Navotas mayor: We have no time to talk about economic Cha-cha for now

Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco on Wednesday said local government units have no time, for now, to deal with and talk about the proposal to amend the economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.

According to Tiangco,  LGUs prefer to focus their time and effort on preventing the spread of COVID-19, and in helping their constituents to recover from the pandemic.

"Kami sa lokal, wala kaming panahong mag-isip ng Cha-cha ngayon... sa tingin mo may panahon pa ba kaming pag-usapan 'yan? I will be very honest, kung ano man 'yung oras namin para magusap-usap sa mga department head, sa mga barangay, 'yan ay nakatuon sa dalawang bagay lang... Paano huwag tumaas 'yung kaso ng COVID-19, paano tulungan makabangon 'yung ating mga kababayan doon sa kanilang economic problem brought about by the [disease]," he said at a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

"Honestly kung iaaasa sa amin 'yan, we don't have time to even talk about it and to even think or to even read materials that they will send to us. I will be very honest, hindi kaya. Sa Navotas, hindi ko kaya..." he added.

Likewise, Tiangco said LGUs are focusing on their respective vaccination programs as vaccines are expected to come this February.

Accordingly, he pointed out it would be better if the matter will be discussed in another time.

"Baka puwedeng sa ibang panahon na lang, huwag muna ngayon. Para mapagisipan naman ng mabuti..." Tiangco said.

For her part, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte admitted that economic Charter change, especially during this time of health crisis, is reasonable.

However, she said the timing of the proposal is often being questioned and that must always be addressed first before pushing through with the plan to revise the provisions.

"I see the sense in economic Charter change especially during these times when we need to recover economically but within certain bounds and limit," Belmonte said.

"Laging nahihirapan isulong ang Charter change because of the timing. Although me personally, I think a lot of provisions in the Constitution should be reviewed and should be looked into. That's not something that's wrong. We have to be flexible in the changing times," she added.

The House committee on constitutional amendments already approved the joint resolution proposing amendments to the "restrictive" economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.

This aims to open up the Philippines to foreign direct investments, which could help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. —LBG, GMA News