A Negros congressman said today, February 4, that he abstained from voting on the House committee on constitutional amendments resolution amending restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution because it still allows foreigners to own educational institutions and media in the Philippines.
The committee this week approved a resolution amending restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution while retaining the ban on foreign ownership of land by a vote of 64-3-3. Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod), said today, January 4.
Paduano said he was one of the three who abstained because the provisions allowing foreign ownership of educational institutions and the mass media were not removed.
We will see what happens when the resolution is discussed in plenary, he said.
Paduano said the amendments proposed by Congress will be voted upon by the people in a plebiscite.
Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said he supports amendments to the economic provisions in the Constitutions.
“I think the idea is to increase foreign direct investments and there are many ways to do that,” he said.
If the general sentiment is that foreigners should not own land that is okay so long as obstacles to foreign direct investments can be decreased and the country can be made more competitive, Benitez said.*