Sinabi ni Pangulong Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. na hindi prayoridad ng kaniyang administrasyon na amyendahan ang 1987 Constitution. Pero sa kabila nito, inihayag ng chairman ng House constitutional amendments committee ang itutuloy pa rin nila ang kanilang mga pagdinig tungkol sa Charger change.
Inihayag ni Marcos ang kaniyang posisyon tungkol sa Charter change sa mga mamamahyag habang nasa biyahe pauwi ng Pilipinas mula sa limang araw na official visit sa Japan.
“It’s not a priority for me because maraming ibang kailangang gawin eh. Maraming kailangan, there are so many different, there are so many other things that we need to do first,” anang pangulo.
Dagdag niya, kayang makamit ng kaniyang administrasyon ang kanilang mga layunin para sa bansa sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang Konstitusyon.
“I think… the reason that it’s being talked about is because of the economic provisions. Gusto nga natin magkaroon ng investment, kung minsan sagabal ‘yun. Alam naman ninyo ‘yung mga issue diyan, ‘yung mga ownership, appropriation, ownership [inaudible] ‘yung mga ganoon,” paliwanag niya.
“But for me, lahat itong mga pinag-usapan kaya nating gawin na hindi palitan ang Saligang Batas,” dagdag niya.
Sinabi naman ni Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez, chairman ng House constitutional amendments committee, na bagaman iginagalang nila ang pasya ni Marcos, itutuloy pa rin nila ang kanilang mga pagdinig sa Kamara de Representantes.
“We respect the opinion of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on constitutional amendment measures. We will of course consider it. But as an independent branch of government, the House of Representatives and Congress will proceed with its public dialogues on this issue,” anang kongresista.
“The House committee on constitutional amendments will continue holding public hearings and consultations on Charter or constitutional change (Cha-cha) proposals,” patuloy niya.
Nagsagawa na ng mga pagdinig ang komite ni Rodriguez tungkol sa mga inihaing panukalang batas sa Charter change. Ilan dito ang tumatalakay sa pagluluwag ng foreign ownership sa lupa at industriya, at maging ang term extension ng mga halal na opisyal.
“We laud and commend President Marcos Jr. for trying to entice foreign businessmen in his trips abroad to invest their money in the country. He is our best salesman. But certain restrictive provisions of the Charter could be impeding investments,” ani Rodriguez.
“In our hearings at the House of Representatives last week and in Cagayan de Oro City last Friday, the overwhelming recommendation was to rewrite the Constitution’s economic provisions to allow for more foreign investments. The emerging consensus is to relax restrictions on the entry of foreign capital into the country,” dagdag niya.--FRJ, GMA Integrated News
