VICE President Jejomar, in his version of the State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, said he supports the proposal to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution.
The proposal first floated in the House of Representatives when Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. filed his House Resolution of Both Houses 1, which seeks to add the phrase “unless otherwise provided for by law” in the economic provisions of the Constitution. This means amending the Constitution would only take legislation.
In his Sona delivered at the Cavite State University on Monday, Binay said the entry of foreign direct investments (FDI) in the country is hindered by the administration’s opposition to the proposal to amend the economic provisions of the Charter.
“Malaking balakid sa pagpasok ng FDI ang pagtutol ng administrasyon na amyendahan ang mga economic provisions ng Saligang-Batas. Ito ang malaking balakid sa pamumuhunan ng mga dayuhang investors,” Binay said. (The administration’s refusal to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution that prohibits the entry of FDIs from coming in.)
The Vice President said if the economic provisions of the Constitution were amended, the more foreign investments in the country would open up more employment opportunities for Filipinos.
“Kapag na-amyendahan ang economic provisions, mabubuksan ang public utilities na magreresulta naman sa pagpapabilis ng Public Private Partnerships o PPP, at higit na mabuting serbisyo at pasilidad para sa lahat,” he said. (Once these economic provisions are amended, public utilities will be opened up and will speed up formation of public-private partnerships and much-improved services and facilities for everyone.)
Binay had also floated the idea of amending the Constitution to lift the term limits of officials and allow them to run for multiple terms. Binay later clarified that his “one to sawa” statement was directed to local officials only.
“Itong term na ito ’di talaga ako naniniwala d’yan. Kailangan one to sawa ’yan, hangga’t gusto ng tao. Kaya kung meron amendments sa Constitution, ipapaalis ko yung term limitation. Hangga’t maaari, iboto nang iboto,” Binay said before local officials of Bacolod City.