ANG taumbayan at hindi ang mga senador lamang ang dapat na magdesisyon kung dapat na amyendahan ang economic provisions ng Konstitusyon, ayon kay Albay Rep. Joel Salceda.

Ayon kay Salceda ang People’s Initiative ay isa sa mga paraan upang maamyendahan ang Konstitusyon at sa huli ang taumbayan ang boboto kung nais nila ang ipapanukalang pagbabago.

“Ultimately, over and above the House of Representatives and the Senate, the people are supreme and sovereign. The people’s initiative is a valid mode of amending the Constitution. Neither the Senate nor the House can deny this,” ani Salceda.

Ipinunto ni Salceda na ang Pilipinas ay isang demokratikong bansa kung saan ang taumbayan ang pinakamataas.

Ayon kay Salceda ang Pilipinas ay pang-walo sa 10 bansa sa Association of Southeast Asian Nations pagdating sa pagiging maunlad at ang nakikitang dahilan ito ay ang limitasyong nakasaad sa Konstitusyon sa pagnenegosyo ng mga dayuhan sa bansa.

“We should not be afraid of the popular will. The House is not, and the Senate, as a bastion of democracy, should not be,” he said. “Frankly, to address the heart of the matter, so what if a foreigner buys land? As long as he buys it at a fair price and invests to make it productive.”

“I would rather allow the foreigner to do agriculture here, than import cheaper food abroad with hard-earned OFW (overseas Filipino worker) dollars. We Filipinos are already among the largest landowners in Australia and that country does not complain,” sabi ni Salceda.

“Perhaps we should try freedom: The freedom of the people to amend their constitution. The freedom of farmers to work with foreign capital and technology. The freedom of Filipinos to invest in the agriculture sector,” dagdag pa nito.

Kinontra rin ni Salceda ang mga senador at iba pang tumututol sa pag-amyenda sa Konstitusyon na kanila lamang pinoprotektahan ang interes ng bansa.

“Are we protecting our farmers or keeping them poor? Over 42% of agricultural households are poor, versus 11 percent for non-agricultural households. That means our non-agricultural households alone are already at the same poverty rate as rich countries like Germany and Canada,” sabi ng kongresista.

“Are we protecting our farms, or starving it of capital? Are we protecting our agriculture sector or keeping it stunted?” he asked. “If we keep at this rate, we will depend more on imported food every year, or starve,” babala ni Salceda.

“The world’s best countries for agricultural efficiency – Israel and Netherlands – impose no restrictions on foreign ownership of private land. And these are very small countries with limited land supply,” punto pa ng solon. “As a result of keeping the tap open, the flow of foreign capital and technology in their agriculture is steady.”

Iginiit ni Salceda ang kahalagahan na dumami pa ang dayuhang pamumuhunan sa bansa upang mas maraming trabaho ang maaaring mapasukan ng mga Pilipino at mapa-unlad ang iba’t ibang industriya rito.