Robin Padilla adjourns Cha-cha hearings on economic provisions

Senator Robinhood Padilla on Tuesday adjourned the hearings on the proposed economic amendments to the 1987 Constitution as the issue on whether or not the Senate and the House of Representatives should vote jointly in tackling the amendments remain unresolved.

“Kahit paulit-ulit po tayo ditong mag-hearing…kahit ano pong gawin namin ng Senado at ng Kamara, laging kukuwestiyunin lagi ang desisyon namin kung ito ay pabor sa Konstitusyon o hindi pabor sa Konstitusyon. Lagi pong magkakaroon ng tanong hangga’t hindi naliliwanag ‘yan kung ‘yan ay jointly o separately,” said Padilla before the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes which he chairs.

(No matter how many times we hold a hearing…no matter what the Senate and the House do, we will still be questioned on whether this is in favor or against the Constitution. There will always be a question on whether we will vote jointly or separately.)

Padilla said that he would just incorporate the findings of the hearings chaired by then-Senator Sonny Angara to his own committee report.

“Kaya po akin pong gustong iparating sa ating mga kababayan na ito pong resolution of both houses na ito…ay isasarado na po natin ito. Ia-adjourn na po natin  ang pagdinig nito sapagkat ginawan na po natin ito ng pagdinig…nagkaroon na po kami ng committee report,” he said.

(I want to tell the public that this resolution of both houses…we will already close the discussions on this. We will adjourn the hearings on this because we already had in the past and we already have a committee report.)

Resolution of Both House No. 6 was filed by then-Senate President Migz Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, and Angara after the Senate and the House leadership agreed in January that the Senate would lead the deliberations on the amendments to the 1987 Constitution as long as the people's initiative, which was believed to be supported by congressmen including Speaker Martin Romualdez, would be halted.

RBH No. 6 seeks to amend certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, particularly Articles XII, XIV, and XVI, or the constitutional provisions on public services, education, and the advertising industry.

Padilla earlier asked the Supreme Court to set oral arguments for his petition regarding the voting of Congress on Charter change.

He also asked the SC for an "authoritative declaration" on whether Congress should vote jointly or separately on amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

Padilla also filed a resolution seeking separate voting by the Senate and House in amending the Constitution.

Senate President Francis Escudero earlier said that he will place proposals on constitutional change on the backburner, noting that the upper chamber will "set aside items which merely dissipate our energy and divide the public." — RSJ, GMA Integrated News