The Senate on Monday will begin its much anticipated deliberations on Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, which seeks to amend restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
RBH No. 6 proposes amendments to certain provisions of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, particularly on Articles 12, 14, and 16.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has promised President Marcos that senators would pass the resolution before Congress adjourns for its Holy Week recess on March 23.
House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe on Sunday reminded the Senate of its self-imposed deadline on the approval of proposed amendments to the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
“We hold them to this commitment, which was even reported in themedia. The House is just waiting for the Senate to approve RBH No. 6 so we can quickly adopt it,” he said.
“There is much anticipation and anxiety in the House on this RBH No. 6because the House had been proposing changes in the Charter principally on economic provisions, since the 8th Congress or for 35-36 years. So we expect Charter reform to take place this time, under the 19th Congress,” Dalipe said.
He called on the senators, particularly, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara and Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, to walk the talk on their proposed ceasefire in the word war between the two chambers of Congress.
In a separate statement, Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. David Suarez said he is optimistic that Zubiri would be true to his word and jumpstart the discussions on RBH No. 6, and rally the needed 18 votes for the resolution to pave the way for amendments to the “restrictive” economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
“We will be waiting here and assure all stakeholders that we will immediately act on the Senate approval. We are just waiting for the delivery of Zubiri’s promise,” Suarez said.
The House has completed all its legislative commitments to the Chief Executive, including all of the priority bills in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council list and urgent measures listed by the President in his last State of the Nation Address.
“We have deliberated exhaustively and passed all measures listed in the LEDAC and in the President’s SONA. We have no back subjects. We have no backlogs. We are raring to deliberate and amend the restrictive economic provisions of our Charter to the convenience of our countrymen,” Suarez noted.
Meanwhile, good governance advocate and lawyer Nick Conti said that although several measures have been passed by Congress to encourage and facilitate the entry of foreign investors into the country, “there are still sectors subject to the 60-40 foreign equity restrictions.”
He cited electricity distribution and transmission, petroleum and petroleum product transmission, seaports, water pipeline distribution systems and wastewater pipeline systems, including sewerage pipeline systems and public utility vehicles.
A former commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission, Conti argued that Charter change could provide an opportunity to thoroughly review and modify these restrictions, allowing broader foreign participation and thereby creating employment and income opportunities for the people.
He also said that an amendment that will buttress the principle ofsanctity of contracts in the country will greatly boost the country’s efforts to retain and attract foreign direct investments (FDI) even with the rancorous political environment in the country.
“This will also address concerns on the track record of the country with regards to contracts that have been canceled mainly due to a change in the government. This has been a real concern among foreign investors,” Conti pointed out.
Conti issued the appeal as he hailed the recent move of President Marcos, Speaker Martin Romualdez, and Zubiri in finding common ground in advocating for amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines, meanwhile, expressed support for Charter change. ECOP head Sergio Luis Ortiz said that although the business community has no unified stand on the matter, the private sector is supportive of economic changes made through constitutional change.
Ortiz said amendments should be geared toward ensuring that the erratic and ever-changing policies of the government are made consistent, noting that the lack of consistency “was pushing foreign investors away and into the arms of neighboring nations.”