Palace hopes Senate, House can reconcile differences on Cha-cha

Malacañang expressed hopes yesterday that the Senate and the House of Representatives would soon patch up their differences over moves to amend the Constitution to allow a shift to a unicameral parliamentary government this year.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the administration is not wavering in its efforts to amend the Constitution through a constituent assembly wherein Congress would convene as one Charter-amending body.

Ermita and Bunye made the separate statements after the Charter Change Advocacy Commission (CCAC) formally kicked off its campaign in a massive rally in Manila.

"We are now focused on advancing the issues of Charter change through a nationwide advocacy campaign; and we do hope that the House and the Senate will be able to thresh out their differences in the spirit of consensus and statesmanship," Bunye said.

Ermita pointed out Malacañang has no say over the decision to convene Congress into a constituent assembly.

He said it is up for the Senate and the House to decide and join together to introduce the necessary amendments to the Charter.

Ermita added the decision would be better left for the House and the Senate to vote jointly or separately over the Charter change issues.

He said that Malacañang strongly supports Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. in his efforts to gather 195 signatures from lawmakers to push for the amendments.

Ermita said the administration is sticking to its schedule of effecting the shift in government by this July after a nationwide plebiscite is held in June.

Malacañang is pushing to have the plebiscite held in the middle of the year but senators have adamantly opposed the move, noting a unicameral body under the proposed parliamentary system would abolish the two legislative bodies and merge them into one.

Senators have long opposed the shift to a unicameral parliamentary system since the Senate would be effectively abolished.

Since senators under the present presidential system are elected nationally, the Senate is considered the stepping stone to a higher elective post.

Most senators are eyeing a bid for the presidency or vice presidency in 2010. Under a unicameral parliamentary system, the head of government would be a Prime Minister elected by his or her peers. — Paolo Romero