House panel to discuss charter change even if Marcos says it's not a priority
MANILA, Philippines – Members of the House of Representatives will continue deliberating and holding public consultations on charter change proposals even after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the Philippines can get foreign investments even without amending the 1987 Constitution.
Marcos said on Sunday that changing the constitution is not a priority as reeling in foreign investors can be done without rewriting its economic provisions – a clear departure from the stance of his congressional allies. Those include his cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who previously said that relaxing restrictions on foreign ownership would be the "last piece in the puzzle" of the country's growth.
"We will of course consider it. But as an independent branch of government, the House of Representatives and Congress will proceed with its public dialogues on this issue," said Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro), chairperson of the constitutional amendments committee, said of the president's statement on constitutional amendments.
Rodriguez added that while Marcos is the country’s "best salesman" to foreign investors, "certain restrictive provisions of the Charter could be impeding investments."
The Constitution limits foreign investment in public utilities, development of natural resources and education to only 40% and advertising to 30%. Foreign investments in mass media and land are prohibited.
It's these rules in the constitution that lawmakers in both the House and the Senate — through Sen. Robin Padilla of the constitutional amendments panel — want to tweak in the hopes of attracting more money from abroad.
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Rodriguez added that the House has received an "overwhelming recommendation" to rewrite the Constitution’s economic provisions in consultations it held last week in Cagayan de Oro City.
"The emerging consensus is to relax restrictions on the entry of foreign capital into the country," he added.
Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers party-list) of the House minority scored the committee on February 10 for the apparent lack of representatives from marginalized sectors in the public hearings. She said sectoral representatives could have "[articulated] why Charter change (should not) be the priority (and) how it will not cure our country's problems from landlessness, joblessness, low salaries and high prices of goods and services."
Proposals to amend or revise the constitutions have cropped up in almost every administration, with the president's allies in Congress often expressing a similar view as the chief executive on the urgency of passing amendments. Marcos Jr.'s predecessor Rodrigo Duterte included a shift to federalism in his presidential campaign but said in 2017 that Filipinos were not ready for it.
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