SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (Facebook)

House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. gave brownie points to SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta for trying to talk sense into senators during the inquiry on the People’s Initiative (PI) movement. 

The inquiry was conducted Tuesday, Jan. 30 by the Senator Imee Marcos-chaired Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation and Marcoleta was the lone House member who attended as a resource person.  

Gonzales criticized the Senate hearing for heavily insinuating that House Speaker Martin Romualdez had an active part in the PI, the ultimate goal of which is to allow for joint voting of Congress (House and Senate) when amending the Constitution. 

While openly supporting PI for economic Charter change (Cha-cha), Romualdez has repeatedly denied direct involvement in it. 

For Gonzales, the true issue is the Senate's penchant for shooting down Cha-cha proposals from the House of Representatives. Such has been the case since 1987, or shortly after the current Constitution was framed. 

"Buti nandun si Congressman Marcoleta (It was a good thing Congressman Marcoleta was there)," Gonzales said. 

"Si Congressman Marcoleta inexplain niya, during the time of Speaker [Feliciano] Belmonte [Jr.], pumasa (House Cha-cha proposal). During the time of Speaker Lord [Allan Velasco], pumasa. During the time of Speaker Romualdez now, pumasa. 

(Congressman Marcoleta explained that during the time of Speaker Belmonte, it passed. During the time of Speaker Lord, it passed. During the time of Speaker Romualdez now, it also passed.) 

"Anong nangyayari sa Senado? Dinededma. Yan ang sinabi ni Congressman Marcoleta. Ano ba talaga ang gusto niyo? Kaya pag si Congressman Marcoleta ay nagsasalita, sine-segue way nila yung issue. Dinadala nila sa mga nakatakip ang mukha, doon nila binabato yung tanong," Gonzales said. 

(What happens when it reaches the Senate? It gets ignored. That's what Congressman Marcoleta told them. What do you really want to happen. But when Congressman Marcoleta spoke, they segued the issue. They instead focused the discussion and questions on the masked witnesses.) 

"So ako po simple lang--ano ba talaga ang gusto niyo para matapos po tayo? (For me, the issue is simple--what do you really want in order for us to finish this task?)" the senior deputy speaker said. 
 

READ THIS:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/30/romualdez-says-his-role-in-pi-is-purely-advisory-in-nature

Marcoleta himself expressed frustration over what he called the Senate’s persistent refusal to consider amendments to the 1987 Constitution through a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass). 

"For the longest time, the House of Representatives has been inviting the Senate to meet with us on a [Con-Ass], and the Senate repeatedly refused us. This is on record," he said. 

Marcoleta argued that the Senate's reluctance to explore the option of a [Con-Ass] has impeded the House's ability to use this modality for constitutional changes. 

"It's impossible. We cannot use the constituent assembly. Every time an invitation is issued to the Senate by the House, the answer is ‘deadma,’” the former deputy speaker said as he highlighted the seemingly perpetual deadlock between the two chambers.