
MANILA – The chairman of the House panel leading efforts to amend economic provisions of the Constitution expressed optimism that the resolution would be approved before Congress adjourns for its Holy Week break later this month.
“I am confident that under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, RBH 7 will be approved by three-fourths votes of the House at the plenary before” the Holy Week break on March 23, said Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments.
He was referring to Resolution of Both Houses 7 (RBH 7), which, similar to RBH 6 filed in the Senate, aims to amend certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. stated that the House plans to conduct three hearings per week and aims to secure a vote before the Holy Week break.
On Thursday, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers mentioned that there would be adequate time for the public to review the proposed constitutional changes if the plebiscite is held concurrently with the 2025 elections.
House Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin also emphasized that there would be sufficient time for thorough discussions on the proposed amendments through plenary sessions and various platforms.
The House Committee of the Whole initiated deliberations on RBH 7 on Monday.
The Makabayan bloc of lawmakers, including ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel, opposes efforts to amend the Constitution’s economic provisions.
“We think this is not the time,” Brosas said last week.
RBH 6 and 7 propose identical amendments, covering Article XII (Section 11), Article XIV (paragraph 2 of Section 4), and Article XVI (paragraph 2 of Section 11).
Both resolutions aim to insert the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” into these provisions. Additionally, they both propose adding the word “basic” before “educational institutions” in the first sentence of paragraph 2, Section 4 of Article XIV.
Once approved by the House Committee of the Whole, a committee report must be forwarded to the House plenary for a vote on the resolution.
The Senate commenced its discussions on RBH 6 earlier this month.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia stated that the poll body is prepared for a plebiscite, whether it occurs concurrently with the 2025 elections or separately.
Senate resumes hearing
Meanwhile, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara announced that the Senate has extended invitations to additional technical-vocational and education experts to provide their perspectives on the proposed amendment to the Constitution.
As the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on RBH 6, Senator Angara stated that the panel will reconvene for a public hearing on the proposal to amend restrictive provisions of the Constitution.
“It’s a continuation of the session for higher education. More resource persons have been invited from the technical vocation and private education sector,” Angara said.
On Wednesday, Senator Francis Joseph Escudero urged his fellow senators to exercise caution in conducting hearings on RBH 6 until clear guidelines, outlined in the Rules of the Senate, are established.
He pointed out the absence of a specific section in the Rules of the Senate concerning procedures for constitutional amendments, contrasting it with the House of Representatives’ provisions.
“I raise this because we do not have a counterpart or similar rule. And right now, as things stand, the House of Representatives, it seems, has a rule on how to adopt proposals or reject proposals to amend the Constitution while the Senate does not,” Escudero said.
Section 143 of House Rule 21 stipulates that “the Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths (3/4) of all its members, may propose amendments to or revisions of the Constitution.” Meanwhile, Section 144 specifies that “Proposals to amend or revise the Constitution should be by resolution.”
Escudero urged the Senate leadership to review the Rules of the Senate to develop similar provisions before proceeding with another hearing on Charter change.
He emphasized that the Senate must address the “prejudicial question” raised by Sen. Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros during the subcommittee’s previous hearing regarding the method of conducting a constituent assembly, whether through separate sessions of the House of Representatives and the Senate or through a joint session of both houses.
“If, for example, we follow or take the position that there has to be a joint session, that separate sessions are not allowed, then clearly, we are wasting our time,” Escudero said.
“I bring this up again to reiterate the prejudicial question raised by Senator Hontiveros because, for me, this matter has to be settled before we proceed with further hearings, especially the hearing on March 5,” he said.
Earlier, Angara mentioned that the committee was aiming for a potential deadline in October at the latest, considering that the Constitution provides a 60- to 90-day timeframe for the plebiscite.
“And to save the people’s money, the plebiscite is ideally conducted along with the 2025 elections,” Angara said.
He emphasized the significance of maintaining an open-minded approach and promoting constructive dialogues regarding the proposed amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution.
“This is the first time since 1987 that we’ve been discussing the economic amendments in earnest or in detail. It took us this long because the Charter debate was poisoned by political and personal ambition. That’s the reality,” Angara said.
Over the weekend, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced its readiness to collaborate with Congress in advocating for essential reforms in the economic provisions of the Constitution, aiming to improve the investment climate.
“From an economic perspective, we continue to support the easing of the equity restrictions on foreign participation in the economy,” the central bank said in a position paper on RBH 7.
“We reiterate that the BSP remains ready to work with Congress in pushing for key reforms to facilitate an enabling investment environment towards furthering the country’s economic growth and development,” it added.
The BSP emphasized its ongoing backing for the government’s initiatives in implementing structural reforms throughout the decades, particularly those aimed at boosting the country’s growth potential.
According to the BSP, these reforms play a vital role in stimulating the economy, creating employment opportunities, enhancing the efficiency of public services, and promoting competition by establishing a fair environment for investors.
“We continue to support such measures,” it said.
Aligned with its responsibilities and objectives, the BSP expressed support for initiatives geared towards fostering the inclusive economic development of the nation. This encompasses advocating for the relaxation of restrictive economic provisions stipulated in the 1987 Constitution.
The BSP contends that easing these restrictions would incentivize greater foreign capital investment, thereby accelerating economic expansion and facilitating the realization of inclusive economic growth across the country.
Furthermore, the BSP emphasized that amending the Constitution would enable the nation to adapt to evolving circumstances. It pointed out the substantial evolution in the scope and scale of international trade and commerce over the past four decades, coupled with the heightened intricacies of both the global and domestic economy and financial system.