Zubiri says he will lose post if pro-Cha-cha vote is forced

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Sunday he will lose his post if he will “force” senators to vote for charter change even as the House is set to pass their own version before the Holy Week break.

“If I order them to do that, indeed, I will no longer be the Senate President,” he said.

“Believe me, I will no longer have the trust and confidence of more than 14 senators if I force a vote, force them to vote in the affirmative,” Zubiri told reporters.

The Senate continues to hold hearings on Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 (RBH No. 6) which proposes amendments to economic provisions in the 1987 constitution. The House, on the other hand, has wrapped up itscommittee hearings on RBH No. 7 and is scheduled to hold plenary debates today.

RBH No. 7 is identical to the Senate’s RBH No. 6 except for the manner of voting, with the former pushing for a separate vote of both chambers of Congress in approving the amendments.

The proposed House and Senate changes were on the grant of legislative franchises to and ownership of public utilities in Article 12, and ownership of basic educational facilities in Article 14, and advertising firms in Article 16.

Zubiri said getting the 18 votes needed for RBH No. 6 is a “big challenge.”

“Again I said, I’m only like primus interpares. I’m just one, first among equals and we will respect them on their vote,” he said.

Those who have publicly opposed Charter change are Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Senator Cynthia Villar.

Senators Imee Marcos and Risa Hontiveros have also been very vocal about their objections to Charter change while siblings Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano are expected to align themselves with theirNacionalista party mates Villar and Marcos. Senator Mark Villar is also expected to join his mother in the anti-Charter change count.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez earlier expressed confidence Zubiri will be able to convince all senators to vote for the measure that reflects President Marcos’s desire for economic Charter change.

“We understand the challenges, (and) the Senate has always lived up to the challenge,” he said.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, appealed to senators “to work with us on changes in the economic provisions. That may ease the pressure from our people for them to act on Charter reform.”

“We have to do it as early as possible, lest we miss the boat on enticing foreign investors, if we have not missed it yet. As it is, we are now No. 8 in foreign direct investments in the 10-member ASEAN.

Alarmingly, we have already been overtaken by Vietnam and Cambodia. We are only ahead of Laos and Myanmar,” Rodriguez said.

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