FEB.

20, 2014

NR # 3383B

House panel down to work on cha-cha resolution; hears varying views

Former Commissioner of the Preparatory Commission on constitutional Reforms and Chairman of Think-Tank, Inc., Mr. Margarito Teves, today endorsed peaker Feliciano !elmonte, "r.#s R!$ %o. & 'hich seeks to amend certain economic provisions of the &()* Constitution. Teves underscored the need to ensure fle+i,ility of the nation#s fundamental-constitutional economic principles to achieve the much-desired inclusive economic gro'th. peaker !elmonte is proposing to amend certain economic provisions of the fundamental la', ,y 'ay of adding the phrase .unless other'ise provided ,y la'/. This is aimed at giving Congress the needed lee'ay to ad0ust, ,y legislation, the country#s policies in response to needs of the times. The process 'ould re1uire three-fourths 23-45 vote of the enate and the $ouse voting separately on the proposed amendments 'hich, may ultimately ,e ratified ,y the people in a national ple,iscite ,efore it can take effect. .The proposed change is 0ust a key to unlock the country#s vast potentials for gro'th,/ the peaker stressed 'hen he filed the measure months ,ack. The proposed changes, Teves ,elieves, 'ould accelerate the creation of needed 0o,s and economic opportunities to address the gro'ing unemployment and reduce poverty. Teves 'as one of the various resource persons 'ho spoke at the morning session of the ongoing pu,lic hearing-consultations ,eing conducted ,y the $ouse Committee on Constitutional amendments chaired ,y Rep. Mylene 6arcia-7l,ano. !efore the resource persons 'ere given the floor, Rep. Rodolfo !ia8on ,atted to follo' the process of a Constituent 7ssem,ly, 'hich he said, is easier to manage than a Constitutional Convention 2ConCon5. 9n the other hand, 7tty. 7ntonio 7,ad, representing C9C9P:7 and the :mployers# Confederation of the Philippine 2:C9P5, Mr. !oots 6uerrero, President of the Philippine 7ssociation of ;ocal ervice Contractors 2P7; C9%5, and Mr. Paul Richard Paraguya of the Coalition for a Citi8ens# Constitution 2C7CC5 e+pressed their preference for a Constitutional Convention 2ConCon5 to deal 'ith the Charter issues.

7,ad also e+pressed reservations on the addition of the phrase .unless other'ise provided ,y la'/ ,ecause, he pointed out, .Congress can al'ays decide to change the Constitution at any time, and that#s dangerous./ 6uerrero said the proposal is .very unsettling to us/ in the 'ake of developments that 'ould allo' the entry of foreign 'orkers in at least ten areas, like 7rchitecture, Chemical :ngineering, 6eology, and other technology-related fields. 9n the issue of land o'nership, 7,ad opined that such change might lead to a scenario 'here .'e 'ill find ourselves foreigners in our o'n country./ Paraguya, like former <P President "ose 7,ueva 'ho testified ,efore the panel last Tuesday, made a pitch for a reform in the country#s political system as he ,atted for Federalism. =ithout do'ngrading the arguments of other resource persons, Teves, a former mem,er Congress himself, said that the inflo' of foreign direct investments 'ould help government find the needed funds for other important social programs and priority re1uirements of the economy. The e+pected influ+ of F>Is 'ill certainly supplement and not supplant government development programs, improve 1uality of education, employa,ility of graduates and open up ,etter employment opportunities, Teves stressed. The pu,lic hearing-consultation took a noon ,reak and resumed in the afternoon 'ith the follo'ing resource persons to elucidate on their respective positions? &. Prof. 7le+ !rillanted 2Commissioner, Commission on $igher :ducation 2C$:>5@ A5 :ngr. 7le0andro Teves-:scano 2Chairman B President, Technical Cocational chools 7ssociation of the Philippines D T:C 7Phil5@ 35 Mr. $erman !as,ano 2President, Eapisanan ng mga !roadcasters sa Pilipinas D E!P5@ 45 Ms. 7delle Chua 29pinion :ditor, Manila tandard Today5@ F5 Mr. Mar Ma1ngahas 2President, ocial =eather tation 2 = 5@ and G5 Prof. Pia !ennagenRa1uedan 27ssociate Research >irector, Pulse 7sia, Inc.5 23H5 dpt