House panel tackles Cha-cha tomorrow

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives committee on constitutional amendments will again try to tackle proposals to amend the Constitution to pave the way for the eventual relaxation of foreign ownership restrictions of land and businesses.

The effort is what congressmen pushing for it call economic Cha-cha (Charter change), which they said could bring in more foreign investments.

The committee chaired by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez set a new hearing for tomorrow after it failed to meet last week due to lack of members.

Rodriguez appealed to Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to appoint a majority of the 55-member committee so it could start discussing the measures the House has referred to it.

The panel has only 19 members. The House would have to name nine more members for the committee to begin working.

Rodriguez cancelled last week’s hearing at the last minute, saying its propriety and legality might be questioned.

Six Cha-cha proposals are pending with the committee.

Three of these measures seek to introduce changes in the economic provisions of the Constitution. Their authors are Rodriguez, deputy speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.

They are proposing the insertion of the phrase, “unless otherwise provided by law,” in 11 parts of the Charter that have to do with limiting foreign ownership of land and businesses, including media, telecommunications and educational institutions.

This means the present restrictions would remain but that Congress would be empowered to relax or lift them in the future as the situation requires, the proponents said.

Another Rodriguez measure seeks to introduce changes in the Constitution’s political provisions.

The two other proposals are on the selection of an acting president in case of a failure to elect the president and vice president, and on limiting the vetting power of the Commission on Appointments, in the case of military officers, to the chief of staff and service commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Force.