Independent bloc backs Belmonte’s bid on Charter amendments
MANILA, Philippines – The House independent bloc supported Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.’s resolution amending the economic provisions of the Constitution, but a lawmaker said it should be done through a Constitutional convention (Con-con).
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Abakada Representative Jonathan Dela Cruz said in a news briefing Monday that this is to remove politics in amending the highest law of the land.
“Con-con na lang so we will have delegates that will be relatively free from the politics of the day. This is not an ordinary law but the Constitution, so we need to look at it with a more judicious responsibility,” Dela Cruz said.
Con-con is done by electing delegates from each district that would convene to introduce amendments to the charter.
Dela Cruz added that Belmonte’s resolution amending the Charter “may open the floodgates for a lot of things.”
Belmonte’s resolution called or an insertion of the phrase “unless otherwise provided for by law” in the charter’s 60-40 percent ownership division between local and foreign investors.
Charter change has been junked in the previous Congress due to criticisms that it may be used to extend term limits.
Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, leader of the independent bloc, said “we feel that the Charter is ripe for review and for pertinent amendments.”
“The House independent minority bloc is supporting the call of the House leadership to amend the 1987 Constitution as long as it does not touch any provisions that will extend the term for current elected officials,” he added.
The speaker’s resolution also came amid the sealed peace pact between Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), that would give way to a basic law replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with the Bangsamoro.
The pact annexes provide that the Constitution would need to be amended to accommodate the provisions of the peace deal.
The independent bloc called on the House leadership to first get a copy of the Bangsamoro basic law before tackling Charter change.
“We call upon the House leadership to first demand an official copy of the draft of the BBL from the national government and MILF for immediate deliberations before they think of Charter Change,” Romualdez said.
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