Lawmaker accuses biz groups of ‘flip-flopping’ on Cha-cha

MANILA, Philippines — The chairman of the committee on constitutional amendments of the House of Representatives has accused the Makati Business Club and another business group of “flip-flopping” on their position on constitutional amendments.

Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez also named the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) as having changed its stand in a recent statement on the House’s efforts to amend prohibitive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.

“MBC and Finex are now against Charter amendments. Before this position, they were in favor of changing the Constitution’s economic provisions,” Rodriguez lamented.

He revealed that when House Resolution 6 was still being deliberated during committee hearings, the MBC and Finex favored Charter reform in previous position papers sent to his committee.

“In a dynamic global economy, we believe any barriers should be subject to modification by the President and Congress, better than being fixed in the Constitution,” MBC stated in its position paper sent to the Rodriguez panel in September 2019.

“Further economic liberalization will bring in new players and technology, who will boost competition on price and quality, benefiting Filipino consumers,” MBC explained further, declaring its “long-running support” to lift investment restrictions in the Constitution.

It was the same thing with Finex, which noted that “in almost all countries in the world, restrictions on foreign investments are not contained in their Constitutions. Instead, restrictions on foreign trade and investments are done through legislation or administrative orders that can be changed to suit shifting national priorities.”

Finex also supported the proposed convening of a constitutional convention to propose the amendments.

Meanwhile, including the 100 percent foreign ownership of land in the list of proposed amendments to economic provisions of the Constitution will make Charter change unpopular among Filipinos, and will derail the campaign in Congress, leaders of the Senate have warned.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III in separate interviews warned against a proposed amendment that would allow foreigners to own land in the Philippines.

“Although they (Charter change proponents) call it economic provisions, there is one rider that is not necessarily connected to economic provisions. They want to open up land ownership to foreigners. Why is it there?” Pimentel told ANC yesterday.

He said the proposed amendment provision will only add to controversy and resistance from the public.