Solon maintains political amendments could be inserted during Cha-cha delibs

ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro on Wednesday maintained that political amendments in the 1987 Constitution could still be inserted during the Charter change (Cha-cha) deliberations in Congress.

During the hearing of the House committee on constitutional amendments, Castro said that even as the panel is only deliberating on "restrictive" economic provisions, the Senate could still go in a different direction and tackle political amendments as well, like extending the term of some elected officials and lifting term limits.

"Kung halimbawa ang Senate ay nagsasabi sila na hindi lang economic provision, on party-lists, maybe on terms, anong mangyayari? Halimbawa ito lang ang pinagbotohan natin and then sila meron silang iba?" Castro asked.

Two administration allies in the Senate—Senators Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino—filed a resolution in December asking both houses of Congress to convene as a constituent assembly for the purpose of amending the 1987 Constitution.

The amendments will be limited to the provisions on democratic representation and the economic provisions of the Constitution, the resolution read.

But House constitutional amendments chair Alfredo Garbin Jr. said that while he cannot speak for the Senate, the outcome of the Cha-cha deliberations of the two chambers will still go through the discussion of the bicameral conference committee.

"Kung anuman ang produkto ng bicameral conference committee... that will still be ratified by three-fourths vote of all members of Congress voting separately," he said.

This led Castro to say that the insertion of political amendments in the Constitution is still possible.

"Tama yung pangamba namin na hindi lang talaga strictly for economic provisions ito. Kasi kapag nag-combine, walang magpe-prevent sa Houses na talakayin hindi lang ang economic provisions, hindi lang political," she said.

Nevertheless, House panel vice chair Lorenz Defensor assured Castro that the House will only push for amendments to the "restrictive" economic provisions and nothing more, as contained in Speaker Lord Allan Velasco's Resolution of Both Houses No. 2.

"Ang ita-tackle lang natin sa committee at sa plenaryo dito sa Kongreso, kung ano lang ang laman ng House resolution. Hindi tayo pwedeng lumabas doon," he said.

"Kung sakali mang may ibang bersyon ang Senado at wala 'yan sa saklaw ng ating House resolution.... dapat lang huwag nating ipasok 'yan when we approve the bicameral committee report kung sakaling pumasok man tayo doon," he added.

RBH No. 2 inserts the phrase "unless otherwise provided by law" to the constitutional provisions on national patrimony and economy; education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports; and on general provisions to give Congress flexibility to enact laws that would free up the economy to foreign investors.

Garbin said the slight change in the Constitution's language "will improve the investment climate and generate much needed investments and jobs to counteract the economic contraction caused by the pandemic."

He also maintained that the proposed amendments will focus only on the economic provisions, and no political amendments will be discussed in the hearings.—AOL, GMA News