THE House of Representatives and the Senate have started coordinating on their legislative priorities ahead of the third and last regular session of the 19th Congress, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said Tuesday.
Romualdez told reporters he initially discussed the two chambers’ common legislative agenda with new Senate President Francis Escudero on Monday in Malacañang during the signing of the law increasing the public school teachers’ supply allowance law.
The Speaker said he and Escudero have talked about passing priority measures—and that charter change (Cha-cha) remains off the table, at least for the time being.
“Not specifically,” Romualdez replied when asked if he and Escudero discussed the issue on the sidelines of the enactment of the Kabalkan sa Pagtuturo Act at Malacañang.
“Pero siyempre isa pa rin naman na naka-pending iyong RBH (
Resolution of Both Houses) 6 sa Senate saka yung RBH 7 (But of course RBH is pending at the Senate and RBH 7). So we’ll get to that,” he added.
RBH 6 and RBH 7 seek to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution by allowing more foreign ownership in vital industries such as education, advertising and public utilities.
RBH 6, however, provides for separate voting for the House and the Senate in a constituent assembly, while RBH 7 provides for voting of all members of Congress.
“The Senate President and I agreed that even before the LEDAC (Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council) that in the third week of this month, we will talk. Definitely the coordination between SP and myself of course, we have each other’s numbers,” Romualdez said in a mix of English and Filipino.
He said House Majority Leader Jose Manuel Dalipe and his Senate counterpart, Sen. Francis Tolentino, have their own coordination.
“We will allow the Senate to fully organize itself or reorganize itself and the common legislative agenda will be outlined, as well as the priority legislation,” Romualdez said.
The leader of the 308-strong House said Escudero and the other new leaders of the Senate were aware that the Lower Chamber had already passed all the priority measures of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the LEDAC.
“So the coordination will be particularly here in the bicameral conference committees on how we reconcile the differing versions,” Romualdez said.
He pointed out that he and his colleagues would also “just await the Senate in prioritizing which of the local legislations that we have also passed and transmitted to the Senate will be acted upon.”
“But we had a good conversation with the Senate President,” Romualdez said.
Asked about the proposed amendments to the Constitution’s restrictive economic provisions that he and his House colleagues have been advocating, the House leader said these are pending with the Senate as well.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Tuesday said he and Senate President Francis Escudero have discussed passing priority measures—and that charter change (Cha-cha) remains off the table, at least for now.
“Not specifically,” Romualdez replied when asked if he and his Senate counterpart discussed the issue on the sidelines of the signing of the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act into law, at which they were both present.
“Pero siyempre isa pa rin naman na naka-pending iyong RBH 6 sa Senate saka yung RBH 7 [But of course RBH is pending at the Senate and RBH 7]. So we’ll get to that,” he added.
Resolution of Both Houses 6 (RBH 6) and Resolution of Both Houses 7 (RBH 7) seek to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution by allowing more foreign ownership in vital industries such as education, advertising and public utilities.
RBH 6, however, provides for separate voting for the House and the Senate in a constituent assembly, while RBH 7 provides for voting of all members of Congress.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline House, Senate coordinating on legislative priorities ahead of last session
