One way to find out whether or not Senate Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri is telling the truth about the supposed lack of support for Charter change (Cha-cha) among senators is to actually tackle it in the 24-member upper chamber.

Thus, said Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte, one of the more vocal proponents of constitutional revision in the bigger House of Representatives.

“A timely consideration of the Charter change proposal now pending with the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments will reveal to our people whether senators are indeed lukewarm about constitutional reform, as claimed by Senate President Migz," Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party (NUP), said in a statement on Friday, March 17.

Zubiri earlier said that constitutional reform is not a priority in the Senate, because even if “I were to push it … the truth is that we don’t have the numbers for Charter change."

A handful of congressmen has since come out to try to convince Zubiri otherwise, given that the House has already passed on third and reading two pro-Cha-cha measures. These are Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No.6 and House Bill (HB) No.7352.

The twin measures provide for the creation of a constitutional convention (con-con), the delegates of which would be tasked to propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

Talking about the flipside of the Senate chief's opinion, Villafuerte wants to find out if a majority of the senators "actually share our conviction that FDI (foreign direct investments) inflows will remain sluggish despite our country’s status as one of the region’s outperforming economies post-pandemic, for so long as we hold on to the constitutional limits on foreign ownership or participation in Philippine businesses".

The Bicolano was refering to the to the supposed restrictive economic provisions in the existing Charter that he was his colleagues want amended.

He also said the timely consideration of the con-con proposal will give the Commission on Elections (Comelec) enough time to hold the election of con-con delegates simultaneously with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls on Oct. 30, 2023.

The 314-strong con-con is slated to convene from Nov. 30, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

In short, a lot is riding on the Senate's action--if there will ever be one--on Cha-cha.