Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said charter change is better left for the beginning of each new administration, adding that the current Senate may not be able to give it the full attention it deserves amid all its pending work.&quot;Looking at the schedule right now and, two things ang opinion ko diyan. First, the schedule. Pag tinignan natin yung schedule right now with the impeachment going, the charter change deserves full attention. At makikita natin ngayon, ang attention nasa impeachment. Yung attention nasa bills. Papasok yung budget,&quot; he said.Another reason, he said, it is more advisable during the early part of a president&#x27;s term.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/22/senator-judges-remarks-on-day-9-of-impeachment-trial-spark-audible-reactions-2252">‘Silence please’: Senator-judges’ remarks on Day 9 of impeachment trial spark audible reactions </a> </div>&quot;Ang mga ganitong amendment of the Constitution, mas magandang ginagawa yan during the first term or the first half of the president because that time bago pa lang yung presidente, bago yung administration. Pwede niyang ma-explain mabuti kung ano yung charter change at may full trust pa ng tao,&quot; he siad.Already in the middle of an impeachment trial as the deliberations of the 2027 budget looming, the Senate has as many as 35 priority bills pending. &quot;I have to admit na ma- um, almost, I think out of the 50, almost 35 ang hindi pa gumagalaw. So, and then, mga around, around 10 ang nasa advanced stages na. So, ang target natin at least, at least naman mga 30 of those bills ma-approve in the next 12 months,&quot; said Gathalian.&quot;Those are in the LEDAC, but, uh, I was advised na magkakaroon ng LEDAC meeting in the next two weeks to review the bills.So very challenging &#x27;yan for the Senate, RG, because, um, i-i- impeachment talaga is taking time and physical toll. So, uh, very challenging.So we, we need to prioritize which bills we will be agreed on para ma-approve natin in the next twelve months.&quot;The House of Representatives, in contrast, has approved most of the bills.He said the Senate needs to prioritize bills that will jumpstart the economy, and improve social safety nets.&quot;&#x27;Yung mga economic drivers, number one, lower down electricity cost or ERC charter. Number two is, amend the Oil Deregulation Law... number three, there&#x27;s a proposal to amend the MSME Law. To unlock capital for MSMEs (businesses),&quot; said Gathalian.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/22/5-senator-judges-oppose-disclosure-of-sara-duterte-s-tax-bank-records-0105">Senator-judges who oppose disclosure of Sara Duterte&#x27;s tax, bank records </a> </div>&quot;Mayroon isang bill, malapit na matapos &#x27;to, yung Philippine Geriatric Hospital Bill na will put up hospitals especially catering to senior citizens... Isa pa yung, ah, ah, ini-sponsor ni Senator Erwin, yung AICS bill. &#x27;No, so that, uh, AICS will be institutionalized, rationalized, and matanggal na rin yung epal.&quot;AICS is Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations--a financial aid program for the marginalized.Gatchalian said senators are ready to work overtime to catch up.&quot;Sa mga kausap ko sa mga senators natin, they stand ready to sacrifice. Meaning, kung kailangan magtrabaho ng Thursday, Friday, or even Saturday, they stand ready,&quot; he siad.&quot;Of course, may physical limitations din so we have to, we have to be conscious of that, na hindi naman kaya na every day for, for six months.Hindi naman kaya. But in terms of sacrifice to get things done, ready naman ang ating mga senators to sacrifice.&quot;Gatchalian meantime could not say whether a non-priority bill, the divorce bill, could be put to a vote. &quot;Of course, yung mga ganitong na bills, may mga contentious aspects na magandang pag-usapan at pag-debatihan. Ang position ko sa mga ganiyan na bill, pag-usapan natin...  But ang position ko in bills like that, yung, divorce, even yung pag-lower down ng age of criminal liability even yung, even yung anti-dynasty and yung- yung party list reform. These are contentious eh. Magandang pag-debatihan yan,&quot; he said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/22/pia-cayetano-raises-doubts-on-matibag-s-credibility-over-senate-gunfire-incident-1708">Pia Cayetano cites Senate gunfire incident to raise doubts on Matibag&#x27;s credibility</a></div>Gatchalian meanwhile shared he has not yet considered his political future as he grapples with all the pending work.Gatchalian is on his 2nd Senate term, which means that he can only seek higher or lower office in the 2028 Elections.He added having Senator Francis Escudero as the presiding officer of the ongoing impeachment trial has allowed him to focus on other pending work.Gatchalian is not a lawyer, while Escudero is one of only 5 lawyers in the Senate in the 20th Congress.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said charter change is better left for the beginning of each new administration, adding that the current Senate may not be able to give it the full attention it deserves amid all its pending work.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said charter change is better left for the beginning of each new administration, adding that the current Senate may not be able to give it the full attention it deserves amid all its pending work.

No time for Charter change amid 35 priority bills in Senate

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No time for Charter change amid 35 priority bills in Senate

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 24, 2026 06:15 PM PHT

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Senate

Sherwin Gatchalian

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