Cha-cha not the solution to COVID-19 economic impact —Makabayan solons

The House Makabayan Bloc on Thursday maintained that amending the economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution is not the solution to address the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to the country's economy.

The six-member group made the remark as the House of Representatives eyes to resume the deliberations on Charter change (Cha-cha).

"Hindi pwedeng i-Cha-cha ang pandemya. Constitutional reform will not provide immediate relief to the already struggling Filipinos," said Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas in a virtual press conference on Thursday.

House Committee on Constitutional Amendments chair Alfredo Garbin said the Cha-cha hearings will only focus on seeking to amend the "restrictive" economic provisions in the Constitution by making them more flexible to foreign investments.

"This is one way of addressing the effects of the pandemic by opening up the entry of foreign direct investment, foreign capital dahil bagsak na bagsak ang ating ekonomiya and we are lagging behind pagdating sa mga FDIs [foreign direct investments] and inflows of foreign capital," Garbin said.

But Brosas said that liberalization has only made the country's economy more vulnerable to external shocks amid the global health crisis, and it will just continue if the economic provisions in the Constitution are amended.

"What we need is an alternative path focused on genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization," she said.

For her part, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro said there are already several measures that essentially aim to open up the country's economy to foreigners.

"Kahit na sinasabi na baguhin yung mga pang-economic na provision dito, ang dami nang batas na ipinasa para ibuyangyang yung ating ekonomiya, yung ating environment sa foreign control at iba pang monopolyo," she said.

"Dahil malapit na ang eleksyon, 18 months na lang, ito ba ay para sa pansariling interes ng sinumang gustong magbukas ng Charter change?" she added.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate echoed Castro's remarks, saying that while the Cha-cha hearings supposedly aim to amend only economic provisions, they most likely would still end up introducing revisions in political provisions in the Constitution.

"Ginagawa lamang dahilan itong pagbabago raw sa economic provisions pero ang nasa likod din nito ay ang pagtutulak ng mga political na pagbabago kagaya ng term extension and lifting of term limits ng mga pulitiko," he said.

"Kaya tuluy-tuloy nating nilalabanan, ang pagbabago sa ating Saligang Batas dahil sa mga makikitid na interes na nasa likod at hindi ito para sa interes at kagalingan ng mga mamamayan," he added.

Garbin maintained that the Cha-cha hearings will not be about amendments on political provisions in the Constitution.

"Talaga ho, kasi kayo rin ang boboto sa plebesito. Ang taumbayan ang tunay na nagmamay-ari ng ating Saligang Batas," Garbin told Super Radyo dzBB when asked for assurance that the House would not push for political amendments such as term extension for lawmakers.

"Iwasan natin yung mga pagdududa na this is all about term extension," he added.

The hearing of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments on Cha-cha is tentatively set for Wednesday, January 13. — BM, GMA News