Is the potential unicameral system in the legislature the root of senators' apprehension on Charter change (Cha-cha)? This question was brought up by Cavite 4th district Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. on Friday, March 17 during Surigao del Norte 2nd Rep. Robert Ace Barbers' radio program "Kape Kape Muna" aired over DWRB. When Barbers asked what the Senate seemed to "fear" whenever the issue of constitutional amendments is discussed, the Cavite lawmaker said: "Naririnig natin sa media, mga analysts (What we're hearing from media and analysts is, [that when we become a] unicameral [legislature], majority of senators won't be able to win in their respective districts." "I really do not know whether this is true or not but perhaps this is one of the apprehensions," Barzaga noted. The House of Representatives has already passed on third and final reading Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No.6, which calls for the election of delegates to a constitutional convention (con-con) to exclusively discuss amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. But despite this wording of (RBH) No.6,  House leaders have admitted that no one can stop the delegates from introducing political amendments once the body is convened. The Philippines' current legislative set-up is bicameral, meaning there are two chambers--the House and the Senate. The two are collectively referred to as Congress, although this tag has been more closely associated with the former. House members or congressmen are elected by their specific home districts or sectors; while senators, who are way fewer than congressmen, are elected via nationwide vote.
Barzaga insisted that these two chambers have always been equal in stature. "Although House and Senate are co-equal with one another, unfortunately ang perception ay tinatawag nga kaming 'lower house' (unfortunately the perception is we're being called 'the lower house'), but there is no lower house, there is no higher house. "Senate at saka Kongreso, equal lang kami pareho (The Senate and the Congress are equal), as a matter of fact, we have some powers that the Senate does not have and in the same manner, there are some powers na ang Senado ay meron pero wala ang Kongreso (that the Senate have but the Congress doesn't)," Barzaga said.