Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez is prodding Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri to tackle Charter change (Cha-cha) in the upper chamber, even if the latter believes that it's a hopeless case.

If anything, it's by pushing through with the Senate discussions that the Filipinos will learn who among the Senators are in favor and against the move to amend the 1987 Constitution.

“Let the people know who are against and who are for reform that could result in more foreign companies investing or expanding their businesses in the country,” Rodriguez said in a statement Monday, March 14.

Rodriguez chairs the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments--the panel that was mainly responsible for the Cha-cha measures' progress in the current 19th Congress.

While these measures have undergone smooth sailing in the House of Representatives, the 24-member Senate is expected to be a way different story.

Zubiri said last week that it would be useless for senators to tackle Cha-cha since there would be no vote for it in his chamber.

To this, Rodriguez said: "The Senate cannot and should not ignore our initiative, which is an expression of the people’s consensus we gathered in our recent nationwide public hearings and consultations."

He said 301 of the 314 House members manifested such consensus by voting for Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which urges Congress to convene a constitutional convention (con-con) to rewrite the Charter’s “restrictive” economic provisions.

“Inter-chamber courtesy calls that the Senate tackles any measure passed by the House, especially if it is approved by an overwhelming vote and requires urgent attention, and vice versa,” Rodriguez stressed.

He pointed out that Zubiri, who claims he is for Charter reform, should not be afraid of the result of the Senate vote on the matter.