Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he does not consider amending the 1987 Constitution as a priority citing that more urgent matters need attention.
“It’s not a priority for me,” Marcos told reporters during his flight back to Manila from Tokyo on Sunday. “There are so many other things that we need to do first.”
Moves to amend the Constitution crafted after the ouster of his father and namesake, dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, have always been a sensitive issue for Filipinos amid fears charter change will be abused. Previous attempts to tinker with the 1987 Constitution have failed.
At least 11 bills and resolutions relating to charter change were filed in the 19th Congress.
Moves to amend the Constitution crafted after the ouster of his father and namesake, dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, have always been a sensitive issue for Filipinos amid fears charter change will be abused. Previous attempts to tinker with the 1987 Constitution have failed.
Some proponents of charter change argue the need to revise what they deem as restrictive economic provisions — such as on foreign ownership of businesses in the Philippines — to attract more investments.
However, Marcos said he believes the government can bring in more investors even without constitutional amendments.
“I think the attempt is—the reason that it’s being talked about is because of the economic provisions. Gusto nga natin magkaroon ng investment, kung minsan sagabal ‘yun…But for me, lahat itong mga pinag-usapan, kaya nating gawin na hindi palitan ang Saligang Batas,” he said.
[Translation: I think the reason that it’s being talked about is because of the economic provisions. We want more investments, and sometimes, the Constitution hinders that…But for me, all of these things being discussed can be done without changing the Constitution.]
Both houses of Congress have begun committee hearings on constitutional amendments proposals.
Marcos’ cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who joined the president’ s delegation in Tokyo, is among those pushing for an economic charter change.
Speaking to reporters during the Japan trip, he said he believes amendments to constitutional provisions are the “final piece of the puzzle” to make the country more economically competitive.
Another proponent of charter change is Senator Robin Padilla, who believes \”most\” of the investment pledges secured during Marcos’ foreign trips will not materialize if certain economic provisions are not amended.
“In any country, the basic law is the Constitution. Because of this, I will continue the hearings to update our Constitution. My job in the Senate is to benefit our Motherland and inform our people about what we are doing,” he said in response to Marcos’ statement.
The senator added that as part of Marcos’ UniTeam during the campaign period, he will back all of the president’s priority legislations but that he will pursue his own advocacies “with or without the President’s support.”
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the House panel on constitutional amendments, also said his committee will continue to hold public hearings and consultations on charter change proposals.
“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,” he said.Rodriguez maintained that certain provisions could be impeding investments, adding that the “overwhelming” recommendation in recent hearings was to revise the Constitution to allow for more foreign investments.House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, on the other hand, agreed with Marcos that there are more pressing issues that should be addressed.She said these include rising prices of basic commodities, unemployment and underemployment, as well as the perceived lack of state support for farmers.
