Defensor says House should resolve issues first with Senate regarding economic Cha-cha

Anakalusugan party-list Representative Mike Defensor on Tuesday said the House of Representatives should resolve first with the Senate two issues about the proposal to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution rather than "rushing" it. 

"I believe that in rushing Cha-cha, the House is putting the cart before the horse. The House should first resolve with the Senate at least two contentious issues," Defensor said in a statement. 

"One is whether the two chambers need to approve a joint resolution formally convening themselves into a constituent assembly before one or both of them can tackle any amendment proposal. The other issue is whether the two chambers vote separately," he added. 

According to Defensor, he believes that "the Senate is of the view that a joint resolution is needed while the House thinks otherwise." 

"In fact, con-ass na raw 'yung deliberations sa committee level kahit walang formal convening o declaration. As for the voting issue, the Senate says it is separate. On the part of the House, there are divergent views on this issue," he said. 

"It takes two to Cha-cha. Unless the House convinces the Senate to get on board its Cha-cha express, the House would just be wasting precious time, effort and taxpayers’ money," he added. 

Defensor earlier said deliberations on the economic Cha-cha would only cause division not just in Congress but also among the general public. 

House Committee on Constitutional Amendments chairperson Alfredo Garbin Jr. had said the plenary debates on the matter will start next week, February 22.

The panel approved Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 2, which aims to amend existing economic provisions in the Constitution in a bid to open up the Philippines to foreign direct investments which could help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco last month said opening up the country to foreign investors is crucial to help the Philippine economy recover from the negative impact of the health crisis. —KG, GMA News