The Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 which aims to review and propose amendments to certain economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution has been suspended by the Senate, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Wednesday.

According to Pimentel, the Senate leadership decided to set aside the concurrent resolution due to the continued push for the signature campaign for a petition to amend the constitution through a people’s initiative.

“Because the PI is apparently continuing and reports are ‘congressmen are behind it', our question is: why are congressmen in effect pursuing two modes?” he told reporters in a text message.

“There is bad faith somewhere,” he added.

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri earlier filed RBH No. 6 to seek a review and proposed amendments to certain economic provisions of the Constitution to “avert” a “Constitutional crisis” between the House of Representatives and the Senate

The concurrent resolution, which was also signed by Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda and Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.

Zubiri claimed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked the Senate to instead take the lead in reviewing the economic provisions of the Constitution amid the reported push for the people’s initiative by the members of the lower chamber.

“The President agreed with us that the proposal was too divisive, and asked the Senate to instead take the lead in reviewing the economic provisions of the Constitution,” he said.

“In this way, we can preserve our bicameral nature of legislation,” he added.

On Tuesday, all senators signed a strongly worded manifesto that lambasted the ongoing signature campaign for a people’s initiative purportedly carried out by the members of the House of Representatives.

The manifesto, signed by the 24 members of the Senate, was read by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri during the resumption of the session.

“We respect and recognize the people as our sovereign, with the right to call for Constitutional amendments. We must, however, guard against any sinister and underhanded attempt to change the Constitution by exploiting our democratic process under the guise of a people's initiative,” the manifesto read.

The senators warned that should the PI succeed in its goal, which they claimed proposes only one change—eliminate the Senate from the equation—they no longer could avert the overhaul of the entire Constitution.

“This so-called ‘people's’ initiative proposes only one change: in acting as a constituent assembly, the Senate and the House shall vote jointly,” they said.

“While it seems simple, the goal is apparent to make it easier to revise the Constitution by eliminating the Senate from the equation. It is an obvious prelude to further amendments, revisions, or even an overhaul of our entire Constitution,” they added.

They continued: “If this PI prospers, further changes to the Constitution can be done with or without the Senate's approval, or worse, even absent all the Senators.”

Should Congress vote jointly in a constituent assembly, senators stressed that the Senate and its 24 members “cannot cast any meaningful vote” against the 316 members of the House of Representatives.

“This singular and seemingly innocuous change in the Constitution will open the floodgates to a wave of amendments and revisions that will erode the nation as we know it,” they said.

“To allow joint voting will destroy the delicate balance on which our hard-won democracy rests,” they added.

Responding to the manifesto issued by the Senate, Speaker Martin Romualdez categorically denied his participation in the signature campaign for a people’s initiative that allegedly involves vote buying.

“I vehemently denounce any allegations of bribery or unethical practices in persuading citizens to sign the petition for the People’s Initiative. Such actions, if true, would violate the initiative's spirit of honest and voluntary participation and erode our democratic foundations,” Romualdez said in a statement.

“The House does not endorse or sanction direct participation by its members in signature gathering, ensuring the process's integrity and independence remains intact,” he added.

He, however, noted that the lower chamber remains committed to supporting the People’s Initiative, saying it is an “essential democratic process” that stands as a direct expression of the people’s will, and provides a means for citizens to propose constitutional amendments.

Constitutional crisis

Angara, who was earlier tapped to chair a subcommittee that will tackle the RBH No. 6, confirmed that the concurrent resolution has been “sidelined.”

“It's clear that the people's initiative is not a genuine people's initiative. As for RBH 6, it's been sidelined hopefully just momentarily, by the continued push for the PI,” Angara said.

For his part, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito warned that the continued push by members of the lower house for a people’s initiative would lead to a constitutional crisis.

“This might really lead to a constitutional crisis as both houses are head-on on the issue of PI,” Ejercito said in a separate statement.

“Was hoping that both leaders of both houses honor the agreement in front of PBBM to avert such a scenario,” he added.

The RBH No. 6 proposes amendments to the economic provisions of the current charter, particularly Articles 12, 14, and 16.

Section 11 of Article 12 pertains to the provision that limits foreign ownership of land and businesses to 40 percent, while the remaining 60 percent is set aside exclusively for Philippine citizens or corporations.

Meanwhile, Paragraph 2, Section 4 of Article 14 states that educational institutions, other than those established by religious groups and mission boards, “shall be owned solely by citizens of the Philippines or corporations or associations at least sixty per centum of the capital of which is owned by such citizens.”

Lastly, Paragraph 2, Section 11 of Article 16 states that “the advertising industry is impressed with public interest, and shall be regulated by law for the protection of consumers and the promotion of the general welfare.”