Senate under threat by people's initiative - Koko

The Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 (RBH6) pushing for the amendment of the 1987 Constitution was more for "self-preservation" of the Senate under threat by the people's initiative (PI) initiated by the House of Representatives, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said.

- CECILLE SUERTE FELIPE

“It is a self-preservation measure… the authors feel that the Senate is under threat because of PI. The suspect behind it is the House of Representatives,” Pimentel said yesterday in an interview over dzBB.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri led the filing of RBH6 proposing the amendment of specific economic provisions of the Constitution, including public services, the education sector and advertising industry by legislation of a law instead of fullscale Charter change.

“This is to avert a constitutional crisis between the House of Representatives and the Senate. And to make it clear that there are no other planned provisions or amendments on any other thing but purely economic in nature,” Zubiri said.

Zubiri said he is hoping that RBH6 will put to rest the PI being pushed by some groups. RBH6 was also signed by Senate President ProTempore Loren Legarda and Sonny Angara.

However, Pimentel said the RBH6 was a waste of time and that the Senate should concentrate on important issues that affect ordinary Filipinos, military and uniformed personnel pension funds (MUP) and maritime zones law instead of Charter change.

“But it’s sad when the session returns, Cha-cha is the issue,” Pimentel said.

Former finance secretary Benjamin Diokno had previously warned of an impending “fiscal collapse” due to the escalating annual payouts to MUP. The current year’s MUP pension payout stands at approximately P213 billion and is projected to reach the P1-trillion mark by 2035.