Robin: Charter Change to Unlock RCEP 'Benefits' Especially for Farmers

Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla wants the benefits of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to benefit Filipino farmers, even as he maintained amending the Constitution's economic provisions should be the key to achieving this.

Padilla said that while RCEP - like earlier international trade agreements the Philippines entered into - may facilitate the entry of foreign goods, the entry of investments may be limited due to the Constitution's 40% restriction on foreign investments.

"Kung binaha tayo ng produkto nila, bahain dapat tayo ng investment nila. Pinayagan natin sila magbaha ng produkto dito pero di kayo pwede mag-invest (If foreign goods enter the Philippines due to the RCEP, so should foreign investments. Yet we allow the entry of foreign goods but not so much on investments)," he said at a media forum in Manila.

"Paanong maging competitive tayo kung ang Constitution natin ay obsolete (How can we become competitive if our Constitution is obsolete)?" he added.

Also, Padilla voiced concerns that if RCEP is not properly implemented, it could have a similar effect on farmers as the Rice Tariffication Law, which allowed the importation of rice and allowed palay prices to drop.

Padilla is seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution's economic provisions to allow the entry of foreign investments, which are restricted to a maximum of 40%. In his Resolution of Both Houses No. 3, he proposed that this be done through a constituent assembly with members of the Senate and House of Representatives voting separately.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, he is planning public consultations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao - including Baguio City, Cebu, and Davao City - starting March 2 in Davao.

Meanwhile, Padilla maintained he favors a constituent assembly as the most practical way of amending the Charter's economic provisions, with members of both houses of Congress voting separately.

"Ang constitutional convention, independent yan, hinahalal ng kababayan. Ang problema sa ngayon tulad ng sabi ni dating Chief Justice Puno, totoo ang sinabi niya - hindi natin control kung sino ang uupo. Baka mangyari diyan asawa ni congressman o pinsan ni senator o bata ni oligarch. Nag-aksaya tayo ng panahon, nag-aksaya tayo ng pera (A constitutional convention is independent, with delegates voted by the people. But as former Chief Justice Reynato Puno said, we cannot control who the delegates will be - they could be relatives of a sitting lawmaker or a dummy of an oligarch. If this happens, we may be wasting time and funds)," he said.

Robin: RCEP, Mararamdaman ng Magsasaka Kung Inayos ang Economic Provisions ng Konstitusyon

Hindi mararamdaman ng taumbayan - lalo na ng mga magsasaka - ang benepisyo ng Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) kung hindi aayusin ang economic provisions ng Saligang Batas, ayon kay Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla ngayong Miyerkules.

Ani Padilla, pinapayagan ng RCEP at katulad nitong international trade agreement ang pagpasok ng produkto galing sa ibayong dagat, nguni't hindi makapasok ang puhunan galing sa ibang bansa dahil sa restriction ng kasalukuyang Saligang Batas.

"Kung binaha tayo ng produkto nila, bahain dapat tayo ng investment nila. Pinayagan natin sila magbaha ng produkto dito pero di kayo pwede mag-invest," aniya sa isang media forum sa Manila.

"Paanong maging competitive tayo kung ang Constitution natin ay obsolete?" dagdag niya.

Nagpahayag din ng pangamba si Padilla na kung hindi maayos ang implementasyon ng RCEP, baka matulad ito sa implementasyon ng Rice Tariffication Law kung saan dumami pa ang importasyon ng bigas at nagpabagsak ng presyo ng palay.

Isinusulong ni Padilla ang pag-amyenda sa economic provisions ng Saligang Batas para payagan ang pagpasok ng foreign investment na higit sa 40% na pinapayagan ng 1987 Constitution. Sa kanyang Resolution of Both Houses No. 3, iminungkahi niya na gawin ito sa pamamagitan ng constituent assembly kung saan hiwalay boboto ang miyembro ng Senado at Kamara.

Balak niya bilang tagapangulo ng Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes na gumawa ng public consultations sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao - kasama ang Baguio City, Cebu, at Davao City - simula Marso 2 sa Davao.

Nanindigan din si Padilla na pinakamainam na paraan sa pag-amyenda ng Saligang Batas ang constituent assembly kung saan hiwalay na boboto ang myembro ng Senado at Kamara.

"Ang constitutional convention, independent yan, hinahalal ng kababayan. Ang problema sa ngayon tulad ng sabi ni dating Chief Justice Puno, totoo ang sinabi niya - hindi natin control kung sino ang uupo. Baka mangyari diyan asawa ni congressman o pinsan ni senator o bata ni oligarch. Nag-aksaya tayo ng panahon, nag-aksaya tayo ng pera," aniya.

"Dapat ang Constitution natin pang-AI na. Dapat ang Constitution natin sumasabay tayo. Kasi ang nangyari ang Constitution natin masakit mang sabihin, nilumot. Kasi na-stuck eh. Parang tubig na stagnant. Dapat ang Constitution natin tuloy tuloy parang tubig na umaagos, sabay sabay tayo," dagdag niya.