Senators on Wednesday, January 24, refused to back down on accusing the House of Representatives of railroading the People’s Initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution and asked members of the Lower House to drop the signature campaign so discussions on Charter change can proceed without any hitch.

The Senate with its 24 members rejects people’s initiative as a mode for constitutional reform or charter change (Cha-cha). During the plenary session Tuesday, January 23, 2024, Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri said senators had deliberated on the matter for three hours before coming with a formal statement on their position. (Senate PRIB Photo)

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, in a press conference at the Senate, lamented that what House lawmakers were trying to do was like "castrating" the power of the Senate.

“Magparticipate man kami walang problema basta huwag niyo kami saksakin sa likod na gagawin niyong amendment yung voting jointly. Di ba (We have no problem participating in Charter change talks, as long as you won’t stab us in the back, proposing amendments but doing it by voting jointly, right)?” Dela Rosa pointed out.

“Wrong move kayo, eh yung una niyong pasok yung amendment ninyo eh kakapunin niyo agad senado, gagawin niyo kami powerless (It’s a wrong move on your part, that the first amendment you thought of is to castrate the Senate, making us powerless),” he added.

“That’s a very wrong move, that’s a very agitating move , that move would incite bad reactions from the senators,” the senator reiterated.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, likewise, urged the House of Representatives to junk the People’s Initiative (PI) fearing this could lead to a political crisis.

“Kapag nagbanggan ang mababang kapulungan at ang Senado, magkakaroon po tayo ng political crisis (If the Lower House collided with the Senate, we will experience a political crisis,” Gatchalian pointed out.

Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara also said it is “clear that the People’s Initiative is not a genuine people’s initiative.

As for the Resolution on Both Houses No. 6, Angara said the measure has been “sidelined, hopefully just momentarily,” by the continued push for the People’s Initiative.

“Why should we push forward with the (review of the) economic provisions when the other House wants to marginalize us by pushing for a type of Constitutional amendment where it’s only the votes of the congressmen that will matter because it’s voting jointly, so the Senate in effect will be marginalized, and our bicameral system as enshrined in the Constitution will also be marginalized,” Angara pointed out in a separate interview on ANC.

Angara also clarified that the manifesto issued by the Senate “doesn’t reject Charter change per se.”

“That’s why even people like Senator (Robinhood) Padilla who’s also a known Charter change advocate signed the resolution. Because the resolution is a rejection of a type of People’s Initiative being pursued which is a people’s initiative being funded with government fund, so it’s not a genuine people’s initiative,” Angara explained.

In a privilege speech, Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada also said the Senate will not allow itself to be maneuvered to serve the interests of some.

“Any attempt to undermine the independence and integrity of this Senate should be met with resolute opposition. We are the defenders of the people's will, and we cannot allow maneuvers that undermine the very foundations of our democratic system,” Estrada said.

“Let me state for the record, Mr. President, that I am not opposed to revisiting the provisions of our Charter especially if the proponents are only bent on amending economic provisions that are considered obsolete. But to ram Cha-cha down our throat is something I will stand against,” he reiterated.

Against this backdrop, Albay 2^nd District Rep. Joey Salceda said that the required number of signatures to amend the Constitution has already been reached.

Last Tuesday, the Senate issued a strongly worded manifesto condemning the ongoing People’s Initiative that would pave way for the Senate and the House to vote jointly on any amendments to the Constitution.