Senate approval of Charter change this year ‘very slim’: Sotto

“Let me say that perhaps the chances are very slim,” Sotto said in an interview at the Senate. (File photo by Joseph Vidal via Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA — Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Wednesday said the chances of Charter change (Cha-cha) being approved at the Senate this year are “very slim,” given that the proposed shift to federalism is not among the priorities of all senators.

“Let me say that perhaps the chances are very slim,” Sotto said in an interview at the Senate.

The Senate President said in the all-members’ caucus on Tuesday, each member of the Senate was asked to submit a maximum of three priority bills so that the Senate can sit down with the House and the Executive department to keep it together.

“None of the submissions contained the Cha-cha. You take it from that,” Sotto said.

However, he clarified that the Senate is not closing its doors on Cha-cha, only that the chamber would not be rushing the deliberations on the matter.

“I will speak for the entire Senate.. we have agreed to let the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes come up with the committee report and we will discuss it then,” Sotto said.

He said the Senate will not be working under any deadline.

Meanwhile, Sotto said they welcome newly-installed House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s pronouncements that she will not push for “no elections” (no-el) in 2019.

The no-el scenario was earlier floated by Arroyo’s predecessor, former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

“That’s good if that is the case, because the majority of the members of the Senate, if not all members of the Senate…is not going to support a no-election scenario in 2019, no matter who the Speaker is,” Sotto said.