Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has blocked the invitation to congressmen to appear before the Senate constitutional amendments committee chaired by Senator Robinhood C. Padilla on their modes of amending or revising the 1987 Constitution.
The cancellation was meant to respect inter-parliamentary traditions and practices of the Senate and the House of Representatives, Zubiri stressed.
Cagayan de Oro city Representative Rufus Rodriguez, Padilla’s counterpart at the House of Representative, expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the invitation to him and other congressmen to appear during the hearing scheduled by Padilla this morning, Monday, March 20.
Padilla said Zubiri explained to him on the existence of inter-parliamentary courtesy between the two Legislative Chambers and allow both the Senate and the Bigger House to hold an executive session.
In a statement sent to Senate reporters, Zubiri said he heeds the call of Congressman Elpidio Barzaga for a ceasefire on the heated discussions on Charter Change, ‘’calling instead for the leadership of both houses of Congress to hold a caucus, where we can have a productive discussion on the matter, rather than have everyone airing their grievances in public.’’
‘’This is the reason why I asked Senator Robinhood Padilla to postpone his invitation to our Representatives as resource persons. Traditionally, the Senate does not invite incumbent members of Congress as resource persons, as they are accorded inter-parliamentary courtesy, being members of a co- equal branch of legislation. We usually invite representatives as guests, not resource persons, particularly on discussions of local bills,’’ Zubiri explained.
Zubiri said that Padilla, being a neophyte Senator, the chairman of the constitutional amendments committee, might not yet be fully abreast with the traditions and practices of both Chambers.
‘’But this tradition is to protect him and his committee as well, as we want to avoid a scenario in which conflicting opinions and heated arguments may take place, putting the chairperson in a bind, particularly on how to rule on such discussions,’’ he pointed out.
‘’Rest assured, we are not standing in the way of the committee hearings. We are only hewing to longstanding traditions of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Speaker Romualdez and I spoke yesterday, and he also agreed that that tradition should remain, and that inter-parliamentary courtesy should be respected,’’ he stressed.
‘’In addition, I would like to clarify Speaker Romualdez’s statement about my openness to cha-Cha. I told him that I’m open to meeting with the leaders of the House of Representatives on this issue, and having a thorough discussion about it,’’ he added.
Padilla said Zubiri explained to him on the existence of inter-parliamentary courtesy between the two Legislative Chambers and allow both the Senate and the Bigger House to hold an executive session.
He said that as a loyal soldier who follows the Senate chief, Padilla said he sent a notice to the congressmen headed by Rodriguez over the cancellation of the invitation.
Padilla emphasized that he was not angry over this development but was hurt because he really wanted a face-to-face discussion with his House colleagues on their differing views on how to effect the constitutional change.
He said he also sent an invitation to Representative Richard Gomez on the Charter Change issue.
Padilla said he did not know that this situation would arise because many congressmen have attended his committee hearings in Davao city, Baguio city and Cebu city.