PRAGUE: Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Speaker Martin Romualdez on Friday said that the passage of the proposed bill amending restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution was on track.
During a press conference with the Philippine media delegation here, Zubiri and Romualdez assured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the passage of the proposed economic charter change.
"Yes, we are, with Senator (Juan Edgardo) Angara. We have about three more hearings left and then we'll be taking it up in plenary and hopefully putting it to the vote," Zubiri said.
"And we're convincing our colleagues on the commission that we have a three-fourth vote of this measure. But it's on point, we're on track," he added.
Angara is the author of Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6, the Senate version of the resolution seeking amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
The House of Representatives, for its part, on Wednesday passed on second reading its version, RBH 7, which seeks to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, particularly on foreign ownership restrictions on public utilities, education, and advertising.
Romualdez said they have also over three fourths of the House supportive of the proposed measure.
"We are on track to pass the same. And again, we have followed the lead of the Senate and the amendments of the RBH 7 are exact copy of the Senate resolution," he said.
Meanwhile, the President welcomed such a development and expressed hope that the differences in wordings and style between the versions of both Houses would be addressed.
"So, that is the legislative state of play as it were. The Senate is continuing with its hearings. The House has already passed on second reading. What is more important than all of that for me is that it is practically in the same resolution. And that for me is the key point in this process. We have arrived at a consensus," Marcos said.
"We all knew how this -- when this began, how contentious this was. Well, we seem to be going down a common road now between the two Houses of Congress," he added.
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