Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. admitted that it would take effort to ensure the sufficient number of votes required for the passage of his economic Charter change (Cha-cha) bill.
Speaking at the sidelines of the Ugnayan sa Batasan news briefing Tuesday, Belmonte said his Resolution of Both Houses 1 would hurdle second reading but would face rough waters come third and final reading.
“We will be able to approve it on second reading in June (before our sine die adjournment). But third reading would require two-thirds of the chamber to approve it. Really, we’d have to make an effort to see to it that people will attend. That’s around 200 people, and it would require an effort to see (lawmakers) are there,” Belmonte said.
A bill is approved on second reading by voice voting or viva voce. But it takes a greater effort for a bill to pass on third reading by nominal voting, which requires votes from two thirds of the 290 solons in the chamber. Under nominal voting, lawmakers can defend his or her vote.
The resolution seeks to ease foreign restrictions in the Constitution by inserting the “unless otherwise provided for by law” phrase in the provision granting 60-percent ownership to Filipinos and 40-percent on foreign investments.
READ: Drilon, Belmonte: Charter change to lift foreign equity limits
This means amending the Constitution would only require a simple legislation that needs to be approved by both chambers of Congress. The constitutional amendments would then be subjected to a plebiscite.
Charter change has failed in the previous Congresses due to criticisms that it could be used to extend the term limits of public officials.
The charter change resolution is now in the plenary for the period of debates and amendment.
Belmonte said he was hoping to pass the bill before the 2016 elections when he intends to conduct the plebiscite alongside the presidential elections. The Senate is awaiting the House version of the bill.
BACKSTORY: House seen to OK economic Cha-cha before Christmas break
“It’s okay for me to conduct the plebiscite for Cha-cha alongside the 2016 presidential elections… The plebiscite is the crucial thing for economic Cha-cha (to succeed),” Belmonte said. IDL