Escudero asks Marcos to convene JELACC

Newly installed Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero answers queries from members of the media on Monday, May 20, 2024. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to convene the Judicial Executive Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council (JELACC) to tackle pending questions on the Public Service Act.

Escudero made the recommendation as he maintained his anti-Charter change (Cha-cha) stance while admitting that allowing foreign ownership of public utilities could boost the Philippine economy.

“Yung makakapagpalaki [ng ating ekonomiya] ay ‘yung public utilities na binuksan na rin natin. Nagpasa na tayo ng mga batas kaugnay n’yan. Kaya lang pending pa sa Korte Suprema,” the newly installed Senate chief said in an interview with DZRH on Tuesday.

(What can boost our economy are public utilities that we have already opened. We have passed laws related to that. But up to now, it’s still pending before the Supreme Court.)

READ: Escudero: Use facts, not opinions to back Cha-cha

Escudero was referring to Republic Act No. 11659, which amends the Public Service Act. This law removes the 40 percent restriction on foreign ownership of businesses such as telecommunications, airports, railways, and airlines. Then-President Rodrigo Duterte signed the measure in May 2022.

However, the Supreme Court’s questions regarding Republic Act No. 11659 remain unanswered.

Earlier, Marcos directed the Senate to lead discussions on proposed amendments to economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, specifically on education, advertising, and public services.

“So marahil, baka pwedeng ikunsidera ng Pangulo na i-convene ang JELACC para mapag-usapan kung ano ang mga desisyon. Na sana pagpasyahan ng Korte Suprema na hindi natin iniimpluwensyahan kung ano ‘yung magiging desisyon nila. Desisyunan lang para maka-abante naman na tayo,” Escudero explained.

(So perhaps the President might consider convening the JELACC to discuss the decisions. I hope the Supreme Court will see that we are not influencing their choices. They decide independently, and we do not influence their decision. Just decide so we can move forward.)

Escudero said in the interview that he wants to know why there is still a need to amend the 1987 Constitution to lift the economy when foreign schools and foreign media have already been allowed to enter the country even without revising the country’s principal charter.

He said, nevertheless, that the Senate, as a whole, will still decide on the fate of Cha-cha although the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 is still pending in the upper chamber.

“Pero sa ngayon, nagbitiw si Senator Angara  bilang chairman ng subcommittee na nagdidinig nito. Sa ngayon, wala pa kaming nae-elect na subcommittee chair kaugnay sa pagdinig na ‘yan. So hindi tatakbo ‘yan ngayong recess dahil sa kawalan ng chairman,” he said.

(But for now, Senator Angara has resigned as chairman of the subcommittee hearing it. So far, we have not elected a subcommittee chair in relation to that hearing. So, that will not proceed during this recess due to the chairman’s absence.)