FILE PHOTO: The plenary hall of the House of Representatives. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — Pushing for Charter change or Cha-Cha in the midst of an economic crisis is absurd, the Makabayan bloc said Thursday as a House of Representatives panel was poised to start deliberations on proposals to amend the 1987 Constitution.
The Makabayan bloc lawmakers – ACT party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel – said that people should reject any attempt to extend the term of public officials, who, they claimed, should be blamed for the economic crisis.
Currently, the country is still reeling from the effects of high headline inflation rates that ballooned to 8.1 percent in December 2022.
“The people should reject any attempts to extend the term of the Marcos-Duterte regime. Pushing for charter change amid this worsening economic crisis due to government neglect and incompetence is simply absurd and ridiculous. Once again, we call on the people to resoundingly reject this push for Charter change,” the Makabayan bloc said in a statement.
The group expressed its view just before the House committee on constitutional amendments headed by Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez started its hearing on bills seeking to change provisions in the 1987 Constitution.
The lawmakers expressed fear that the hearings on constitutional amendments may open avenues to strike down provisions protecting national interest.
“As the House of Representatives is set to start its marathon hearings on charter change, the Makabayan bloc in Congress stressed the supreme irony as it aims to amend the very Constitution that was born out the anti-dictatorship struggle that ousted the Marcoses from power in 1986,” the Makabayan bloc said.
“Now, under a Marcos Jr. presidency, the administration’s allies in Congress are pushing for the removal of the one-term limit on the Presidency and opening the floodgates for removing or amending other key provisions that were enshrined in the Constitution as safeguards against dictatorship and plunder,” it added.
Among the House Bills (HB) and House Resolutions (HR) that the House committee on constitutional amendments would discuss on Thursday are the following:
- HB 6698, which seeks to constitute a constitutional convention to amend the 1987 constitution
- HB 4926, which also seeks for a constitutional convention
- HB 4421, which seeks to prescribe the order of presidential succession
- Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 1, proposing changes to certain sections of the constitution particularly on term limits
- RBH 2, proposing amendments to economic provisions under Articles XII, XIV, and XVI
- RBH 3, proposing amendments under Section 9, Article VIII
- RBH 4, proposing amendments to restrictive economic provisions under Articles XII, XIV, and XVI
- RBH 5, proposing amendments to provisions specifically under Article VII
- House Joint Resolution No. 12 calling for a constitutional convention.
READ: Bill eyes calling constitutional convention by December 2023
According to the Makabayan bloc, these proposals are dangerous as it would also remove the current prohibition on foreign ownership of land and businesses.
“As with previous Cha-cha efforts, the House will also tackle proposals to remove the constitutional prohibition on foreign ownership of land and restrictions on foreign investment in the economy, education, and mass media,” the group said.
“Constitutional bodies that safeguard citizens against human rights violations and corruption like that of the Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Audit and the Ombudsman may also be abolished with the new Cha-cha,” it added.
The Makabayan bloc reminded officials that the landslide victory that President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte got in the 2022 national elections does not equate to freedom to tinker with the constitution.
“That the Marcos and Duterte dynasties are in power through a so-called ‘landslide’ win does not equate to a go signal from the people to push through with this self-serving measure. Government officials also cannot use the lack of time to implement projects as an excuse for term extension, more time in power will mean more time for power-hungry and greedy people to use the people’s funds for their own benefit,” it claimed.
This is not the first time that the Makabayan legislators called out the House committee on constitutional amendments for holding supposed marathon hearings regarding the said bills. However, last December 2022, Rodriguez assured that bills tackling constitutional amendments would not be rushed.
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