(FACEBOOK/ MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Garbin gave this remark during the virtual hearing Tuesday of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments, which he chairs. The hearing features the continuation of the talks on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 2 filed by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
“Maraming nagtatanong, timing ba ang pag-propose ng amendments sa ating Konstitusyon (Many are asking, is it good timing to propose amendments to our Constitution)? I always say that it is always the right time to do the right thing. I think this is the right time to propose these amendments to the Constitution,” he said.
“Kung hindi ngayon, kailan (If not now, when)?” the panel chair asked.
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez (Bloomberg file photo)
Lopez, a resource person during the virtual hearing, said that removing the economic “barriers” in the 1987 Constitution would help the country lure more foreign investors.
“Eliminating these barriers will certainly unleash the high growth potential of the Philippines,” Lopez told the House panel, which is chaired by AKO-Bicol Party-List Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr.
“Our economy has been recognized as the second fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia until the year 2019, right before the pandemic struck, with average growth of 6 percent for 14 consecutive quarters. We also know that such growth rates could even be higher if we were able to remove basic restrictions, such as the foreign ownership of businesses in certain sectors stipulated in the Constitution,” the DTI chief explained.
MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO
With 217 affirmative and 0 negative votes, the Lower House passed House Bill 7950 or the People Empowerment Act on third and final reading. The 6-man Makabayan bloc abstained.
Sponsored on the floor by Rep. Florida Robes (NUP, San Jose del Monte City), HB 7960 also seeks to create a working environment where people can participate in police and decision-making processes in the country.
Robes, chairperson of the House Committee on People’s Participation, said the measure provides a mechanism by which citizens’ views and opinions in different areas of goverrnance may be heard and considered.
Aside Robes, the bill is co-authored by Reps. Gabriel Bordado (LP, Camarines Sur); Francis Gerald Abaya (NUP, Cavite); Rosanna Vergara (PDP-Laban, Nueva Ecija); and Macnell Lusotan (Ang Marino) and Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
House Deputy Majority Leader Bernadette Herrera (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Herrera added to the list of House leaders who were convinced that there is time for Congress to carry out the economic Charter change.
“Kilala nyo naman kami sa Kongreso kung kailangang naming ipasa, ipapasa namin. (You know us in Congress, if we need to pass a law, we will pass it) You’ve seen us how we worked till the wee hours of the morning on a number of occasions to ensure that we pass the national budget,” she said in a radio interview.
“Nagagawa naman namin na magpasa ng batas kung kinakailangan kaya hindi ko sya nakikita na imposible pagdating sa pagbabago ng economic provision ng Konstitusyon.”
Published January 20, 2021, 6:12 PM
Only 23 percent or 2 out of 10 Filipinos agree that it is urgent to discuss Charter change at this time.
This was the result of the survey on Charter change conducted by Catholic church-run Radio Veritas from January 4 to 18, 2021.
The Veritas Truth Survey released Wednesday showed that a majority of Filipinos or 75% disagree on the urgency of the issue of Charter Change.
The remaining 2 percent are still “undecided” on the said issue.
Veritas said the strong public opposition, as indicated by the results, may reflect that there are more pressing concerns that the respondents feel that the government’s time, treasure, and talent should be dedicated to.