Short, sweet plenary debates for RBH 7
The House of Representatives’ Resolution of Both Houses 7, which proposes amendments to certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, is now up for plenary debates.
Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said on Sunday that the House intends to have three days of “shorter” discussion on the measure, with “the second-reading vote set shortly after the termination of the period for amendments on the third day.”
The House, acting as a Committee of the Whole, concluded the marathon deliberation on RBH 7 last Wednesday.
“The ratification of the amendments will immediately send a powerful signal to investors that we want to attract more foreign investments in these sectors of the economy by changing those limitations down the road,” Gonzales said.
Unlike the Committee of the Whole, which held extensive hearings until the wee hours for six days with constitutionalists, former Supreme Court justices, Cabinet members, ex-lawmakers, academics, and stakeholders, Gonzales said the measure’s proponents would make the discussion brief so the House could pass it before the Holy Week recess on 22 March.
RBH 7, the House’s counterpart to the Senate’s RBH 6, seeks to relax the economic restrictions on foreign ownership in public utilities, educational facilities, and the advertising industry, which are said to hamper the country’s economic potential. By amending Articles 12, 14, and 16 of the 37-year-old Charter, the House seeks to relax the restrictions on foreign ownership in public utilities, educational facilities, and the advertising industry.
House leaders agree with veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal that a plebiscite to ratify the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution should be held separate from 2025 polls because pushing such a vote would be “unconstitutional.”
The supermajority coalition in the House, which is made up of allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., voiced fierce objection to his proposal to synchronize the charter change plebiscite with the 2025 local and congressional elections since it would be cost-effective.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, who earlier committed to passing RBH 6 before Holy Week break, said they will not succumb to deadline pressures, saying further studies are needed.