House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe. House Media Affairs 

MANILA — Senators on Wednesday took turns lambasting House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, who challenged them to "come out" and make their Charter change positions known to the public.

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"Come out in the open. Huwag po tayo magtago. Sabihin natin sa buong Pilipinas sino yung mga senador pabor to amend the 37-year-old Constitution at sino mga kontra. And the people of the Philippines will decide whom to put in the Senate," Dalipe, a congressman from Zamboanga City, said on Tuesday.

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When asked to respond to Dalipe's remark, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva only said: "Who is he?"

Sen. Sonny Angara meanwhile questioned Dalipe’s challenge to the Senate.

 "Paano maglalatag ng posisyon ang mga senador eh kakaumpisa lang ng hearings kung saan papakinggan ang mga eksperto?" he said.

He said that, at the Senate, bills have to go through hearings and debates before lawmakers vote on them.

“Mas lalo pa kapag Saligang Batas ang pinaguusapan, hindi basta-basta mag de-desisyon ang mga senador sa tingin ko,” he added.

Sen. Bong Go in an interview also criticized Dalipe for trying to pressure the Senate on the issue.

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 “Alam mo, ongoing ang public hearing, bakit oobligahin ang senador na magsalita? Respetuhin nyo naman ang senador kung ano ang magiging posisyon nya,” Go told journalists.

 “At this stage that we are listening to experts and other resource persons, (the senators) should be allowed to keep an open mind,” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said.

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"Otherwise, what is then the point of all these consultations if we have already made up our minds at this time?" he said, adding it is pointless to try to rush senators to come out with their positions on charter change.

"[D]arating din naman tayo doon in a formal way pa, official pa," Pimentel said.

House blasts Senate 'attacks' vs people's initiative

The Senate has kicked off hearings on Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, which seeks to amend some economic provisions of the Charter.

The House, meanwhile, was accused of bankrolling a people's initiative that critics said would undermine the Senate in future Charter change efforts.

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