Leaders of the House of Representatives on Monday filed a resolution containing their own version of economic amendments to the 1987 Constitution, which are the same as the Senate’s current Charter change proposals.
Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 7, authored by Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker and Quezon 2nd District Rep. David Suarez, Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, and other House leaders, is almost an exact reproduction of RBH 6, filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Juan Edgardo Angara and Loren Legarda.
They are both titled, “A Resolution of Both Houses of Congress proposing amendments to certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, particularly on Articles Xll, XlV and XVl.”
The proposed House and Senate changes are on the grant of legislative franchises to public utilities in Article 12, basic education in Article 14, and advertising in Article 16.
The suggested principal amendments are the insertion of the phrase, “unless otherwise provided by law,” which would empower Congress to lift or relax present economic restrictions in the nation’s basic law, and the addition of the qualifier “basic” in Article 16.
RBH No. 7 and RBH No. 6 restate the provision of the Constitution that Congress may propose amendments “upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members.”
Other authors of RBH 7 include Senior Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, Deputy Speakers Kristine Singson-Meehan and Antonio Albano, Reps. Yedda K. Romualdez, Jude Acidre, Zaldy Co, LRay Villafuerte, Eleandro Jesus Madrona, Johnny Pimentel, Jesus Jurdin Romualdo, Wilfrido Mark Enverga, Jose Aquino ll, Robert Ace Barbers, Brian Raymund Yamsuan, Angelina Natasha Co, and others.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Barbers said the filing of RBH 7 should finally lay to rest all fears that lawmakers may include political amendments to the 37-year-old Constitution.
In filing RBH 7, Gonzales, Suarez, Dalipe, and others said the Constitution “is the supreme law of the land, enshrining the foundations of our nationhood and reflecting the consensus of our citizenry.”
“The nation’s economic policy must be reframed under the demands of this increasingly globalized age, while still protecting the general policy of Filipino-first that guides the economic provisions of the Constitution,” they said.
They stressed the need to institutionalize the reforms laid down in the amended Public Service Act to liberalize industries, promote efficient service delivery and foster competition as an enduring policy.
“Our children deserve to have access to the best educational institutions, both Filipino and foreign, to ensure that they receive the best training to become globally competitive citizens of the modern world,” they said.
They added that the advertising industry currently already has foreign players and liberalizing the same “is a logical and sound policy to attract foreign direct investment in that industry.”
Later, in a news conference, Gonzales cited the statements of President Marcos, who has expressed full support for the proposed economic Charter amendments.
The lawmakers said the resolution may be discussed by all members of the House of Representatives constituting itself as a Committee of the Whole to exhaustively deliberate on amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution.
“It is very important that this matter s discussed because it is an amendment to the Constitution,” said Barbers, the chair of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs.
“It would be proper that the Committee of the Whole, all members of Congress, can discuss this and elevate the level of discourse, discussion and debate on the matter that we believe can help our economy: (the ) amendment of the economic provisions to prove that no one is thinking of having a political provision amendment in our Constitution,” he stressed.
“That is the reason why a Committee of the Whole is necessary, so that the doubts and apprehensions of our colleagues and especially our friends in the Senate about this will disappear,” Barbers added.
Meanwhile, Charter Change advocate and former congressman Alfredo Garbin Jr. on Monday appealed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to lift the suspension of all proceedings related to people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution.
“I now implore the Comelec to lift the suspension immediately and respect the inherent and Constitutional right of the people to directly propose amendments to the Constitution,” the former Ako Bicol Party-list representative said.
Comelec chairman Erwin Garcia announced last Jan. 29 that the Commission En Banc decided unanimously to suspend indefinitely proceedings on the people’s initiative. The suspension, he said, includes the acceptance of signature sheets by election officers from various cities and municipalities.
In appealing to the Comelec to lift the suspension, Garbin said its time for Comelec to “listen to the people.”
“As for the [PI], the 8 million voters who already signed the petition demand that their voices be heard and be given due process. This number is still on the rise but was temporarily halted by the fake exposés and witch hunts in the guise of inquiry in aid of legislation. All the allegations were already debunked,” Garbin, former chairman of the House panel on constitutional amendments, said.
He also denounced the Senate’s ongoing investigation on PI being pushed by Senator Imee Marcos, chair of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation.
Garbin said the Senate probe was a waste of time as it has proven nothing in terms of the negative allegations about PI, particularly the bribery aspect.