Romualdez confident Zubiri could muster enough votes to pass economic Cha-cha

Speaker Martin Romualdez on Friday expressed confidence that the Senate could muster the needed number to approve amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

"Ako naniniwala sa liderato ng Senado, lalo kay [Senate President Juan Miguel] Zubiri na kakayanin niya lahat at makukumbinsi niya lahat ng mga kasamahan niya sa Senate," Romualdez said in an ambush interview at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Philippine Cancer Center, which will be the first of its kind, in Quezon City.

(I believe that the Senate leadership, especially Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, can convince other senators to support the bill on Charter change.)

Zubiri earlier admitted that it would be a "big challenge" for the Senate to gather a majority vote to pass the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 (RBH 6), which seeks to open public utilities, education, and advertising to full foreign ownership.

The House of Representatives earlier this week approved Resolution of Both Houses 7 (RBH 7), its version of RBH 6.

"We understand the challenges pero the Senate has always lived up to the challenges. Magaling mga senador natin (our senators are good) and I know that they know what's good for the Filipino people," Romualdez said.

Reacting to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority Labor Force Survey that millions of Filipinos became unemployed, Romualdez said RBH7 can help create more jobs by opening up the country’s economy to foreign investors.

"'Yung mga numero ng Philippine Statistics Authority, dynamic 'yan, gumagalaw talaga yan. Kaya lahat nitong mga programang ginagawa natin, lalo na sa paggagastos sa ating budget at lalo na itong panukalang RBH7 natin, ay makakatulong na rin kasi pag na-liberalize na o mabuksan ang ating ekonomiya, mas maraming foreign direct investments pumasok at mas maraming trabaho ang mabibigay natin sa taumbayan," he said.

(The numbers of the Philippine Statistics Authority are dynamic. That's why our programs, especially our spending of the budget and this RBH 7, will be of big help, because when we liberalize our economy, there will be more direct investments and that would results in jobs.)

Romualdez recently accompanied President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in a visit to Australia and reported that $1.5 billion worth of investments were signed during the trip.

"Nakikita ng Australia na maganda talaga mag-invest sa Pilipinas, lalo na pag binuksan ang economic provisions. Higit $1.5 billion ang napirmahan na investments na patungo, papasok sa Pilipinas,” the Speaker said.

(Australia is seeing the benefits of investing in the Philippines especially if we amend the economic provisions of the Charter. More than $1.5 billion will be invested in the Philippines.) —KBK, GMA Integrated News