The bill seeking to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution will benefit all sectors when it becomes law.

This was stressed by Leyte Representative Richard Gomez during a press conference on the sideline of the Public Consultation on Constitutional Reform in Iloilo City on Monday, Feb. 13.

“All sectors of the society, all levels of working class. We must understand na ‘pag pumasok yung foreign director investors, it is the local government units who would benefit from it and its people…business taxes will be collectively higher,” Gomez told local reporters.

The neophyte lawmaker is the author of House Bill 6805 or “An Act Constituting a Constitutional Convention to Amend the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Defining the Qualifications for its Delegates Who Shall Be Elected Simultaneously with the Next Barangay Elections, and for other Purposes.”

Gomez was among the members of the House of Representatives present during the public consultation conducted by the Committee on Constitutional Amendments at the Iloilo Convention Center in Mandurriao district.

The actor-turned-politician “understands” the sentiments of the people who are scared to lose their lands to foreign investors, but he emphazised that their in their House Resolution, they are very protective of the land owned by the Filipinos.

“We may allow foreign ownerships but we would be very strict kon saan nila pwedeng gamitin. Mahirap kung gagamitin for agricultural purposes because to be able to be fully succeed sa agriculture program, we need vast of lands, hundreds of hectares of ownership and that we do not allow,” said Gomez.

But for those foreign direct investors who would like to come in as manufacturers, which need only a very limited land, they can be allowed to own 10 to 15 hectares only.

It is very important for them legislators, according to Gomez, to do public consultation to hear the sentiments of the people.

“After all the 1978 Constitution needs to be revised but we want to hear some salient ideas from different sector of the society,” he said.

Gomez proposed Consitutional Convention (ConCon) as way of amending the Constitution simply because it will be cheaper to do it this year, because it can be coincided with the barangay elections.

“Sa balota ng barangay election isasama naton, isang linya for the consitutional delegates,” he said.

“Hahabulin natin kasi may timeline yung printing the ballot for barangay elections. ‘Pag hindi kami natapos, hindi kami masasama sa barangay election,” Gomez added.

For Iloilo Third District Representative Lorenz Defensor, it is already high time to amend the Constitution particularly its economic provision.

“Paglab-ot sa economic provision sang aton COnstitution-siguro tiempo na gid man, kay kon lantawon may mga provision kita nga naga limit sang foreign ownership sa public utilites,” he said citing for instance the country’s transportation system and telecommunication industry.

“Kita ang may pinakalaw ay nga telecomunications sa bilog nga SouthEast Asia samtang ang Singapore, Japan and Korea, may ginatawag na sila nga bullet train. Asta subong ang public transportation naton-jeep man kita gyapon,” he added.

Under the current set up, foreign investors are only allowed 40 percent ownership of the public utilities in the country.

“Nahadlok sila sa pag invest sa bagay nga indi sila ang gapahulag kag gakapot sang ila kwarta kag investment…” said Defensor.

The Ilonggo lawmaker is in favor of amending the Constitution, citing the data showing that the Philippines has the most restrictive economy in Southeast Asia or smallest foreign investment.

However, Defensor stressed that he is not amenable to the 100 percent ownership of the land.

“I want land to stay with the Filipinos pero pabor ako nga amendahan ag Constitution nga imbes nga 25 years plus 25 years ang least, tagaan ta man sila sang 50 years and another 25 years nga extension para may confidence ang mapatindog sang investment sa infrasrtucture, tubig, telcos, transpo nga indi madula ang ila ginpatindog sa ila investment,” he explained.

Defensor is the the senior vice chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments.IMT