“Hindi po mamadaliin. I think they have a series of meetings pero walang utos na madaliin ito. We will wait for the outcome of the committee hearing of Sen Kiko. Wala naman kaming pinag-usapang itigil ‘yung usaping Cha cha,” the majority leader explained.

And since many of his colleagues were very cautious or totally against Constitution amendments and federalism, Zubiri expected “a long debate in the committee level and in the plenary when we discuss Charter change.”

No-el

Zubiri also said the senators were one in rejecting no-election (no-el) moves.

"Ang no-el pwede lang sa Christmas. Sa no-el talagang united kami. We will vote as one or come up with a sense of the Senate on the issue of no-el,” he emphasized.

“We are united in this issue in and outside the Senate. Definitely elections will continue and there should be no talk of no-el,” he added.

No senator had filed a no-el scenario resolution, but if someone did, the Senate would likely vote it down.

“[K]ung maging matindi na ang usapin ng no-el, we are ready to come up with a sense of the Senate. I’m sure we will have 100 percent support from our colleagues,” Zubiri elaborated further.

Aside from Charter change, the senators had also discussed the legislative agenda, the budget, and the developments at the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, Senate Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto chimed that the majority and minority were united in not rushing charter and to have elections in 2019 as scheduled.

“The consensus is for the committee to continue its hearings on the matter. My reading is that a great majority is against it. Federalism will add to the bureaucracy, red tape, more taxes, greater tension in government, will promote dynasties, will be bad for economy, bring a credit down grade, etc,” Recto explained.

Instead, the senator believed that it would be better to amend the Local Government Code, implement the Supreme Court decision on the Internal Revenue Allotment, and focus on creating jobs and a slowing the inflation rate. — DVM, GMA News