by Raadee Sausa January 26, 2021 Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (Photo from PNA) ...
January 26, 2021
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| Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (Photo from PNA) |
The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments received documents in support of the surgical amendments to the Constitution.
Led by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, the committee convened to continue discussions on Resolution of Both Houses(RBH) 2, which received 555,160 signatures of Filipinos in support of the surgical amendments to the Constitution.
The documents was given by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya.
The RBH 2, seeks to amend the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution to attract foreign investments and help the country recover from the economic devastation of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Velasco, earlier, gave the assurance that the debates on the said Resolution shall be transparent and fair.
Besides Malaya, other resource persons present in the meeting are former NEDA Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Gary Olivar of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), Dr. Raul Fabella, and IBON Foundation Executive Director Jose Enrique Africa.
Political leaders back economic amendments in Charter
Moreover, leaders from various political parties and power blocs in the House of Representatives, earlier, met to back Velasco’s resolution proposing amendments to the restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.
The hybrid meeting called by Velasco took place a day before the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments would conduct its hearing on RBH 2.
“There is a strong and united consensus among political leaders in the House to back Speaker Velasco’s initiative towards liberalizing the economic provisions in the Constitution,” Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera of Bagong Henerasyon said.
Physically present at the meeting were Deputy Speakers Mikee Romero, Kristine Singson Meehan and Wes Gatchalian; and Rep. Mark Enverga of Quezon, Rep. Kit Belmonte of Quezon City, Rep. Francisco Benitez of Negros Occidental and Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. of Ako Bicol Party-list.
Those present via teleconferencing were Deputy Speakers Doy Leachon, Roberto Puno, Munir Arbison, and Eric Martinez; Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez; Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano; and Rep. Mikey Arroyo of Pampanga, Rep. Isidro Ungab of Davao City, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Rep. Michael John Duavit of Rizal, Rep. Joet Garcia of Bataan, Rep. Rommel Angara of Aurora, Rep. Franz Alvarez of Palawan, Rep. Eileen Ermita-Buhain of Batangas, Rep. Sharon Garin of AAMBIS-OWA, and Rep. Stella Quimbo of Marikina City .
The lawmakers represent major political parties and blocs in the House --PDP-Laban, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, National Unity Party, Lakas-NUCD, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, Liberal Party, and Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc.
RBH 2 aims to amend certain economic provisions of the Charter, particularly Articles XII (National Patrimony and Economy), XIV (Education, Science, Technology, Arts, Culture and Sports) and XVI (General Provisions).
The measure seeks to insert the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to several sections of the Constitution, which restrict foreign ownership of land, natural resources, public utilities, educational institutions, media and advertising.
It provides that by a vote of three-fourths of all its members, the Senate and the House of Representatives voting separately could propose amendments to the economic provisions of the basic law of the land.
Garbin, who chairs the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, assured that the proposed amendments will be limited to the economic provisions in light of the damaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Philippine economy.
He said the slight change in the Constitution’s language will help “improve the investment climate and generate much-needed investments and jobs to offset the devastating economic impact of the pandemic.
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