The majority of the lawmakers approved House Bill No. 7352 or an Act Implementing Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 of the Congress of the Philippines Calling for a Constitutional Convention to Propose Amendments to, or Revision of, the 1987 Constitution.
It garnered 301 affirmative votes, 7 no votes, and zero abstentions.
This bill aims to amend the economic provisions of the current Constitution which proposed the removal of the restrictions on foreign ownership in the country.
With this amendment, 7 lawmakers voted for no they were Rep. Gabriel Bordado; Rep. Arlene Brosas; Rep. France Castro; Rep. Edcel Lagman; Rep. Raoul Manuel; Rep. Mujiv Hataman, and Rep. Paolo Duterte.
According to Deputy Minority Leader Mujiv Hataman, the bill lacks approval from the Senate which is why the house should not rush it.
“Why are we attempting to pass an implementing law for RBH 6 when, as it is right now, it is not yet “implementable,” so to speak, because it still lacks Senate approval?”, Hataman said.
Rep. Edcel C. Lagman agreed with Rep. Hataman as he emphasized that this bill is not yet complete.
“The House of Representatives’ consideration and approval of HB No. 7352 is an exercise in inordinate futility because no less than the Senate President disclosed that the Senate cannot muster the extraordinary requisite vote to join the House in calling for charter change via a constitutional convention”, Lagman added.
