Bishops seek closer study of House Charter-change move
Catholic bishops on Monday urged Congress to reconsider a snowballing plan to pass legislation that would make it easy to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, saying that it needs to be studied more closely.
“Before we rush into amending the Constitution, we, your bishops, urge all responsible to conduct serious studies in economics, sociology, the law and related disciplines, including Catholic social teachings,” the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said in a pastoral letter signed by its president, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas.
The Catholic Church hierarchy issued the statement entitled “Let us be circumspect,” as the proposed Charter change (Cha-cha) measure gains ground in Congress.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. earlier set a deadline—before the close of the second regular session of the current 16th Congress—for the House of Representatives to pass his pet measure, Resolution of Both Houses 1 (RHB1), which proposes to add a five-word phrase, “unless otherwise provided by law,” to seven economic provisions of the Constitution that restrict foreign participation in the country’s economy. This will pave the way for amendments to the economic provisions to be effected by mere legislation.
The CBCP posed three questons for competent Catholic lay persons to study in analyzing the calls for amending the Charter:
— What do we, as a nation, stand to gain from relaxing the provisions now deemed restrictive?
— How are we assured that the resources of the country, both natural and human, benefit Filipino nationals principally?
— What are the human, social and environmental costs of the lifting of present limits to foreign participation in Philippine economic and business affairs?
The CBCP said that bishops were being approached by various prominent and influential sectors to support amending the economic provisions of the Constitution.
“It has been advanced as a reason for the call to amend the provisions of the Constitution that the restrictive provisions limiting foreign participation in the Philippine economy have in fact been prejudicial to economic growth. Foreign investment and the infusion of foreign capital into the country have been held at bay by what some characterize as the unduly stringent provisions of the Constitution,” it said.
But the bishops said that while amendments having to do with the form of government are matters that they leave to the politicians, proposed amendments to economic provisions bear directly on issues of social justice.
“The social encyclicals of the Church bear witness to the fact that the Church has always considered social justice an area of Her competence and solicitude,” the CBCP said.
In the past, the bishops noted how they had agreed with the drafters of the 1987 Constitution to primarily safeguard and uphold Filipinos’ socioeconomic interests.
The CBCP said the framers of the 1987 Constitution—and even the members of the Constitutional Convention that drafted the 1973 Constitution—had one purpose in enshrining those restrictions, “a purpose fully in accord with the precepts of social justice: preserving the wealth and resources of the country for our countrymen.”
“Rightly, we have always steered away from the prospect of foreigners enriching themselves from the country’s resources and our labor force, transferring their earnings overseas and leaving us none the better because of their presence and their exploitation of our resources, both natural and human. This should remain a paramount principle,” the CBCP said.
The bishops urged the Catholic faithful to get involved in the issue and study other aspects “that [they] may find relevant with assiduousness and diligence” and share their findings with the CBCP.
Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II on Monday expressed confidence the chamber will be able to muster the numbers to pass RBH1.
“I think it is just a matter of time. On the last day of the second regular session, since there would be a sine die ceremony, we expect the numbers that will be enough for us to undergo nominal voting,” Gonzales told reporters.
The lower chamber has failed in recent days to muster a quorum to put the proposed measure to a vote. Unlike ordinary legislation, constitutional amendments require an absolute three-fourths vote in both chambers of Congress.
The House will have to muster at least 217 votes to pass the joint resolution.
Under RBH1, joint ventures for the exploration, development or use of the country’s natural resources may be made with 60-percent Filipino-owned corporations, “unless otherwise provided by law,” meaning the provision may be amended through legislation.
