Lawyers, lawmakers to bring MIF to SC

MANILA, Philippines — The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) and lawmakers belonging to the Makabayan bloc are preparing a case to declare the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) unconstitutional before the Supreme Court (SC).

Lawyer Cristina Conti, NUPL’s Metro Manila secretary-general, said they are studying options to stop the implementation of the MIF.

“This has been questioned over and over, there are both procedural and substantial positions against it, and please expect some sort of action from our part, from the lawyers and the Makabayan bloc. We have been in talks with several groups that are opposing this fund and let’s see,” she said in a CNN Philippines interview on July 18.

“We are studying our options and that would include filing a constitutionality case before the Supreme Court,” she added.

Currently, the SC is deciding on the motion for reconsideration filed by Bayan Muna in their petition asking the high court to void President Marcos’ use of his presidential powers to certify the MIF bill as urgent. The SC earlier denied the petition.

Last Feb. 13, the petitioners argued that the bill’s certification as urgent by Marcos was unconstitutional as the Constitution only provides that a President’s certification of a measure as urgent may only be allowed “to meet a public calamity or emergency.”

However, the court said the Makabayan bloc’s petition was premature because the bill has yet to become a law as it is still pending before the Senate.

Conti said that aside from the case of the presidential power, the NUPL and lawmakers are studying other procedural issues that could be used to declare MIF unconstitutional, including the fact that lawmakers made corrections to the bill through a messaging app.

Meanwhile, she said substantial concerns would involve the economic aspect of the bill. “There are several economic groups, even economic professors from the University of the Philippines School of Economics, who have made a position paper on this, and several other schools have groups of professors who have also spoken on this matter,” she added.

Opposition

Militant fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng

Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Tuesday lambasted President Marcos’ signing the MIF into law.

Pamalakaya vice chairman Ronnel Arambulo reasserted their opposition against the MIF, which he said reeks of corruption and grave anomalies.

“We vow that the fishing sector won’t be complacent with this new scheme of plunder of our hard-earned contributed taxes,” Arambulo said in a statement.

He urged the government to prioritize the rollout of production subsidies for marginalized sectors who are affected by high prices of basic commodities and fuel products.

The group is pushing for a production subsidy of P15,000 to each fisherfolk to cover two-month fuel expenses.