PBBM urged to ‘reconsider’ stand on Constitutional revision proposal

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

ASENIOR lawmaker on Tuesday urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to “reconsider” his position on constitutional reform in order to sustain the country’s high economic growth on his watch with bigger foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, a lead proponent of a measure—House Bill (HB) 4926—endorsing Charter change via the ConCon route, issued the statement after the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments approved by a 17-3 vote with one abstention of a still unnumbered Resolution of Both Houses (RBH), seeking the election of delegates to study and propose reforms to the 1987 Constitution.

T his committee, chaired by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, voted for the bill last Monday after holding several regular meetings and public hearings in various parts of the country on pending proposals to amend the Constitution either by a duly elected Consti- tutional convention (Con-Con) or by the Congress convening itself into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass).

“ We are hoping that the committee vote for our Con-Con proposal would clear the way to its swift plenary approval by the House,” Villafuerte said. “It is our hope, too, that with this panel vote, President Marcos would reconsider his position on Charter change.”

V illafuerte recalled that during the recent grand opening of the New Terminal Building of the Clark International Airport in Pampanga, President Marcos said that “we will do everything” to nurture strong partnerships between his administration and potential investors.

“Given that the 60-40 ownership cap in our Constitution is apparently one deal breaker that has turned off foreign investors despite the investment-grade ratings of the Philippines for over a decade now,” said Villafuerte, “we believe that giving priority to Charter change to take out this restrictive economic provision is one of the must-do’s that the President could consider to foster stronger partnerships