By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Crossing party lines, several congressmen on Monday belied claims of some senators that the Senate will be abolished once the move for Charter change (Cha-Cha) via people’s initiative (PI) succeeds.
Rizal Rep. Jack Duavit, who heads the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) bloc in the House, said the party will not vote to remove five party members who are now in the Senate.
The NPC senators are Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, Lito Lapid, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Joseph Victor Ejercito.
“About the fears and allegations that the House would want to abolish the Senate, we would just like to let everybody know that as far as our party is concerned, there is no way we will be voting in any form to remove our five senators. And if we are not going to remove our five senators, then the other 19 senators can be assured,” Duavit said.
Speaking for the Nacionalista Party (NP), Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers appealed to senators for sobriety and parliamentary courtesy between the House and the Senate.
“Let’s work towards achieving what we want to achieve for the country. Economic reforms are the key to achieving the goals and objectives of our Bagong Pilipinas movement. We pray for their support and we would like to appeal to them to look at the better picture of doing something good for this country,” Barbers said.
Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia, secretary general of the National Unity Party (NUP), underscored that lawmakers in the Lower House “just want economic reforms so that we can improve our economy to produce more jobs, better pay, and better lives for our citizens.”
(el Amigo/MNM)