House panel to convene soon to discuss mayors' Cha-cha proposal —Rep. Rodriguez

The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments is set to convene after the July 27 opening of the Second Regular Session to discuss the constitutional reforms proposed by over a thousand mayors in the country supposedly to empower local government units.

Panel chair Rufus Rodriguez made the announcement in a statement on Monday.

"I will call a virtual meeting of our committee possibly within the first two weeks of our session to tackle the proposals of our 1,489 town mayors and other pending measures," he said, adding that he would get the sense of his colleagues to discuss Charter change even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rodriguez was referring to the proposals of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), which is covered in a resolution they submitted to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

LMP national president and Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Luis Chavit Singson said the resolution endorsed a proposal to institutionalize the so-called Mandanas Ruling of the Supreme Court in the Constitution and to lift restrictions on foreign investment in industries that are presently limited to Filipinos.

He said the mayors believe that institutionalizing the Mandanas Ruling will ensure that regions will have a continuous fair share in the taxes collected by the national government.

Moreover, the LMP mayors also claimed that allowing foreign investors to own the majority of operations of local firms would be beneficial to their constituents as long as there was continuous protection of workers' rights and a ban on foreign ownership of land.

According to Rodriguez, the Mandanas Ruling expands the basis for the computation of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) to include collections not only of the Bureau of Internal Revenue but also the customs duties collected by the Bureau of Customs.

The computation also includes part of taxes collected in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, taxes from the exploitation of national wealth, excise tax on tobacco products, other taxes provided in the NIRC and franchise taxes.

“The IRA allotments for the LGUs will be significantly increased which are needed by the LGUs to address the COVID-19 pandemic and other local development programs and strengthen local autonomy in our country," Rodriguez said.

With regards to the proposed lifting of the restrictions on foreign investments, Rodriguez said there are already measures on it referred to the House constitutional amendments panel.

"Especially this time when we need more foreign investments and to invite more foreign businesses relocating from China, in order to provide much needed jobs for our people, this amendment is worth considering," he added.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, however, believes LMP's proposed constitutional reforms will go nowhere in the Senate.

"Ang kailangan natin ngayon, pagkain, hindi sayaw. Hindi Cha-cha ang kailangan natin. Walang hanapbuhay ang ating mga kababayan, yun ang malaking problema," he said.

"Ako ay may tiwala sa aking mga kasamahan na makikita nila na hindi para sa kapakanan ng bayan itong gagawin nila. At ako ay naniniwala na haharangin ito sa Senado, hindi makakalusot," Drilon added.  —KBK, GMA News