House panel OKs proposed amendments to Constitution

The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments has approved in an executive session an unnumbered Resolution of Both Houses seeking to amend the economic and political provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

This was disclosed by Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate to the House media in a press conference.

He said the approval of the six-page resolution was made in an executive session on Wednesday, after the House of Representatives ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P4.1 trillion national budget for 2020.

"The committee has approved the amendments to major economic provisions of our Constitution by simply adding the phrase ‘unless otherwise provided by law’,” Zarate told reporters.

The voting on the proposed economic amendments was 9-5, ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro disclosed to Manila Bulletin. The voting on the political amendments was 10-4, she said.

"With the current growing global interest in Asia, it now becomes an imperative response to further enhance our economic policies in order for us to compete for more investments which is a vital element in maximizing our potential as one of the growing economies in Asia," the unnumbered six-page Resolution of Both Houses reads.

Zarate described as "dangerous" the approval of the resolution by the panel, chaired by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, one of the principal authors of the Cha-cha measure.

He said the measure seeks to insert the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to several sections of the Constitution which restrict foreign ownership of land, natural resources, public utilities, media, and advertising.

The measure authorizes Congress to provide for the exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources.

Zarate said the panel also approved the political amendments to the Constitution. Under the resolution, House members, senators, and barangay officials, shall have a four-year tour of duty, but limited to three consecutive terms.

"They included this with the economic provisions to make these provisions palatable to the officials," he said.

"This is used as a bargaining chip to ensure the passage of the economic provisions. This is dangerous because we are opening up our national economy and patrimony to foreign exploitation," he added.

The resolution also provides the President and Vice President shall be elected as a team.

"A vote for the presidential candidate shall be counted as a vote for his or her vice presidential candidate," it said.

The Rodriguez panel also approved a provision calling for the election of 24 senators with three representing each of the nine regions of the country, according to the Makabayan bloc. The voting on this amendment was 10-4.

The proposed nine regions include National Capital Region, Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

The resolution provides that the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress Assembled, with a vote of three-fourths of all its members, voting separately, and pursuant to Article XVII of the Constitution, to propose amendments to Articles VI, V, XII, XIV and XVI of the 1987 Constitution.

The Makabayan bloc vowed to block the plenary approval of the Cha-cha resolution.