By Camille A. Aguinaldo and
Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporters
CHARTER CHANGE is no longer in the Senate’s legislative agenda after none of the senators included this priority of Malacañang in their priority bills.
But Malacañang also on Wednesday said it expects lawmakers to act on President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s priority legislation, including federalism, as he identified in his State of the Nation Address last Monday.
Asked by reporters before Wednesday’s Senate session, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said none of the senators submitted Charter change as among their priority measures to be tackled in the 3rd regular session.
The Senate leader said: “Well, we have asked the members of the Senate to submit a maximum of three priority bills so that we may be able to consolidate them and sit down with the House and the Executive department to keep it together. None of the submissions contained the Cha-cha (charter change).”
“You take it from that,” he said when asked if charter change is no longer in the Senate’s agenda.
In contrast, newly installed Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told reporters on Wednesday that charter change will be a priority of the House of Representatives.
“It’s a priority, of course. But right now, we’re also done with the House resolution to call a constituent assembly so it requires two Houses, so the ball is in the Senate,” Ms. Arroyo said.
Mr. Sotto also said the Senate has agreed to allow its committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, chaired by Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, to complete its committee report on charter change. Only when the report is submitted to the Senate will the chamber take up this matter, the Senate leader said.
Asked about charter change being tackled this year as earlier targeted by the Consultative Committee (ConCom) to review the 1987 Constitution, Mr. Sotto said, “Let me say that perhaps the chances are very slim.”
The Senate panel has been conducting public hearings since early this year to determine if there is a need to amend the 1987 Constitution and to discuss the best mode of charter change. The ConCom has also submitted its draft federal constitution to both chambers of Congress early July.
For his part, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said in a radio interview on Wednesday regarding Malacañang’s legislative priorities: “Well, dalawa po iyan: pederalismo, tapos BOL. Pero iyong BOL yata ay nai-ratify na, so ang Malacañang po ay mag-i-schedule na ng signing. Pero napakataas ng expectation ng Presidente, BOL at iyong iba pang mga administration bill(s) kagaya ng Universal Health Care, ng rice tariffication, ng pagbubuo ng Department of Disaster Relief Resiliency….”
(Well, there are two: federalism, then BOL [Bangsamoro Organic Law]. But the BOL has been ratified, perhaps. Hence, Malacañang will have to schedule its signing. The President has a very high expectation that the BOL and the other priority bills of the administration such as universal health care, rice tariffication, and the creation of the Department of Disaster Relief Resiliency….)
Mr. Duterte, in his report to the nation, also urged Congress to pass the security of tenure bill, the coconut levy trust fund bill, the proposed national land use act, the proposed Department of Disaster Relief Resiliency, the rice tariffication bill, the universal health-care bill, and all five packages of his tax reform initiative.
Mr. Zubiri said the universal health-care bill and security of tenure bill are set to be sponsored in plenary next week.
A bicameral conference committee will begin deliberations on Aug. 1 to reconcile the provisions on the coconut levy trust fund bill, the senator from Bukidnon also said.

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