Zubiri thinks charter change moves delayed 3 new laws | Inquirer News

Zubiri thinks charter change moves delayed 3 new laws

By: - Reporter / @MRamosINQ
/ 05:46 AM March 16, 2023

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri STORY: Zubiri thinks charter change moves delayed 3 new laws

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed his suspicion on Wednesday that the delay in the approval of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for three laws intended to entice foreign investments might be linked to charter change (cha-cha).

According to Zubiri, the National Economic and Development Authority and other appropriate state agencies have yet to finalize the IRR for three laws more than a year since these were passed during the 18th Congress:

Article continues after this advertisement

The Public Service Act, which was sponsored by Sen. Grace Poe, allowed full foreign ownership of vital industries previously covered by the 60-40 constitutional limit on the control of business enterprises, including railways, media, telecommunications, and airlines.

FEATURED STORIES

The two other laws, on the other hand, lowered the minimum investments in micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to encourage more foreign investors to come into the country.

Zubiri said these pieces of legislation were already sufficient to address the economic matters that charter change proponents wanted to revise in the Constitution.

Article continues after this advertisement

“Are they delaying [the approval of IRR] for some underlying reason? Why don’t they let the IRR go and let it out so that more direct foreign investments can come to the country,” he said in a TV interview.

Article continues after this advertisement

“These three [laws] were [passed] to answer the problems in the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution,” he added. “What else do we want to loosen up in the Constitution for economic reasons? Is it the ownership of land? Because personally, I am against the [full foreign] ownership of land.”

Article continues after this advertisement

Zubiri, who has a degree in agribusiness management, said that allowing foreigners to own properties would only increase the price of land in the country.

“I’m sure that it’s going to be very difficult if we open up [land ownership] because we all know who’s going to come here and buy all the homes in all the high-end subdivisions, including all the other homes around Metro Manila,” he warned.

Article continues after this advertisement

18 votes needed

For the nth time, the Senate leader reiterated that charter change would not earn the support of his colleagues in the 19th Congress.

“We need 18 votes in the Senate to push charter change. We don’t have that number. So to us, it’s moot and academic,” Zubiri pointed out.

The main proponent of charter change at the House of Representatives, meanwhile, said that he had been invited by his Senate counterpart, Sen. Robinhood Padilla, to attend a public hearing on Monday on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6.

The resolution, which calls for the formation of a 314-member hybrid constitutional convention to amend or revise the 1987 Constitution, was overwhelmingly approved on the third and final reading by 301 lawmakers on March 6, with only seven opposed. Its implementing bill, House Bill No. 7352, was passed on the third reading on March 14.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, said he hoped Padilla’s panel on constitutional amendments and revision on laws would also tackle HB 7352 and RBH 6 in the public hearing to be held at the Senate.

“I will explain to senators and the public that our intention in our charter change initiative, as repeatedly stated by Speaker Martin Romualdez, is to rewrite the economic provisions so the country could attract more foreign investments,” he said.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

“That is our only objective. We do not want the other parts of the Constitution to be touched,” he added.

—WITH A REPORT FROM JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE

RELATED STORIES

Senate urged to tackle own charter change version

No numbers to push charter change in Senate – Zubiri

Anti-martial law group warns vs charter change: Now is not the time

TAGS: charter change, constitutional amendments, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.