Economic Cha-cha dead – Robin

MANILA, Philippines —  The move to amend the economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution is “dead” in the Senate, Sen. Robinhood Padilla conceded yesterday.

In a press briefing, Padilla, who chairs the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, said only senators from his party PDP-Laban agreed to sign his committee report that proposed easing the constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership.

Padilla’s panel proposed inserting the line “unless otherwise provided for by law” in the restrictive provisions, such as those under Article XII for National Economy and Patrimony.

The “restrictive” economic provisions, such as those that require corporations to be at least 60 percent owned by Filipinos, may be eased by Congress through the enactment of enabling laws.

“What is sad here is that only the four senators from PDP-Laban agreed with our report. With due respect to the other honorable senators, they did not sign or did not give any response,” Padilla said in Filipino of his committee report he released on March 31.

“They have long said that our proposal has no future in the Senate,” he added.

Padilla did not name the PDP-Laban senators who agreed with his report. The PDP-Laban representatives in the Senate are Padilla, Ronald dela Rosa, Christopher Go, Francis Tolentino and Aquilino Pimentel III, who is from a faction.

The neophyte senator said he hopes foreign ownership restrictions would be eased in the implementation of relevant laws, such as the Public Service Act, and even in the proposed Maharlika investment fund, now under second reading at the Senate after getting an urgent certification from President Marcos.

With economic Charter change dead, Padilla said he has his eyes fixed on amending the political provisions in the charter by allowing a President to seek reelection and giving four-year terms to locally elected officials.

The present constitution bars a President from a second term. Locally elected officials like mayors and district representatives are allowed three consecutive terms of three years each.

Padilla did not explain if his proposal for local officials would be to have a four-year stint for three consecutive terms.

But he said local officials have told him that their present three-year term is not enough.

“Since they don’t want to touch the economic provisions, then let us tackle the political ones. During my rounds talking to local officials, they said a three-year term is not enough. Six years is also not enough for a President. Reelection is important,” Padilla said.

While Charter change via constitutional convention breezed through the House of Representatives, it has not gained the same traction at the Senate where it is not part of the agenda, according to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Marcos has also thumbed down the move as not among his administration’s priorities.