Foreign chambers to attend Cha-cha hearing
HE Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) in the PHILIPPINES, REPRESENTING OVER 3,000 fiRMS, will share on Monday its stand on the proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution as the Senate continues to hold hearings on the issue.
The JFC is a coalition of the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese and Korean chambers in the Philippines and the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Headquarters Inc. The group represents over 3,000 companies engaged in trade and investment.
Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, chairman of the Senate
Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, will resume on Monday the public hearing on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6 to amend supposed “restrictive” economic provisions of the Constitution.
The senator on Sunday urged the public to listen to the hearings to have “a better understanding of the proposed amendments to the
Constitution that may be tackled in a future plebiscite.”
“The upside of these hearings and this process is that it is very transparent. They would hear the opinion of legal and economic experts, and these will help voters form their own views about the need to amend our Constitution.” Angara said.
Also invited to the hearing on February 12 are retired chief justice Reynato Puno, retired justice Antonio Carpio, political analyst Clarita Carlos, and the Makati Business Club among others.
Angara said the public debates on Charter change (Cha-cha) will help voters familiarize themselves with the pros and cons of amending the economic provisions of the Constitution.
Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay said that the proposed amendments to the economic provisions are “not a magic solution” to the problems confronting the country.
In a radio interview, the senator on Saturday questioned whether the proposed amendments would “genuinely lead” to lower prices of basic commodities.
“The number one concern of Filipinos today based on various surveys is the steep prices of basic goods that is why it is important to manage the expectations of the people as discussions are underway to change the Charter,” Binay said.
She urged her fellow lawmakers and the public to “listen to all perspectives before making any decisions regarding the proposed constitutional amendments.”
She cited the recurring issue of inconsistent electricity policies in the country. This is an example of a “systemic challenge that needs to be addressed through legislation,” she said.
Binay also cited the lack of consistency in policies and questioned the feasibility of investing in a country where policies can change every six years.
The senator stressed the importance of enacting laws to provide stability and predictability in the energy sector, ensuring a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.
Aside from hearing different perspectives from the experts, Angara said voters “can actually inform us about what they would like to know, or air their concerns about the issues being raised by our resource persons.”
He reiterated his position that the plebiscite could be held together with the 2025 national and local elections,saying that voters would be capable of deciding on Charter change while choosing their next leaders.
“If we have faith in the ability of our voters to discern who to vote FOR, THEN WE SHOULD BE CONfiDENT IN the capacity of our countrymen to determine whether changes in our Constitution will be advantageous for them,” he said.