Less corruption, ease of business needed, not Cha-cha —Cynthia Villar

The Philippines need not amend the 1987 Constitution to lure foreign direct investments.  What the government should do is curb corruption and ensure the ease of doing business, Senator Cynthia Villar said.

“Palagi nilang sinasabi na economic provisions [lang ang babaguhin] pero yung economic provisions na sinasabi nila, minor eh. Hindi naman importante. If you want to improve the economy, we can just legislate what we need to improve,” Villar observed after the House Committee of the Whole conducted three hearings on Resolution of Both Houses 7, which seeks to change certain economic provisions of the Constitution.

(They always harp on economic provisions but these economic provisions are minor ones...they are not that important.)

“Kasi ito yung sinasabi ng mga businessman...actually ang problema nila is yung ease of doing business at saka yung corruption. ‘Yun lang ang bawasan, okay na tayo,” Villar added.

(Businessmen said that their problems are ease in doing business and corruption. If we cut back on these, we’ll be fine.)

RBH 7 is the counterpart of the Senate’s RBH 6, which also seeks the same set of amendments to the Constitution.

The Senate’s RBH 6, however, categorically states that the Senate and the House of Representatives will be voting separately on the resolution.

The House’s RBH 7, meanwhile, states that the voting on RBH 7 will be done by three-fourths of all members of Congress.

The House and the Senate compose the country’s bicameral Congress, and the 1987 Constitution does not explicitly state whether they should vote jointly or separately in a constituent assembly (con-ass).

Villar said the existing ambiguity on voting in a con-ass makes her doubt that Cha-cha moves will stick with the economic provisions given that joint voting will render the votes of the 24 senators useless as against over 300 members of the House.

“Sino namang senador ang boboto na tatanggalin siya? So it’s parang common sense naman ‘yun. Kung tatanggalin ang Senate, hindi boboto ang Senate,” Villar added.

(Who among the senators will vote in a method that will unseat them? It is common sense. If you are going to remove the Senate, the Senate won’t get on board with that.) —LDF, GMA Integrated News