Solon urges House, Senate to end Cha-cha 'word war'

Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, Jr. has urged the House of Representatives and Senate to privately settle the “word war” over the lower Chamber’s approval of the bill pushing for a constitutional convention to amend the constitution, instead of “quarreling before the public.”

"Nagkakaroon tuloy ng word war between the Senate President and the Speaker (Martin Romualdez) and (House Committee on Constitutional Amendments) Chairman Rufus (Rodriguez), minsan nakakahiya eh," Rep. Barzaga told Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers Friday in a radio interview. 

"Dapat eh veteran legislators kami, kung ano man ang pinagkakaiba ng opinyon, settle privately," he stated.  

Barzaga claimed the word war started when Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the delay in the enforcement of the implementing guidelines of the three laws, which are the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization, and Foreign Investment Act, appeared to be caused by the House's push for amending the Constitution’s economic provisions. 

 "Hindi namin kasalanan 'yun (delay in the enforcement of the implementing guidelines of the three laws)," Barzaga said.

Previously, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said Zubiri’s allegation was "unfair" to House members, who have taken exception to Zubiri's allegations that the House railroaded the passage of the measures calling for a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con).

"Unfortunately now, masama kaagad ang insinuation ni Senate President Migz Zubiri kaya nag-reply na ang ating Speaker at si Chairman Rufus Rodriguez, kaya sinasabi namin kung minsan nakakahiya rin sa publiko. The heads of the chambers of the lawmaking body are quarreling before the public. The issuance of the implementing guidelines of the aforementioned three laws is the act of the executive independent of the action of the House and also of the Senate,” he continued. 

Barzaga said the House of Representatives is “in a hurry” to have the proposal approved as they want to save funds by holding the election of Con-Con delegates simultaneously with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in October.

"Kasi kung magkakaroon na naman tayo ng separate elections, in order to determine who shall be the Con-Con delegates ay talagang magastos yan at kukuwestunin na naman ng ating mga kababayan at ng mga critics ng ating administration," he said.  

When Barbers asked what Senate seems to "fear" whenever the issue of constitutional amendments is discussed, the Cavite lawmaker said: "Naririnig natin sa media, mga analysts, (that when we become a) unicameral (Legislature), majority of senators won't be able to win in their respective districts." 

"I really do not know whether this is true or not but perhaps this is one of the apprehensions," he added. 

While the House's Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 calls for the election of delegates to a Con-Con to exclusively discuss amendments to the economic provisions, House leaders have admitted that no one can stop the delegates from introducing political amendments once the body is convened. 

"Alam niyo naman pag naging unicameral tayo, although House and Senate are co-equal with one another, unfortunately ang perception ay tinatawag nga kaming 'Lower House' but there is no Lower House, there is no Higher House. Senate at saka Kongreso, equal lang kami pareho, as a matter of fact, we have some powers that the Senate does not have and in the same manner, there are some powers na ang Senado ay meron pero wala ang Kongreso," Barzaga said.