Senators on Wednesday, February 7 defended the Senate’s protracted timeline in discussing the proposed economic amendments to the 1987 Constitution, citing the need to listening intently on the opinions of constitutional experts and legal luminaries at this point in time. 

This comes after House Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe dared all 24 senators to "open their cards" and show the Filipino public exactly where they stand on the issue of constitutional revision on Tuesday, February 6.

“At the proper time, the vote in the Senate will be by roll call or nominal voting, hence, malalaman at malalaman din ang stand ng kada isang senador (you will know the stand of each senator),” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said. 

“We (the senators) should be allowed to keep an open mind. Otherwise, what is then the point of all these consultations if we have already made up our minds at this time,” Pimentel added.

“Pointless kasi darating din naman tayo doon in a formal way pa, official pa (It’s pointless to respond to that because in the end we will decide on the matter, in a formal way and official way),” he added.

Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, that is hearing the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, echoed the minority leader’s view.

“Paano maglalatag ng posisyon ang mga senador eh kakaumpisa lang ng hearings kung saan papakinggan ang mga eksperto (How can senators come up with their own position when the hearings where we listen to the views of the experts have just started),” Angara said.

“Diba ganun ang pagbalangkas ng batas, makikinig muna tapos magdedebate tapos boboto (Isn’t that the process of crafting a law, we listen first, then debate, then proceed to voting),” he said.

Angara said he hopes their counterparts at the Lower House would also do the same thing that the 24-man Upper Chamber has decided to do.

“Mas lalo pa kapag Saligang Batas ang pinaguusapan, hindi basta basta mag dedesisyon ang mga senador sa tingin ko. Magiisip at makikinig muna yan. Sana ganun din sa HoR (Moreso if we are talking about the Constitution; senators can’t just make any decision on the matter. They will think and listen first. I hope the House of Representatives can do the same),” he said.