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'Guni-guni niyo lang 'yun': House leaders deny moves to abolish Senate

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<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2944534" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Leaders of the House of Representatives denied Monday any move to abolish the Senate in their push to change the 1987 Constitution. </p><p>Rizal Rep. Jack Duavit, who heads the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) bloc in the House, said the party will not vote to remove 5 lawmakers who are currently in the Senate. </p><p>The senators belonging to NPC are Legarda, Francis Escudero, Lito Lapid, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Joseph Victor Ejercito.</p><p>&quot;With regard to the fears and allegations that the House would want to abolish the Senate, we would just like to let everybody know that as far as our party is concerned, there is no way we will be voting in any form to remove our five senators. And if we are not going to remove our five senators, then the other 19 senators can be assured,&quot; he said in an interview during the House party leaders caucus presided by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) president.</p><p>This was echoed by Deputy Speaker and Ilocos Sur Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan, who said the abolition of the Senate will not be discussed when the Constitution is amended.</p><p>&quot;To our Senate friends, kasi as part of NPC, we have five senators from NPC, and of course we will never abolish them. So wne&#x27;re here to commit na hindi po masasama &#x27;yung mga usapang abolition ng Senate when we do amend the Constitution,&quot; she said. </p><p>Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio &quot;Dong&quot; Gonzales Jr. was even more forceful in his denial, saying political amendments are not part of the Charter reform advocacy of the House.</p><p>“Wala po kaming sinasabi na i-abolish natin ang Senado. Guni-guni niyo lang po &#x27;yun. Hindi po &#x27;yun totoo,” he said. </p><p>Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, a Nacionalista Party (NP) House leader, appealed to senators for sobriety and parliamentary courtesy between the House and the Senate.</p><p>&quot;Let&#x27;s work towards achieving what we want to achieve for the country. Economic reforms are the key in achieving the goals and the objectives of our Bagong Pilipinas movement. We pray for their support and we would like to appeal to them to look at the better picture of doing something good for this country,&quot; he said.</p><p>Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia, secretary general of the National Unity Party (NUP), said lawmakers in the Lower House &quot;just want economic reforms so that we can improve our economy to produce more jobs, better pay, and better lives for our citizens.&quot;</p><p>Singson-Meehan said an increase in foreign investments would lead to more job opportunities for Filipinos.</p><p>&quot;At at the same time when the economy gets better, alam mo &#x27;yung basic social services na binibigay natin, laging sinasabi ng mga people from our district na kulang. Kulang &#x27;yung TUPAD, kulang &#x27;yung AICS, pati &#x27;yung medical assistance sa hospitals. But when our economy gets better, &#x27;yung collections, &#x27;yung funds ng government, tumataas na rin,&quot; she said. </p><p>&quot;So then maybe, there will be a time na kung nagbago nga natin itong Constitution, naging open tayo sa foreign investment, biglang lumalaki na rin &#x27;yung pondo ng government and our people will suddenly feel this,” she added.</p><p>All 24 senators earlier signed a manifesto that rejected the people&#x27;s initiative, calling it a &quot;brazen attempt to violate the Constitution, the country, and our people.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2939315" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Speaker Martin Romualdez has already denied that he instigated a people’s initiative to amend the country’s Constitution.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2938097" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>WHY CHARTER CHANGE COULD LEAD TO SENATE ABOLITION</strong></div><p>Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio earlier warned the House of Representatives could transform the government into a parliamentary system if an ongoing People&#x27;s Initiative campaign prospers. </p><p>&quot;They can convert the government to parliamentary kahit 24 senators will oppose, balewala &#x27;yan,&quot; Carpio told TeleRadyo Serbisyo on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2943754" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>The parliamentary system of government is headed by a prime minister, who will be elected among members of parliament.</p><p>The ongoing People&#x27;s Initiative, one of three ways to revise the constitution, seeks that senators and congressmen vote jointly on charter change proposals, instead of separately as two houses of Congress.</p><p>Joint voting would mean the Senate&#x27;s 24 members will be outnumbered by the House of Representatives&#x27; more than 300 lawmakers.</p><p>Carpio also agreed that the ongoing people&#x27;s initiative — which he has also described as &quot;unconstitutional&quot; — would result in a &quot;constitutional crisis&quot; because the House could &quot;abolish&quot; the Senate.</p><p>&quot;Under the proposal nila, the present people&#x27;s initiative, pag pumasa &#x27;yan, the House alone can convene as a constituent assembly to propose amendments to the constitution,&quot; he said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/20/24/peoples-initiative-threatens-legislative-checks-and-balances-carpio">People&#x27;s Initiative threatens legislative checks and balances: Carpio</a></li></ul>

Leaders of the House of Representatives denied Monday any move to abolish the Senate in their push to change the 1987 Constitution.