MANILA -- Leaders of the House of Representatives on Monday said they will limit amendments to the 1987 Constitution to its economic provisions following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's statements on economic cha-cha.

• Marcos endorses economic cha-cha, says will not 'hinder' charter change moves

 
"We will follow the President, the Speaker will follow the President at kami pong lahat dito sa miyembro ng House of Representatives," said Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales.
 
"So let there be no other ambiguity about it of the direction of the House, of what the House will do. We will follow the president in his latest speech at the MOPC [Manla Overseas Press Club]," said House Ways and Means Committee Chair Joey Salceda.
 
Salceda noted that the President has always been cautious about everything related to the People Power Revolution which ousted his father from office in 1986.
 
"He is careful not to be perceived as dismantling the 1987 Constitution as he has been careful about all other vestiges of the '86 revolution. Sabi ko pa nga, mas dilawan pa ito kay PNoy," Salceda said.
 
Marcos' agreement to rewrite portions of the charter shows the president recognizes its urgency, Salceda added. 

"So, for the president to come out in support of the charter change despite his usual reservation on such matters, clearly shows that he sees this as urgent," he noted. 

DEFUSING HOUSE-SENATE TENSIONS?

The People’s Initiative (PI) for cha-cha has also been shelved which Salceda said, should cool down the tension between the House and the Senate.
 
"That should clear the air, takes away the poison, 'di ba?" he added.
 
Salceda and House Appropriations Committee Senior Vice Chair Stella Quimbo also believe that the President's speech was a nudge for Congress to take a more constructive direction amid the bickering across the 2 chambers.
 
"When the president gave a date and a clear goal it's to the legislative branch to cooperate and to make sure that that objective is met," Suarez said.

Deputy Speaker David Suarez also said the House of Representatives is not bullying the Senate on charter change.
 
"We're not bullying the Senate. I think what the Senate is realizing now is we have a House of Representatives that is more vocal," Suarez said.
 
He also criticized the Senate's investigation into the alleged payoffs in the People’s Initiative.
 
"So it's starting to look like a witchhunt and of course, it's not helping the interparliamentary relations between the Senate and the House," Suarez told a press conference.
 
Quimbo, for her part, said that the advocacy of the House should not be seen as noise, even as she maintained that the Senate investigation on the PI has not been conducive to good relations between the two chambers of Congress.
 
"Ang problema kasi is kapag may mga inquiries sa Senado na nakakaapekto dito sa pag-achieve ng peace, that doesn't help," she added.