Speaker Martin Romualdez refuted Senator Ronald de la Rosa's allegations that he issued marching orders to congressmen to muster signatures required under the People's Initiative to push through with the Charter change.

"I don't know what he's talking about. He does not mention any congressman mentioned, so I could not respond. I have no orders," Romualdez said in an ambush interview on Monday at the House of Representatives.

The senator claimed the ongoing PI movement, including in Davao, has the Speaker's blessing.

"That's what the congressman told me. I won't drop his name. He might be scolded," De la Rosa said in a press conference on Monday.

De la Rosa said he only supports Charter amendments to relax its restrictive economic restrictions, not the "self-serving" term extension.

“Give others a chance. Kaya nga lumabas sa Constitution yan dahil hindi nga maganda yung perpetuation sa power,” he stressed.

Attempts to revamp the Charter had failed in past Congresses due to suspicions that the move was merely to extend government officials' terms.

Last week, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, who had expressed aversion to Cha-cha, vowed to resign from his post if amendments other than economic provisions were coupled with other motives.

The Senate, which was from the beginning against Charter reform, now changed its tune after receiving marching orders from the President to lead in reviewing the Constitution's economic provisions, which led to the filing of the Resolution of Both Houses 6 sponsored by Zubiri.

Romualdez said it is imperative to reexamine the Constitution and carefully scrutinize pertinent economic provisions to eliminate the barriers that restrict potential growth.

"It is critical that we facilitate the entry of foreign capital and direct investments into our economy," the House chief said during his address in the opening session of Congress on Monday from a month-long recess.

"With the help of the Senate and all Filipinos who desire change, our dream of opening the economy so that the funds needed to create more businesses, jobs, and livelihoods for Filipinos will come true."

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe came to the defense of Romualdez amid "baseless" allegations that he is the architect of the PI movement.

"The House has been pushing this since 1987 and this has been an advocacy of the Speaker since he became a congressman and now as a Speaker," he said.

"The Speaker has already expressed his support for the Resolution of Both Houses in the Senate under the leadership of Senate President Miguel Zubiri, so this is also the entire House leadership's direction. We hope that the Senate can approve this soon so that we can end all these baseless speculations," Dalipe added.