The Senate is taking its time reviewing the proposed amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda said Wednesday.
Legarda, one of the authors of the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, which seeks to amend certain economic provisions of the Constitution, underscored the importance of carefully reviewing the proposed amendments.
“Amending is a very serious matter. It’s not a simple measure, obviously, and we need to study everything,” she told DAILY TRIBUNE’s “Straight Talk.”
“We take it very seriously. Yes, time is important, but perhaps equally important is the time element, which is really studying the provisions on education, public services, and advertising,” she said.
RBH 6, which she co-authored with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, proposes amendments to the economic provisions concerning public services, education, and the advertising industry.
Resolution of Both Houses No. 7, the House of Representatives’ version of RBH 6, was approved by the lower chamber last week on the last session day before the congressional break.
RBH 7 and RBH 6 contain similar provisions, with one exception: the Senate’s resolution states the amendments would become effective upon a three-fourths vote of its members, with votes cast separately by each body.
The House’s version, however, does not specify whether the amendments would be voted on in a joint or separate session.
The Senate’s RBH 6 is still pending in the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes headed by Angara.
“We’re presently holding hearings, and I’m not the chair, but I am one of the authors of the measure. We will conduct more hearings in the provinces in the various regions of the country,” Legarda said.
Angara earlier said the upper chamber may conclude its discussions on RBH 6 by October at the latest.
