House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN) 

As if to quell senators' mistrust, ranking members of the House of Representatives have given individual assurances that there's no plan to abolish the Senate amid the current push for Charter change (Cha-cha). 

Giving such guarantees during a press briefing Monday afternoon, Jan. 29 were Rizal 1st district Rep. Jack Duavit, who heads the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) bloc in the House; Deputy Speaker and Ilocos Sur 2nd district Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan; Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr., and Bataan 2nd district Rep. Albert Garcia, who is secretary general of the National Unity Party (NUP). 

Duavit gave a very practical reason as to why the Senate's dissolution won't be pursued. 

“With regard to the fears and allegations that the House would want to abolish the Senate, we would just like to let everybody know that as far as our party is concerned, there is no way we will be voting in any form to remove our five senators. And if we are not going to remove our five senators, then the other 19 senators can be assured,” Duavit said. 

The senators belonging to NPC are Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, Lito Lapid, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Joseph Victor Ejercito. 

Singson-Meehan, who also belongs to NPC, echoed Duavit’s statement. 

“To our Senate friends, kasi as part of NPC, we have five senators from NPC, and of course we will never abolish them. So we're here to commit na hindi po masasama 'yung mga usapang abolition ng Senate (that talks on the abolition of the Senate won't be included) when we do amend the Constitution,” she said. 

The lady solon reiterated the House's position on Charter change (Cha-cha), which was to support the lifting of the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. She said doing so would allow more foreign investments in the country and in turn create more job opportunities for Filipinos. 

Gonzales, a stalwart of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), said political amendments are not part of the Charter reform advocacy of the House--unlike what senators have been fearing. 

“Wala po kaming sinasabi na i-abolish natin ang Senado, guni-guni lang po nila 'yan. Hindi po 'yun totoo,” he said. 

(We're not calling for the the abolition of the Senate, that's just their imagination. That isn't true.) 

“We will embrace RBH No. 6 (Resolution of Both Houses No.6) because that's the economic provisions. At ‘yan po ang kailangan ng ating bansa. At si Speaker [Martin Romualdez], palaging sinasabi, we will embrace RBH No. 6 because itoy makakatulong sa ating ekonomya lalo na ating Pangulo,” added Gonzales. 

(That's what our country needs. And Speaker Martin Romualdez always says we will embrace RBH No.6 because this will help our economy especially our President.) 

Speaking on behalf of NUP, Garcia said, “I would like to assure our friends from the Senate that we are not supporting any move to abolish the Senate. We just want economic reforms so that we can improve our economy to produce more jobs, better pay, and better lives for our citizens." 

Filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Legarda and Sonny Angara, RBH No.6 sought economic amendments to the Charter via Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass). 

Romualdez has vowed that the House would adopt RBH No.6 once it is approved by the Senate.