BASAHIN: Cong. Kit Belmonte’s Explanation of NO vote to RESOLUTION OF BOTH HOUSES NO. 2 PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO CERTAIN ECONOMIC PROVISIONS OF THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES PARTICULARLY ON ARTICLES II, XIV & XVI
01 June 2021
It is with much regret that I vote NO to RBH 2.
Almost all our economic and business experts, including people I hold in high respect agree that we have to open up our economy in order to get over this unprecede-nted crisis and enable our country to compete in this interlinked, fast-growing world. The time for protectionism, they say, is over.
However, going as far back as the encomienda system and the Galleon Trade, and the last time we successfully tinkered with our Constitution with the Parity Rights Amendment in 1947, our own history tells us that every time we open up or are made to open up our nation, our people and our resources to foreign participation, we inevitably get the short end of the stick. In short, to put it mildly, nagugulangan tayo!
Our own strategic and geopolitical location and vast natural resources make it almost impossible for the world powers to refrain from interfering with and attempting to control, not just our economy, but also our politics and direction as a nation. We have gone through this before with Spain, England, Japan, and the United States. And kahit nagbubulag-bulagan tayo, Mister Speaker, we are going through this now with China.
Si John Adams ng America ang nagsabi na, “There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation: one is by arms, the other is by debt.” Hindi man “investments” ang tawag nun, pero ngayon yan din yun; buhusan mo ng pera at sa inyo na sila.
Dahil magiging self-executing by law ang pagkalikot sa ekonomiya at dahil ang so-called safeguards at guiding principles sa Constitution ay nasa mga section na pwedeng basahin at nabasa na na non-self-executory, naghain ako ng mga amendment sa RBH 2—mga risonableng safeguard na nasa batayang batas din ng mga katabi nating mga bansa.
Sa paglalagay ng “subject to reciprocity, national interest, and national security,” after every phrase na may “UNLESS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW” sinisigurado natin na kahit ano pang Kongreso ang dumaan, may safeguards at guidelines na susundin sa anumang batas na kakalikot man sa mga probisyon na ito.
Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. I am not opposed to the liberalization of our economy. But we have to be wise; we have to learn from the mistakes of the past, and be astute enough to foresee the risks in our present and our future. We need reasonable safeguards in these amendments. Sadly, hindi sila nasama. That is why I vote NO to RBH No. 2.
Panoorin ang explanation of No Vote dito.
Basahin ang proposed amendments dito: