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Enrile: cha-cha will die in senate

Aba'y dapat naman. The posturings of the two Arroyo sons in Congress remind me of Bongbong during the heyday of the Marcos dictatorship. So cocksure, so arrogant, even if their brain cells are melting.

I think it will a go for the elections. And who are running in the administration slate for senators? Recycled losers, has-beens, people who do not even know what a blog means.


Some dum-dums will bite the dust in 2010.

***

by Karen Reyes-Caringal, ANC | 03/25/2009 10:31 PM
www.abs-cbnNEWS.com

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said on Wednesday he is ready to take members of the House of Representatives to the Supreme Court if they insist on amending the 1987 Constitution without senators' participation.

"The House of Representatives is not the Congress of the Philippines, and the Constitution speaks of the power of Congress to amend the Constitution by three-fourths vote of all its members, meaning three-fourths of the House and three-fourths of the Senate," Enrile said in an interview on ANC's Top Story.

Enrile was reacting to moves by the House to push for Camarines Sur Representative Luis Villafuerte's resolution to convene Congress into a Constituent Assembly.

The resolution now has 177 signatures, 20 shy of the needed three-fourths vote.

But with the 2010 elections fast approaching, Enrile said he doubts the charter change drive would succeed.

Death in Senate

He added that even if the House passes the charter change resolution, it will die when it reaches the Senate.

"Impossible. I can tell you that even if it passes the House, there is no guarantee that it can pass through the Senate. They're [congressmen] already campaigning. Even those in the Senate are already out in the field [campaigning]. It will be very difficult to get a quorum, let alone get 18 Senators to vote in favor of any amendment. It will be very difficult," Enrile said.

Aside from Villafuerte, House Speaker Prospero Nograles also has a resolution, seeking amendments to economic provisions of the constitution.

De Venecia offer?

Meanwhile, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo denied offering Pangasinan's Jose De Venecia the speakership in exchange for helping the signature drive for charter change at the House.

"Maybe some other Congressmen, but that is beyond my knowledge. But as far as I'm concerned, I can say I never offered him the Speakership. (House Speaker) Nograles was voted by 176 Congressmen. This is one of the highest number of votes ever won by a Speaker. How can you disenfranchise all these Congressmen?", Arroyo told ANC's Top Story.

Arroyo was reacting to De Venecia's claim that he rejected the offer during a meeting with Arroyo, and Leyte Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

Gloria's term extension

"Sabi ko di ko sila pwede tulungan kase maliwanag na gusto nila extend ang term of office ni Pres. Arroyo (I told them I couldn't help them because it was clear they want to extend Pres. Arroyo's term)," De Venecia said on an interview on DZMM on Wednesday.

Rep. Arroyo confirmed meeting with De Venecia early this month, and that they talked about charter change. But he deniesd making the offer.

Also during the meeting, the President's son said he informed De Venecia he hopes that one day, their families would reconcile.

De Venecia had a falling out with President Arroyo when his son, Joey. accused First Gentleman Mike Arroyo of accepting kickbacks in the botched $329-million ZTE-NBN deal between the Philippines and China.

Meanwhile, Rep. Arroyo insists, the charter change initiative at the House is not meant to extend the term of his mother beyond 2010.

"For those who are scared this will derail the 2010 elections, I'm sorry to tell them their fears are unfounded", he said.

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