THE Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of laws will conduct a public hearing on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which calls for a constitutional convention that would propose changes in the Charter’s economic provisions.
Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who chairs the House constitutional amendments committee, said his Senate counterpart Robinhood Padilla has invited him to attend the hearing.
“I will attend it. I will explain to senators and the public that our intention in our Charter change initiative, as repeatedly stated by Speaker Martin Romualdez, is to rewrite the economic provisions so the country could attract more foreign investments,” he said.
“That is our only objective. We do not want the other parts of the Constitution to be touched,” he said.
He said the present “restrictive economic provisions have been, to quote Fitch Solutions, ‘historically a challenge for foreign investors.’”
Based on the invitation sent by Padilla’s committee to Rodriguez, RBH No. 6 is the only item in the agenda of Padilla’s hearing.
Rodriguez said he would suggest to Speaker Romualdez that House Bill No. 7352, which was approved by an overwhelming vote on Tuesday, be immediately transmitted to the Senate for inclusion in Monday’s hearing.
He said he hoped the bill could be discussed along with RBH No. 6 in Padilla’s committee.
“In the bill, we are giving the constitutional convention seven months to finish its job. The deadline is the best proof that we want this effort to be limited to the economic provisions. Rewriting the other parts of the Charter would entail a longer, perhaps an open-ended period,” he stressed.
He pointed out that the seven-month deadline is enough for the envisioned con-con to rewrite the economic provisions.
“If they could do it in three months to five months, the better for the country, the less expense the convention would require,” he added.
Under Bill No. 7352, convention delegate would receive no salary but would be entitled to a P10,000 allowance for every day of attendance in the assembly or any of its committees.
