8 Marso 2024, Biyernes
supports Fire Prevention Month
deepest sympathy to family of the late Danilo Halili
supports Women’s Month March
joins Christian nations in observance of Lenten season
17 senators support Zubiri after another rumored coup
By Nidz Godino
“There’s nothing wrong in sitting down and engaging in dialogue…we have to do this together,” former Sen. Gregorio Honasan told Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. during hearing of House committee of the whole seventeen out of 24 senators have signed resolution affirming their continued support for Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri after another alleged coup attempt.
Zubiri said in press conference that three more senators on top of 14 who originally signed resolution have expressed their support for him. These are Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Sen. Robin Padilla and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.
The 14 senators who signed resolution, believed to be loyalty check in upper chamber for Zubiri, are Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Sen. Sonny Angara, Sen. Nancy Binay, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Sen. JV Ejercito, Sen. Grace Poe, Sen. Lito Lapid, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, Sen. Mark Villar, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Sen. Francis Tolentino, Sen. Bong Go. Zubiri also signed resolution.
Senators who did not sign manifesto of support are Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Sen. Francis Escudero, and Sen. Cynthia Villar.
Another senator who did not sign resolution is Sen. Imee Marcos, who said that it was members of House of Representatives pushing for leadership change in Senate. This has since been denied by House Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Erwin Tulfo (ACT-CIS Partylist).
Around this time last year, there were also reports of attempted plot to replace Zubiri as Senate president. This was immediately denied not just by Zubiri, who called rumor “figment of someone’s imagination,” but also by other senators led by Legarda and Villanueva.
Conflicting versions of Senate and House of Representatives on proposed economic amendments to 1987 Constitution, specifically contentious issue on voting, should be threshed out in dialogue among senators and congressmen, according to Honasan.
“We are exposing our strengths and weaknesses as young democracy to temporary friends and allies…this is not good for us,” Honasan said, adding that nation’s leaders should avoid wrangling in public and settle their differences discreetly.
This is in light of admission recently made by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri that his leadership is finding it hard to get votes of 18 senators to approve their Resolution of Both Houses 6, even if he already promised Senate’s approval to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Gonzales said.
Latest development leaves economic Charter change in Senate with uncertainty, unlike in the House where plenary debates on Resolution of Both Houses 7 will start on March 11, and is projected to be approved on second reading by March 13.
House committee of the whole approved RBH7 after six days of exhaustive marathon hearings, which started on Feb. 26.
House is set to pass resolution on second reading next week. Chamber is targeting final and third-reading approval before Congress goes on its Holy Week recess on March 23, and then send RBH7 to the Senate.
Allowing Ivy League schools in US to put up branches in the country will force local institutions to improve their quality of education, without sacrificing need to inculcate patriotism among Filipino students, administration lawmakers said.
“If we will have Harvard University here, then there is no more need for students to go abroad… I’m supportive of access to education,” Rep. Fidel Nograles told reporters.
Nograles added students aspiring to study abroad will not be constrained by travel and education costs, if foreign education institutions such as Harvard are allowed in the country.
Rep. Janette Garin also pushed for lifting of restrictive provisions in 1987 Constitution, insisting it will not make local students less of Filipino if they get exposed to other methods of learning.
“We’re talking about you’re being Filipino, we’re talking about patriotism, but does it make you less of Filipino if you wish for a high-quality education…does it make you less of Filipino if you aspire to be competitive, many of our Cabinet officials, senators, our congressmen studied in Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, Boston University and other Ivy League schools abroad…does this mean that if you have the means, only you can study in foreign schools,but if you are ordinary child of teacher, or an ordinary child of farmer, you do not have right to good education,” Garin said.
Hasty passage of RBH7 seeking to amend economic provisions of Constitution can be considered biggest “political hack” as Congress usually takes its time when passing legislation, labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) secretary general Judy Ann Miranda said.
“Equivalent to political hack unthinkable for huge political body known for being laggard and protracted in its lawmaking process, especially when it comes to important social development agenda, When it comes to legislation for women, lawmakers treat us like history books…but for Charter change for foreign interests, they are like Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok in their swift action,” PM secretary general Judy Ann Miranda said.
Meanwhile, militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) warned about grim prospects of foreign-controlled economy and well-entrenched political dynasties with unlimited terms after House of Representatives approved RBH7.
“Philippines will soon be up for sale…rates and prices will inevitably increase, profits will be further squeezed from people,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said.
He urged public, particularly oppressed classes and marginalized sectors, to oppose efforts to amend Constitution. “The Philippines is not for sale…our future is not for sale,” he said.
Reyes expects Cha-cha measure endorsed by Marcos to be passed on second and then third and final reading before Holy Week break. He warned Senate that House might file resolution with Comelec for plebiscite by June after presenting RBH7 on the back of three-fourths vote of all members of Congress.
ISKUP! 