House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Ranking House of Representatives members have filed a measure that is expected to put pressure on the Senate to pass their Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No.6. 

Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jay-jay" Suarez, and Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe, filed on Monday afternoon, Feb. 19 RBH No.7, which is a direct copy of the Senate measure espousing economic Charter change (Cha-cha). 

RBH No.7 is titled "A Resolution of Both Houses of Congress Proposing Amendments to Certain Economic Provisions of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Particularly on Articles XII, XIV, and XVI”. 

Like the Senate-filed RBH No.6, RBH No.7 seeks to convene the two chambers of Congress--the House and the Senate--into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) for the purpose of amending the restrictive economic provisions of the existing Charter. 

"Parehong pareho po. Kailangan na rin namin pag-usapan ang mga proposed amendments at sabayan ang Senado para mapabilis ang proseso lalo na ang target ng Senado sabi ni Senate President [Juan Miguez] Migz [Zubiri] ay matatapos nila bago mag Holy Week," Gonzales said in a press conference afor the filing. 

(The two measures are the same. We need to discuss the proposed amendments and deliberate alongside the Senate in order to hasten the process. Especially since the Senate's target, according to Senate President Migz, is to finish this before Holy Week.) 

RBH No.7 was filed amid the perception that the Senators have been taking their sweet time in passing RBH No.6. House members, who have been gung-ho on the economic Cha-cha proposal, have frowned owe the senators' pace. 

Senator Sonny Angara has said that RBH No.6 will be made the subject of travelling public consultations--something that House members have called a "roadshow". 

According to him, the measure could get passed in October, not March. This is seen by the House  as a huge setback to the Cha-cha effort, since time if of the essence in Congress. 

During plenary session Monday afternoon, the House leadership moved to furnish the Senate with a copy of RBH No.7.

A quick comparison of RBH No.6 and 7 showed practically similar language between the two measures. This means that RBH No.7 does not contain any proposed amendments to the Charter's political provisions. 

It's the alleged political amendments--including the supposed plan to abolish the 24-member Senate--that has somewhat stalled the Cha-cha effort. But the filing of the "carbon copy" measure should eliminate this fear from the senators. 

"This thing will speak for itself...Wala pong pagkakaiba (There's no difference)," said Dalipe.

Another staunch advocate of economic Cha-cha, National Unity Party (NUP) President Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte, said he expects to see "more exhaustive" and "participatory" discussions on Cha-cha in the House via RBH No.7. 

But despite this, Villafuerte said the public "will see the sense of urgency of the House".

RBH No.6 was filed by Senate leaders led by Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri last Jan. 15.