PUBLIC HEARING. Senator Robinhood Padilla leads the public hearing of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes at the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City on Thursday (March 2, 2023). From his viewpoint, the senator says the stakeholders in Davao who joined the hearing are in favor of a constitutional convention as a way of amending the Constitution. (PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.)
DAVAO CITY – Following the public hearing of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes on Thursday here, Senator Robinhood Padilla said the stakeholders (business sector, local and provincial government units, and other government agencies) present during the hearing is in favor of a constitutional convention (con-con).
"Con-con lahat dito, pero okay lang kahit con-con or con-ass (constitutional assembly). Ang mahalaga ay ang economic provisions pareho," he told reporters.
(The majority are for con-con, but whether con-con or con-ass what's important is that the economic provisions are the same).
Padilla led the public hearing tackling resolutions from both Houses of Congress proposing amendments to certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
The senator admitted he is less inclined with the con-con route.
"Natatakot lang ako sa con-con kasi magagalaw yung political structure and matagal ang proseso," he said.
(What I fear is that con-con will alter the political structure and the process takes longer).
Meanwhile, Padilla said he respects the views of those who protested against the constitutional process of easing the 1987 Constitution's economic provisions to allow more foreign direct investments (FDI) into the country.
He made the assurance after several groups staged protest actions outside the Royal Mandaya Hotel here, where the public hearing was conducted.
"I respect the views and rights of those who are against and protesting against this constitutional process," Padilla said, even as he allayed fears that allowing foreign investments may pave the way for Filipinos to be "enslaved by foreigners again."
"When we say we will allow foreign investments, it does not mean we will allow ourselves to be enslaved. My fellow lawmakers and I will not allow it. What we want is the entry of foreign investments to benefit our economy," he explained.
But Padilla also maintained the constitutional process deserves the people's support, and that the Constitution cannot be stagnant and must instead be continuously updated to meet the needs of changing times.
"Fellow Filipinos, we should wake up. We should not live a life of debts because the Philippines is rich and God did not create us to suffer, He created us to be happy," Padilla said.
Padilla pointed out that our country is blessed with natural resources and skilled workers, but we need huge investments to harness these assets properly to contribute greatly to our progress.
And with the country still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, he said the country needs new "drivers of growth," which include opening the economy to FDIs.
At present, Padilla said the Philippines has been "kulelat" (last) in terms of FDIs, citing Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas figures showing FDI in the Philippines dropped by 25 percent from 2018 to 2020.
"Meron tayong basehan, hindi ito isang political grandstanding. Ito po ay tunay na pangangailangan ng ating bansa, itong panukalang ito na ating amyendahan ang economic provision sa ating Saligang Batas (We have a basis, this is not political grandstanding. This is really needed by our country, this proposal to amend the economic provisions of our Constitution)," he said.
"Minabuti natin unahin ang economic provisions dahil ito ang maaring agarang makatulong sa mamamayan pagdating sa usaping kawalan ng trabaho, kagutuman at kahirapan (We are prioritizing the economic provisions because this will immediately help our people in terms of joblessness, hunger and poverty,” Padilla said. (with Leonel Abasola/PNA)
