THE House of Representatives will begin plenary debates on Monday on proposed economic constitutional amendments contained in Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 7, expecting the deliberations to be shorter.
Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio D. Gonzales Jr. said that the plenary session will delve into the report of the Committee of the Whole House.
The committee endorsed the resolution’s approval “without amendment.”
Gonzales anticipates shorter deliberations compared to the extensive hearings held by the Committee of the Whole House, spanning six days with the participation of numerous resource persons and experts.
He said he expects the deliberations to be shorter than the proceedings of the Committee of the Whole House, which conducted six days of marathon and extensive hearings on the proposed amendments to which scores of resource persons and experts were invited.
“In plenary, the proponents of the economic charter changes will defend their proposals. The plan is to have three days of debates, with the second-reading vote set shortly after the termination of discussions and the period for amendments on the third day,” Gonzales said.
Emphasizing the directive from Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Gonzales affirmed the House’s commitment to its timeline, aiming to approve the proposed amendments on the third and final reading before Holy Week. Subsequently, RBH 7 will be transmitted to the Senate.
The Speaker has expressed confidence that the Senate would be able to obtain the needed 18 votes, or three-fourths of all its members, to adopt the economic charter change proposals.
Romualdez expressed confidence last Friday that the Senate would secure the necessary 18 votes, constituting three-fourths of its members, for the adoption of the economic charter change proposals.
“I believe in the Senate leadership, especially in SP (Senate President) Migz (Juan Miguel) Zubiri, that he can handle everything and persuade all his colleagues in the Senate,” remarked the leader of the House of Representatives. “We understand the challenges, but the Senate has always lived up to the challenge. I know that they know what is good for our people.”
Romualdez was reacting to Zubiri’s statement that getting the required 18 votes in the Senate for the economic amendment proposals “is a big challenge” but that “it’s not impossible.”
Zubiri earlier said he and his colleagues would approve the proposed charter changes later this month, before the Holy Week.
The Senate is tackling RBH 6, its own version of the proposed constitutional changes. It is authored by Zubiri and Senators Loren Legarda and Juan Edgardo Angara.
Moreover, Gonzales reiterated that the proposed amendments would give Congress the flexibility to change foreign capital and foreign ownership restrictions in the Constitution in three areas: public utilities, education, and advertising.
“The ratification of the amendments will immediately send a powerful signal to investors that we want to attract more foreign investments in these sectors of the economy by changing those limitations down the road,” he said. “It will also greatly help President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in convincing foreign investors to invest in our country.”
RBH 6 and RBH 7 are both titled, “A Resolution of Both Houses of Congress Proposing Amendments to Certain Economic Provisions of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, particularly on Articles Xll, XlV, and XVl.”
As the House of Representatives maintains its course towards approving RBH 7 before Holy Week, Camarines Sur Rep. LRay F. Villafuerte expressed optimism about the Senate’s potential success in passing its version of the Charter makeover.
The lawmaker said the consensus among these experts is that for the Philippines to achieve global competitiveness and outpace more prosperous neighbors in a borderless world, it is imperative to open up the economy to foreign investors.
Despite Zubiri acknowledging the formidable challenge of securing a three-fourth majority vote for RBH 6, the Senate version of the constitutional reform resolution, Villafuerte sees it as a “good chance” and within the realm of possibilities.
Villafuerte, National Unity Party (NUP) president, noted the potential for senators opposing the measure to reconsider their stance after hearing the perspectives of economic experts and legal luminaries during ongoing hearings conducted by the Senate subcommittee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, chaired by Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, one of the authors of RBH 6.
Citing Zubiri’s leadership and commitment to Senate action on the resolution, Villafuerte remains hopeful about garnering the necessary votes. While some opponents claim they can muster enough votes to quash RBH 6, Angara emphasizes that the voting time has not yet arrived, leaving room for potential approval.
Highlighting insights from economic managers, experts, and legal luminaries, Villafuerte stressed the urgency of Charter change.
He emphasized that the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution hinder foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, citing the swift progress of Vietnam as a compelling example.
Villafuerte said that economic experts who had appeared before lawmakers have cited the rapid progress of Vietnam, once an economic laggard in the region, as the reason for legislators to sharpen the Philippines’ global competitiveness in the borderless world—and make it on par with our more booming neighbors—by lifting the Constitution’s economic provisions that hamper greater inflows of foreign direct investments.
Following the Committee of the Whole’s timely endorsement of RBH 7 on March 6, the House initiated plenary deliberations this week, targeting passage before the 19th Congress goes on Lenten break starting March 23.
To expedite the approval of the final congressional version, Speaker Martin Romualdez leads House members in introducing RBH 7, aligned with the Senate’s version (RBH 6).