THE House of Representatives yesterday approved on second reading Resolution of Both Houses No. 7 (RBH No. 7), which seeks to revise the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
Lawmakers approved RBH No. 7 through voice voting shortly past 6:30 p.m. after three days of interpellations, which started last Monday.
The measure’s counterpart version at the Senate, which is proposed Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, is still being discussed in the subcommittee of Committee on Constitutional Amendments.
RBH No. 6 and No. 7 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 XII, XIV and XVI,” pertaining to public services, basic education, and advertising.
Proponents of the bill seek to lift the 40 percent limit on foreign ownership in the three sectors to attract more foreign direct investments to the country and create more jobs for Filipinos by adding the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to the three constitutional provisions — Section 11 of Article XII (National Patrimony and Economy), Section 4 of Article XIV (Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture, and Sports) and Section 11 of Article XVI (General Provisions).
The only difference between the House and the Senate’s version is the provision found in RBH No. 6 which expressly states that the voting on the amendments should be undertaken separately by the two chambers because the Constitution, while requiring a three-fourths vote of all members of Congress, is silent on how the voting should be done.
TERM EXTENSION
Earlier yesterday, administration lawmakers assailed former President Rodrigo Duterte for continuing to accuse President Marcos Jr. and the House of Representatives of seeking constitutional amendments to extend the term of office of public officials, saying records would clearly show that such claim is a lie.
“It’s very clear, it’s in black and white, that we’re only dealing specifically with the economic provisions,” Lanao del Sur Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo told a press conference.
Duterte, who is in danger of being being ordered arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, has been claiming that the administration’s Cha-cha campaign aims to prolong the terms of elected officials even if both the House’s RBH No.7 and the Senate’s RBH No. 6 only exclusively seek to amend the “restrictive” economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
The former president repeated his allegation during a rally in Manila on Tuesday in support of embattled religious leader Apollo Quiboloy who was ordered arrested by the House for snubbing its hearings on the bill seeking to revoke the legislative franchise of his Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).
Dimaporo said Vice President Sara Duterte, as a member of the Marcos Jr. Cabinet, should at least try to reign her father in and stop him from attacking the President and his administration.
“From what I heard and saw, VP Sara was among the crowd talking to the people (at the Quiboloy rally). We don’t really know what her purpose is there,” Dimaporo said. “I would want to believe that her purpose is to at least neutralize the former president na huwag naman masyadong masipag ‘yung banat kay (to convince him to tone down his attacks on) President Bongbong Marcos because she is still his Cabinet secretary for education.”
Dimaporo said peace should reign in the holy month of Ramadan and he hopes that the Vice President can convince her father to cease his attacks, especially since the President and the Vice President ran on a platform of national unity.
“I hope that being her father, our former president, President Duterte will somewhat be, in a way, parang (like) tapered down or like (a) dialogue can open, because this hasn’t helped anybody. This is the holy month of Ramadan,” he said. “And with regards to the prayer rally, is it an opposition, is it something to be worried about? Kami naman we’re from Mindanao so basta lang walang armas, walang crossfire, walang violence (We’re from Mindanao, so as long as there’s no arms, no crossfire, no violence), and you know there’s no harm.”
Dimaporo said the almost identical resolutions of the two houses of Congress clearly provide that particular economic constitutional provisions related to public utilities, education and advertising will be amended.
“Maybe he (Duterte) hasn’t been clarified on what’s happening here in Congress,” said Dimaporo, chair of the House committee on Muslim affairs.
The House, which has started plenary deliberations on RBH No. 7 last Monday, was scheduled to put the measure to a vote last night for passage on second reading to give it enough time for the period of amendments next week before voting on it for approval on third and final reading.
La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega, an assistant majority leader, backed Dimaporo, saying it is obvious in the House deliberations that only the restrictive economic provisions of the 37-year-old Constitution will be amended.
“It’s purely economic Cha-cha,” Ortega said. “Even if you watch the debates in the Senate, the House, wala naman pong pinag-uusapan tungkol sa politika (there are no political discussions),” Ortega said.
“We have never discussed a single thing about anything on political, extension of term,” he stressed.
Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. expressed concern over the political repercussions of Duterte’s tirades, warning that it could have serious economic consequences for the country.
“The political ripple that he (Duterte) created may burn the house down,” Haresco told the same press conference. “There will be some suspended animation from all these targeted [FDIs] into our country with that move of our honored former President Digong.”
Haresco cited the recent foreign trip of the President, who brought US$1.7 billion in potential investments. Because of a perceived political instability, he said these investments may be put at risk, leading to a potential suspension of foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the Philippines.