PINANINDIGAN ng mga miyembro ng Kamara de Representantes na dapat tapusin na ang pagtalakay sa panukalang pag-amyenda sa restrictive economic provisions ng Konstitusyon bago ang Holy Week break ng Kongreso.

Ito ay matapos na sabihin ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri na nais ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. na isabay ang pagsasagawa ng plebisito para sa Charter reform sa 2025 midterm elections.

Sa ginanap na press conference, sinabi nina Representatives Margarita “Atty. Migs” Nograles (PBA Party-list) at Rodge Gutierrez (1-RIDER Partylist), na nais din nila na kay Pangulong Marcos mismo manggaling ang direktiba kaugnay ng pagpasa ng economic constitutional reforms.

Naniniwala din si Nograles na mahalagang manatili ang confidentiality ng pinag-usapan sa isang closed-door meeting.

“And sana po ‘yung mga pinag-uusapan closed doors is respected in terms of confidentiality na ‘yung Presidente lang makakasabi kung ano talaga ‘yung gusto niya,” sabi ni Nograles.

Giit naman ni Gutierrez, nais niyang manggaling mismo ang pahayag mula sa Pangulo.

“Although ideally, I want to hear it personally from the President,” ayon kay Gutierrez.

Naniniwala sina Nograles, Gutierrez, at Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (1st District, Lanao del Sur) na dapat agad tapusin ng Kongreso ang napakahalagang gawain upang maipasa ang Resolution of Both Houses No. 7 (RBH 7)-na naglalayon ng reporma sa economic constitutional provisions, partikular ang may kinalaman sa public services, education at advertising—-bago ang Holy Week break ng Kongreso sa Marso 23.

“As far as the House is concerned, patuloy po ‘yung trabaho and we will exhaustively look into the economic revisions in the Constitution and hear the different resource persons while looking into RBH 7,” ayon kay Nograles.

Iginiit pa ni Nograles ang kahalagahan ng SMART na pagpapasya, o ang pagtatakda sa mga layuning “specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound,” habang hinihintay ang direktiba mula sa Pangulo.

“So it’s good that we do have this timeframe although we have yet to hear what the President really has to say about this because that is something that I hope pumasok ‘yung konsepto din, although we want to be transparent, may confidentiality din,” ayon pa kay Nograles.

Hinimok naman ni Gutierrez ang mga senador na huwag nang patagalin paabutin pa ang pagpasa ng RBH 6 bago ang sine die adjournment sa Mayo.

“But of course, again, we would urge our colleagues in the Senate, at least as priority, hopefully we don’t extend it all the way to sine die. I think it’s possible naman that we have a fruitful exhaustive discussion which still follows the original na sinabi nilang can be finished before Holy Week,” ayon kay Gutierrez.

Binigyan diin naman ni Adiong, ang kagyat na pagbibigay atensyon ng Kongreso sa economic constitutional amendments na aniya’y bahagi ng legislative priority ng Marcos administration.

“It’s very clear that the President wants to push for the changing, amending the provisions in the Constitution particularly the economic provision. So what we’re doing here in the House of Representatives is to translate that priority and policy of this current administration,” ayon pa kay Adiong.

Dagdag pa ng mambabatas, kinakailangan nang bigyan ng panahon ang diskusyon at pagpapabilis sa proseso bago ang Holy Week break.

“I personally would want this discussion on the economic provision done before the break for the Holy Week. Actually, that’s the original plan eh,” ayon pa kay Adiong.

Nangangamba naman ang mambabatas sa ideya sa pagsasagawa ng plebisito para sa economic constitutional amendments kasabay ng 2025 midterm elections.

“Ako personally, I would want that to end as soon as possible time because come 2025 it would be an election season. And the reason why we are fast-tracking this discussion, this amendment is we want to insulate this from political innuendos and political interpretation. This might be used as a campaign slogan,” paliwanag ni Adiong.

Binigyan diin pa ng mambabatas ang pagbibigay halaga sa diskurso sa economic provision, na magbibigay ng potensyal na pagkakataon at benepisyo ng pagpapalawak sa dayuhang pamumuhunan sa bansa.

“So if we want to pass that and simultaneously doon sa holding of the election, this will open up to several political interpretations and this might be used as a political campaign and masisira ang pinaka-intention ng administration,” paalala pa ni Adiong.

Dagdag pa ni Adiong, “Gusto natin na tapusin na usapin ng economic provisions sa Constitution at hindi dapat may maging subject to political contest. That is my fear kung doon natin isasabay sa 2025 midterm elections.”