Escudero-led Senate urged to pass economic Cha-cha

Newly installed Senate President Francis Escudero should pass the economic Charter change bill that congressmen have approved, especially in light of a recent survey supporting the move, three top officials of the House of Representatives said yesterday.

- DELON PORCALLA

The May 21-25 Tangere survey of 1,500 nationwide respondents showed that support for economic Charter amendments increased by two percentage points compared to the previous month.

The Tangere survey also noted strong support for Charter chang among respondents from Metro Manila, Southern Luzon and Bicol region.

An earlier survey by pollster Pulse Asia, however, showed an overwhelming 88 percent of respondents against Charter change.

In the Tangere survey, six to seven in 10 respondents believed in the advantages of the amendment proposals, including the creation of more jobs (72 percent), higher economic growth (68 percent), increase in salaries and work benefits (67 percent), and decrease in the prices of goods and services (63 percent).