Lawyer supports Robin’s call to amend Constitution
SENATOR Robinhood Padilla found an ally among lawyers who expressed the need to amend the present constitution and to ensure that it does not hold back the Philippines’ economic growth.
Padilla echoed the call of lawyer and Ateneo de Manila Law School Professor Antonio Abad Jr. to amend the present constitution for the long term.
Abad further said that fixing the relevant provisions in the basic law of the land is for the benefit not just of Filipinos now but of future generations of Filipinos.
Padilla earlier sought to amend the economic provision of the present Charter through a constituent assembly with both Houses voting separately.
The same resolution was supported by the lawyer and constitutional reform advocate, who said in an interview over DZEC: “Ang pag-ayos ng Saligang Batas siguro ang No. 1 priority natin. Ang Saligang Batas is the highest law of the land – so kung leader ka, kung senator ka, this should be your priority… ito dapat ang priority. Dito manggagaling ang ulam, kanin at sibuyas.”
Responding to claims that amending the economic provisions of the constitution would not be needed due to laws like the Public Service Act, Abad noted that while the Public Service Act may have generated investments in various sectors, there is still a need to ensure that the constitution allows economic growth for the future generations.
Besides, he said, rules on investments should be in laws and not the constitution. He noted that while the Philippine Constitution has a 60-40 restriction on foreign investments, the country’s Southeast Asian neighbors like Myanmar, which have gained much foreign investments, have no such restrictions.
“Pag nakita ng investor sa Saligang Batas natin na may provision na nagsasabing hindi ka pwede mag-invest, hindi sila pupunta rito at pupunta sila sa ibang bansa tulad ng Vietnam,” he said, stressing that the constitution is for future generations.
