FORMER Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan has suggested the holding of a dialogue between leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate to push proposed economic constitutional amendments.
Honasan made the suggestion on Wednesday shortly after he expressed to the Committee of the Whole House of Representatives his support for the amendment proposals that aim to further open up the economy to foreign investments.
“Kung mananatili tayong sarado (sa foreign investors), kawawa ang Pilipino,” he told the committee that conducted its 6th hearing on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, the House version of the proposed amendments.
Later, during the question-and-answer period, Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr., one of the principal authors of RBH No. 7, asked Honasan what would he do if he were Senate President amid the apparent uncertain fate of the amendment proposals in the Senate.
“Kung kayo po ang Senate President ngayon, ano po ang pwede ninyong maitalakay at kausapin bilang isang leader ng Senado? Dito sa Kongreso, ang leader natin is a very decisive leader. Kung kayo po ang Senate President at ito ang panawagan ng ating Pangulo, ano po ang pwede ninyong gawin, Mr. Senator?” Gonzales asked.
In his reply, Honasan suggested that the House and the Senate should come together to resolve their issues on the proposed economic amendments.
“Naku, hindi ko alam kung inilagay niyo ako bigla sa alanganin dahil malayo po ako maging Senate president, napakalayo po. Pero tutugunan ko po ang katanungan ninyo: Wala hong masama na mag-uusap-usap tayo. We have to do this together,” he said.
He said the nation’s leaders should avoid wrangling in public and settle their differences discreetly.
“We are exposing our strengths and weaknesses as a young democracy to temporary friends and allies. Hindi po ito maganda para sa atin,” he said.
The Committee of the Whole House approved RBH No. 7 on Wednesday after six days of exhaustive marathon hearings.
The House proper is set to pass the resolution on second reading next week. The chamber is targeting final and third-reading approval before Congress goes on its Holy Week recess on March 23, and then send RBH No. 7 to the Senate.
In his testimony before the committee, Honasan said it’s now time to amend the 1987 Constitution.
“Panahon na para baguhin natin ang ating Saligang Batas. Huwag po tayong matakot sa pagbabago,” he told the panel’s 6th hearing in a mix of Filipino and English.
He said lifting foreign ownership restrictions in the Constitution could contribute immensely to the country’s economic growth.
