House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

The House of Representatives remains committed to pursuing purely economic-themed amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

Thus, said Speaker Martin Romualdez as political observers hold their breath as to how he and newly-installed Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero would work together in what's left of the 19th Congress.

Romualdez, in a chance interview Thursday, May 23, in Tawi-Tawi said he will find out the Senate's direction on economic constitutional amendments after meeting its new leader.

"Well, let's wait and see because we haven't talked yet, we haven't had a meeting,” he said.

At any rate, Romualdez said the House’s objective "is economic reforms for the entire Philippines, ensuring that an all-inclusive economy benefits everyone".

The leader of the 300-plus-strong legislative chamber made this statement in response to questions about the Senate’s perceived opposition to constitutional reforms under its new head honcho, Escudero.

Last March 20, the House voted 288-8-2 (yes-no-abstain) to pass on third and final reading the proposed economic Cha-cha, as embodied in Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No.7. As the phrase implies, the current Cha-cha effort is only concerned with easing the restrictive economic provisions of the 37-year-old Constitution.

RBH No.7 was patterned after the Senate's RBH No.6, which also espoused economic Cha-cha.

However, RBH No.6 has been stuck at the subcommittee level for quite some time now. Whether or not the measure's snail-paced movement will change under Escudero remains to be seen.