House files RBH7, mimics Senate economic Cha-cha

MANILA, Philippines — Leaders of the House of Representatives have filed an “almost exact reproduction” of Senate Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 (RBH6), apparently in the hope of ending debates over clashing approaches to Charter change and ensuring that a deal is done before the Holy Week.

At a news conference yesterday, authors of Resolution of Both Houses 7 said it is an exact copy of RBH6 authored and filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Sonny Angara and Loren Legarda.

“Our RBH proposals are in toto to the Senate RBH. We also have to discuss our proposed amendments, alongside the Senate, so as to hasten the process and achieve the target set by SP Zubiri himself, which is before Holy Week,” Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said.

Among the economic provisions in the Charter that congressmen and senators deem prohibitive and needing amendment are Article 12 Section 11 on the 60-40 ownership of franchise, Article 14 Section 4 on 60-40 ownership in education enterprises, and Article 16 Section 11 on 70-30 ownership in the advertising industry, all in favor of Filipino citizens.

Senators have said they see no rush for Charter change, with a probe still being conducted on a continuing signature campaign for a people’s initiative pushing for joint voting by the two chambers on Cha-cha.

Rep. LRay Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party – the second biggest bloc in the House – said RBH7 aims to expedite Charter change.

“Our action is in line with RBH6, as a co-equal in Congress. We want to be exhaustive here,” he said.

“This is what we need. There is the sense of urgency in the House,” the Camarines Sur congressman added, lamenting that Senate’s plan to conduct a “national roadshow” even if the House’s committee on constitutional amendments of Rep. Rufus Rodriguez “already did a roadshow.”

Another administration stalwart from the Nacionalista Party, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of the second district of Surigao del Norte, told reporters that it “would just be proper to elevate the level of discourse” on economic Cha-cha.

“We want to assure the senators and the public that there is no political objective here,” he said.

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