PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC --- Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said that the Senate is nearing the completion of hearings on the economic charter change bills.
The Senate President made the remarks during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s roundtable interview with the Philippine media delegation here on Friday afternoon (Prague time).
Asked if the passage of the proposed amendments was on track, Zubiri said, "Yes, we are, with Senator (Juan Edgardo) Angara. We have about three more hearings left and then we'll be taking it up on plenary --- hopefully, putting it in a vote."
''We're convincing our colleagues... that we have a three-fourth vote of this measure. We're on track. We're on track,'' Zubiri added.
Romualdez echoed this sentiment, announcing that the House has successfully passed Resolutions of Both Houses No. 7 (RBH 7) on its second reading, marking a significant milestone in the legislative journey.
Marcos Jr., for his part, emphasized the alignment between the House and Senate versions of the resolution, indicating a convergence of perspectives despite initial contention.
"But what's more important to me is that it's practically the same resolution. And that, for me, is the key point in this process. We have reached a consensus," Marcos Jr. said.
"We all remember how contentious this was at the beginning. Well, it seems we're now on a common path between the two Houses of Congress," Marcos Jr. added.
RBH No. 7 mirrors the content of RBH No. 6, spearheaded by Zubiri, along with Senators Angara and Loren Legarda.
The proposed adjustments from both the House and Senate focus on legislative franchise grants and ownership ratios (60-40) for public utilities under Article XII, ownership ratios (60-40) for fundamental educational facilities under Article XIV, and ownership ratios (70-30) for advertising agencies under Article XVI.
The key amendments proposed include the inclusion of the phrase "unless otherwise provided by law," granting Congress the authority to modify or ease existing economic constraints in the country's fundamental legislation. Additionally, there's a proposal to append the term "basic" in Article XIV.
RBH No. 6 and RBH No. 7 also reaffirm the constitutional provision empowering Congress to propose amendments "upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members."