House leaders file resolution on economic Charter reforms, which are the same as Senate proposals

HOUSE leaders today filed a resolution containing their own version of economic constitutional amendments, which are the same as the Senate’s Charter change proposals.

Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, authored by Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr.,  Deputy Speaker and Quezon 2nd District Rep. David “Jay-jay” Suarez, Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, and other House leaders, is almost an exact reproduction of Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Juan Edgardo Angara and Loren Legarda.

They are both entitled, “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 Xll, basic education in Article XlV and advertising in XVl.

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 XlV.

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.”

Some of the authors of RBH 7 include Senior Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, Deputy Speakers  Kristine Singson-Meehan and Antonio “Tonypet” Albano, Reps. Yedda K. Romualdez, Jude Acidre, Zaldy Co, LRay Villafuerte, Eleandro Jesus Madrona, Johnny Pimentel, Jesus Jurdin Romualdo, Wilfrido Mark Enverge, Jose Aquino ll, Robert Ace Barbers, Brian Raymund Yamsuan, Angelina Natasha Co, and others.

In filing RBH No. 7, Gonzales, Suarez, Dalipe, and other House leaders 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 Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., who has expressed full support for the proposed economic Charter amendments.

He quoted the President as saying in a recent speech: “The 1987 Constitution was not written for a globalized world. And that’s the way that is where we are now. We have to adjust so that we can increase the economic activities in the Philippines. We can attract more foreign investors.”

The President further stressed the need to ban foreign interests in “all strategic areas that we cannot allow to be influenced by foreign entity, be it a corporation or another country.”

The Chief Executive also said: “Allow me to make it clear, this administration’s position in introducing reforms for the Constitution extends to economic matters only, for those strategically aimed at boosting our economy. Nothing more.”

Gonzales also noted Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez’s response to the President’s statements: “At the risk of being persistent, we have been saying that we do not advocate any political amendment.”

The Speaker further stated, “The President made it clear that these provisions hinder the entry of foreign investments and the potential for faster and inclusive economic growth, which in turn could translate into a better life of every Filipino.”