House focused on amendments to economic provisions of Constitution

MANILA, Philippines — Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte has questioned the Senate for allegedly employing a “diversionary ploy” when it spoke against supposed political reforms in the people’s initiative when the House of Representatives only wants changes in the 1987 Constitution’s economic restrictions.

In a statement on Thursday, Villafuerte — who heads the National Unity Party — noted that the senators in their manifesto called out the people’s initiative  for pushing for political reforms, like having the House and the Senate voting jointly in terms of passing amendments to the Constitution. 

“Senators should cease muddling up the issue of constitutional reform because the one and only objective of the House at this point is to amend for the first time the almost four-decade-old Constitution,” Villafuerte said.

“And this is to aptly rid the Charter of its anachronistic economic provisions that have barred the Philippines, despite being one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies in the pre- and post-pandemic period, from attracting the kind of huge investments long enjoyed by our Southeast Asian neighbors and that are crucial to creating a lot more jobs and better lives for our people,” he added.

“The Senate is now raising the issue of political reforms in the Constitution in its Jan. 23 manifesto — although the popular clamor now is only for lifting the anachronistic economic provisions that spook foreign investors — apparently out of fear that any Charter Change initiative could possibly lead to rationalizing or reforming the term-limit provisions of which our senators are the biggest beneficiaries,” he said.

“This is because the political provisions of the 1987 Charter allow them among all our elective officials the longest time of 12 years — six years plus a reelection of another six years — to serve in their legislative posts,” he noted.

Villafuerte also noted that Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’ views — that amending the constitution will be key to economic progress — is correct because it will allow more foreign investments to come in, which in turn would create more jobs and make industries competitive, therefore lowering the price of goods and services.