Escudero: Senate to place Cha-cha on backburner

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Monday said that the Senate will place proposals to amend the 1987 Constitution on the backburner.

The Senate president made the remark as he highlighted in his speech at the opening of the third regular session of the 19th Congress that the chamber will "set aside items which merely dissipate our energy and divide the public."

"For this same reason, pending bills on charter change will be placed in the backburner, and will follow the ordinary and regular process of legislation, if at all," Escudero said.

"In its stead, bills which can effect the same result— but without the needless political noise and bickering — will be prioritized. This will allow us to focus our energy on measures which the people truly need," the Senate president added.

In a press conference, Escudero said Cha-cha is not a priority for him or the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Counci (LEDAC) as it was not identified in the latest meeting.

Despite this, Escudero said the debates and the information that were gathered during the hearings on Cha-cha in the previous months are never wasted and as it will form part of the Senate records.

Death Penalty, Divorce

On other measures such as the bills legalizing divorce and reviving the death penalty, Escudero said he does not consider them controversial, but these have to go through the "test of legislative process."

According to Escudero, the upper chamber will tackle measures identified by the LEDAC, saying legislation is "not a one-way process."

"Let this standard be used in measuring every government proposal that comes our way, will it make life easier for the Filipino?" Escudero said.

Escudero said among the measures that they will make sure to be polished when they reach the president's table is the national budget.

"Dahil pinagpapawisan ng taumbayan ang buwis na popondo dito, at papasanin ng kanilang mga anak ang pambayad sa utang na pupuno dito, dapat lamang na ang trilyon-trilyong piso na bubunuin nila ay maghatid ng ginhawa sa kanilang buhay," he said.

Apart from the national budget, the other measures that Escudero's leadership will prioritize are the Maritime Zone and Sea Lanes Act.

"Make no mistake about it, this Senate is unanimous and unbending in defending our country’s independence and sovereignty. Tayo’y makikipag-kaibigan pero hindi tayo pasisiil. Tayo’y makikipag-usap, pero hindi tayo magpapaapi," he said.

"We will strengthen our military, not to ignite any conflict, but in order to secure the peace,” he added.

Other bills

After Congress passed laws easing the burden on big businesses, paying taxes and bad loans, Escudero asked why there are no laws to ease commuting and connecting, finishing school, finding work, healthcare for the sick, acquiring justice, and providing food for Filipino families.

"Our people are overworked, underpaid, and overburdened. A comfortable life has clearly eluded them for generations. Their dreams and struggles, more than any policy paper, provide what our legislative agenda should contain and should inspire us to work even harder. I say that it is time to reframe our work-- and pivot to laws that will make life of the Filipino easier," he said.

"Let us do the heavy work, and make hard decisions to unburden the nation and uplift every Filipino. This is our unchanging mandate... We cannot fail, for our failure is their failure, and our defeat will be their defeat. But our triumph will be their triumph. And in this regard, the Senate shall not falter," he added.

Likewise, Escudero reiterated that the Senate will be independent in every decision and the chamber will vote on measures with all points of views of its members considered.

"Daily, our independence is livestreamed and blasted to all media platforms, by members who can only be won over to a cause if you debate them, and not dictate upon them. We are subjects of the people, and subsidiary of no other branch, party, person, or interest,” Escudero said.

“We embrace the full ventilation of views, either in contra or in conformity, whether by those in the majority or in the minority. But at the end of the day, we vote. We divide the house on issues, out of policy differences, never letting politics permanently divide us. This is the Senate the people need at this point in our history," he added.

The Senate has suspended its session for the third State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. 

They will resume the session on Tuesday. 

—VAL, GMA Integrated News