Speaker favors con-ass

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. prefers a constituent assembly to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution.

Speaking to reporters, Belmonte said the House of Representatives and the Senate must vote separately on the proposed amendments.

“When I speak of Charter change, I refer only to the economic provisions,” he said.

“I’m not in favor of constitutional convention, I’m for constituent assembly because it’s faster, but voting separately, of course.

“We (Senate and House) meet as one, but we vote as two (bodies).”

Belmonte said the proposed general amendments to the economic provisions of Constitution could still be specified in laws to be enacted by Congress.

“So that’s not automatic. It’s still part of the law... (that) still has to go through a process and the President is the final arbiter and approval of the law,” the Speaker said.

Earlier, Belmonte said he and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile are going to meet to discuss the progress of efforts in Congress to amend the Constitution.

“I think that constitutional change should not be a part of the agenda of anybody,” he said. “Certainly, I don’t look at it as anything partisan. This is for all of us.”

Earlier, Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption Rep. Sherwin Tugna backed fresh moves to amend the Constitution.

“The time to amend the Constitution has come (as) the call for a reexamination of the 1987 Constitution is becoming louder everyday,” he said.

“Definitely there is a need to make changes in our Constitution in order to address certain problems that plague our government. But I think we need to isolate those problems first before we push through and modify a number of provisions in the Constitution.”

Tugna said it must be clearly discussed and agreed on which provisions need to be modified.

“So as not to make the impression that Congress is empowering itself through the process,” he said.

“In amending the economic provisions of the Constitution, it is important that areas of investment where the 60-40 percent (foreign-domestic) equity limitations are proposed to be removed must be scrutinized.

“The removal of the limitation should ultimately benefit our nation and our people. We must be able to distinguish where the limitation must be removed and where it must be maintained for the protection of our nation.”

Under a constitutional convention, the people elect delegates as in a congressional race – by district.

The convention will be another separate body tasked to make proposals for amendments.

It will have no limit as how many amendments to the Constitution it may make and its lifespan would depend how the delegates want it to exist, raising fears of abuse and high cost of maintaining the convention.

A constituent assembly is when the Senate and the House meet as one Charter-amending body. It may limit its scope of work.

In both modes, the proposed amendments would have to be ratified by the people in a plebiscite.