Binay likens Charter change into opening ‘Pandora’s box’

Vice President Jejomar Binay. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday cautioned against amending the Constitution, saying this might be tantamount to opening “Pandora’s box.”

“The only problem with [Charter change] is that it might become Pandora’s box,” Binay said in a statement, reacting to a resolution filed by no less than Speaker Feliciano Belmonte seeking to amend restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution by a simple legislation.

While Belmonte’s proposal to focus only on economic provisions was “laudable,” the  Vice  President warned that any attempt to tinker non-economic provisions would be “divisive.”

“I do not doubt the sincerity of the Speaker, but I hope there won’t be attempts to amend other non-economic provisions since that could be divisive,” he said.

Binay said he himself agreed with amending Article XII Section 10 of the 1987 Constitution, the economic provision that limits foreign ownership of local companies to 40 percent, in order to attract more foreign investors in the country.

“I don’t think there is much dispute in the 60/40 economic provision,” he said.

The Vice President had earlier said that talks about Charter change should only center on how it could strengthen the economy and help in addressing the basic needs of the Filipino people.

“I submit that Charter change is a serious issue and we have to study it well. This is not to say that I am eager to Cha-Cha-Cha myself. Not at all. I hear the music but I will not rush into it,” Binay said in a speech during the Philippine Constitution Association’s celebration of Philippine Constitution Day in February.

“While faithfully and passionately living its spirit, and while being prepared to make any sacrifice in its defense, we must be open to the opportunity to correct any of its obvious imperfections and defects, but only when it can be clearly justified that such imperfections and defects impede the growth of our nation and the sharing of prosperity,” he said in the same speech.