MANILA, Philippines — Administration lawmakers in the House of Representatives last night approved on second reading a measure that will finally introduce amendments to the prohibitive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.
Resolution of Both Houses 2, authored by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, received an overwhelming approval even as Reps. Edcel Lagman of Albay and Kit Belmonte of Quezon City, both lawyers, attempted to inject amendments contrary to its spirit and which was overturned by the majority.
The House may approve the proposal on third and final reading next week, the last week of session before adjournment on June 5.
Under House rules, the measure approved on second reading can be approved on third reading only after three days unless President Duterte certifies it as urgent.
The resolution needs three-fourths vote of the 300 members of the House or 225 representatives to be approved on third reading
Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments, said it is about time the 34-year-old charter is amended, especially as the Philippines has been a laggard among its neighbors in Southeast Asia.
Garbin said RBH 2’s objectives, among others, is to bring about improvement in the quality of life of Filipinos by encouraging more investments that will create more jobs.
He said this is “to maximize our economic momentum to fully transform our economic growth into inclusive and solidary progress by removing the restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution which hamper the flow of foreign capital investments.”
It is also for purposes of “promoting an environment that will ensure prosperity through policies that promote economic growth and inclusive development by opening up the economy to more foreign investments.”
But Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, who is opposed to the Velasco leadership, wants to just “drop” the House’s move to amend the 1987 Constitution and focus instead on the immunization of the general public.
“To increase vaccine acceptance, legislators should initiate or join information campaigns in their districts to persuade would-be vaccinees that the vaccines are safe, and are necessary to eventually contain the pandemic,” he said.
Villafuerte said it would be best if the super majority coalition “do their part in helping the Duterte administration implement its inoculation program,” especially in the wake of the “serious surge in COVID-19 caseload.”
Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, a predecessor of Garbin in heading the House committee on constitutional amendments, reminded the general public that the Philippines still needs foreign investments even as the country is working toward a post-pandemic era.
“When we go back to normalcy, we would want the business sector to be really up and about and be able to receive foreign investments,” the Cagayan de Oro City congressman told reporters via Zoom through the weekly Ugnayan sa Batasan forum.