Villanueva might vote against Cha-cha, but no final decision yet

Senate Majority Floor Leader Joel Villanueva  (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva has admitted leaning towards voting against Charter change proposals for now, after a recent Pulse Asia survey showed a huge percentage of respondents not in favor of amending the 1987 Constitution now.

Villanueva, in a message to reporters on Thursday, said that while he is leaning towards that direction, he has not yet made up his mind on the matter.

READ: Pulse Asia: Most Filipinos don’t think now is the right time for Cha-cha 

“You can say leaning towards that direction, because it’s a major factor but I can’t say I have made up my mind right now,” Villanueva said in response to reporters’ questions.

“Am still more than willing to learn and further study this economic provisions in amending the constitution as we continue conducting public hearings,” he added.

On Wednesday, Pulse Asia released survey results, which showed that only eight percent of the respondents believe that the 1987 Constitution should be amended now, while a staggering 88 percent said it should not be touched.

Pulse Asia said that 88 percent of respondents who disagree with constitutional amendments can be classified into the following:

• 14 percent said that the Constitution should not be amended now but it may be amended sometime in the future — with six percent saying that it can be done under the current administration and eight percent saying under the next administration
• 74 percent said that the Constitution should not be amended now nor at any other time

Earlier, Villanueva also said that the survey shows that the ‘bosses’ have spoken about the issue, indicating that constitutional amendments are not the top concern of the public — therefore, there is no need to fast-track discussions on Charter change proposals.

“With 88% of Filipinos saying that they are against Cha-Cha, this is a clear indication that there is no need to fast-track the hearings of the subcommittee on constitutional amendments, as there is no urgency in amending the Constitution,” he said.

READ: Villanueva: Pulse Asia survey shows no need to fast-track Cha-cha 

After the survey results were made public, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said it was an eye-opener and a signal that Charter change should not be rushed. Instead, Zubiri said they will bring hearings to various areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Last March 20, the House of Representatives passed on third reading Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, which seeks to amend the 1987 Constitution by amending restrictive economic provisions.

RBH No. 7 was lifted from the Senate’s RBH No. 6, which is still being discussed with the Senate subcommittee.

If no changes are made by both Houses and if it is ratified in a plebiscite, three provisions would be amended by adding the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law”:

• Section 11 of Article XII (National Patrimony and Economy), where the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” is inserted in the provision that bars foreign ownership of a public utility shall except in a case where 60 percent of the total capital belongs to Filipino citizens
• Section 4 of Article XIV (Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture, and Sports) where the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” is inserted in the provision that bars foreign ownership of basic educational institutions except in a case where 60 percent of the total capital belongs to Filipino citizens.
• Section 11 of Article XVI (General Provisions) where the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” is inserted in two portions: first, the provision that bars foreign ownership in the advertising industry except in a case where 70 percent of the total capital belongs to Filipino citizens; and in the provision that limits foreign investors participation in entities to how much their capital share is