Changing Charter’s economic provisions a Senate priority in 2012–Enrile

MANILA, Philippines — Changing the economic provisions of the Constitution will be one of the priorities of the Senate in 2012, Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile has said.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

“Marami. Kasama dyan yung panukala namin ni Speaker [Feliciano Belmonte] na babaguhin ng konti yung Saligang Batas tungkol sa ekonomiya,” Enrile said when asked in an interview about the legislative priorities of the chamber next year.

“Kailangan natin yun, panahon na,” he said of the need to amend the Constitution particularly the economic provisions to allow more foreign investors in the country.

“[Let’s] open the country to foreign investments in order to create jobs,” he stressed.

Aside from amending the  economic provisions of the Constitution, Enrile said the Senate would also prioritize the proposed anti-trust law and cybercrime, additional years to the current 12-year academic curriculum of students, and discussion  on the controversial Reproductive Health bill.

While he has openly opposed the passage of the RH bill, the Senate leader assured that they would not delay the debates even if the chamber would be occupied with the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Puno.