Instead of fighting in public, Congressional leaders should sit down and settle their feud over the House of Representatives push for constitutional amendments.

In a radio interview Friday, Cavite 4th District Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. urged House and Senate leaders to exercise parliamentary courtesy, noting that the differences in their opinions on the charter change initiative could have been avoided had the Senate first voted on the measure before declaring that it lacks the numbers to push it.

According to Barzaga, the word war began when Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri implied that the delay in implementing the three laws (the Public Service Act, the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and the Foreign Investment Act) appeared to be caused by the House's push to rewrite the Constitution's economic provisions.

Rodriguez responded that Zubiri's allegation was "unfair" to House members, particularly the Speaker, who has taken issue with allegations that the House railroaded the passage of the constitutional convention measures (ConCon).

Barzaga stated that the delay in enforcing the three laws' implementation guidelines was not the House's fault.

He expressed regret that Zubiri made the insinuations in public, prompting Romualdez and Rodriguez to respond.

If the Senate lacks the necessary numbers, Zubiri could have simply ordered Senator Robinhood Padilla to cancel the public hearings because they would be a waste of time or simply waited for the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments to vote on the Cha-cha measure at the committee level and, if approved, debate the issues in plenary.

Barbers, a long-time Cha-cha supporter, agreed, saying the House and Senate should appoint representatives to settle the dispute.