Militant lawmaker slams ‘Cha-cha’ train

Rep. Carlos Zarate. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – A militant lawmaker slammed the passage of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte’s resolution seeking to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution.

In a text message to reporters on Monday, Bayan Muna Represnetative Carlos Zarate said Charter change seemed to be the priority of the Aquino administration, especially as a House panel approved the resolution for plenary debate.

The constitutional amendments committee made the move on the same day the technical working group postponed its meeting over the Freedom of Information Bill, which has been languishing in the chamber, Zarate added.

“This inordinate, overspeeding by which the majority drove the Cha cha train is ominous of another foreign colonization courtesy of Congress,” said Zarate, who was one of the two who voted against the resolution on Monday.

Belmonte’s House Resolution No. 1 seeks to ease the 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.

This means amending the Constitution would only require a simple legislation that needs to be approved by both chambers of Congress and subjected to a plebiscite.

Belmonte had said he would make sure that the resolution would only be limited to economic provisions and would not be used to change the system of government.

Charter change has failed in the previous Congresses due to criticisms that it could be used to extend the term limits of public officials.