Lawmaker warns ‘Cha-cha’ may restore foreign bases
By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter
A LAWMAKER has sounded the alarm on Congress’ push to amend the 1987 Constitution, saying Charter amendments could also include the removal of a ban on foreign military bases in the country.
“With Charter change, the Marcos Jr. administration will be able to freely allow foreign bases from the US and other countries to enter the Philippines, compromising our national sovereignty,” Assistant Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Arlene D. Brosas said in a statement on Monday.
Under Article 18, Section 25 of the Charter, it states that foreign military bases, troops, or facilities are not allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty concurred in the Senate, or if required by Congress, ratified by a majority of votes in a national referendum.
“The 1987 Constitution explicitly prohibits foreign military bases in the Philippines, but previous administrations were able to skirt this provision by passing defense treaties like the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA),” Ms. Brosas added.
In 1991, the Philippine Senate voted against the renewal of the United States’ military bases in the country.
However, senators in 1999 concurred with the ratification of the VFA, which allows the US to have a constant rotating military presence in the Philippines for training exercises and for the export and import of military equipment.
In 2014, former President Benigno C. Aquino III signed the EDCA to let the US military rotate ships and aircraft for humanitarian and maritime security operations at mutually agreed-upon Philippine military bases.
The agreement builds on the VFA as well as the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
Congress has reopened talks to amend the Constitution to soften economic restrictions and encourage foreign investors to enter the country.
The Senate will conduct its own review of the charter upon the request of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said last week.
Mr. Zubiri said changes to the Constitution would be focused on easing foreign restrictions on public utilities, advertising, and education. Senator Ronald M. Dela Rosa said he supports the amendment of the Constitution’s economic provisions but is against Congress voting jointly on Constitutional amendments. Analysts have previously said that congressmen would outnumber senators if Congress voted jointly instead of separately.
CHARTER NOT CAUSE OF POOR EDUCATION, SAYS CONGRESSMAN
During the House’s plenary session on Monday, Pasig Rep. Roman T. Romulo said the Constitution is not to blame for the Philippines’ education crisis. “I don’t think there is anything [from defects in the education sector] that can be traceable for the simple reason that the Constitution, in fact, provides that the highest budget allocation should go to the education sector of our country,” he said.
Mr. Romulo, who heads the House basic education committee, said problems in the education sector lie in the poor implementation of existing laws. “The problem really is implementation, the fragmented implementation of these laws, and sadly, in many instances, the negligence in the implementation of these laws,” he told congressmen.
Several groups are also rallying for charter change (“Cha-cha”) through a people’s initiative (PI) where a television advertisement using the phrase “EDSA-pwera” blames the country’s economic woes on the current Charter, which was ratified after the EDSA People Power revolution that ousted former President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
Signature campaigns supporting PI in exchange for “gifts” are also being distributed allegedly with the involvement of congressmen. Amid reiterating his view that charter change is not the immediate solution to the country’s woes, Senate Majority Leader Joel J. Villanueva said that several provisions of the Constitution may be amended to benefit the public.
“The Constitution cannot simply be tampered, changed or amended, but this doesn’t mean that it’s perfect,” Mr. Villanueva said in a statement in Filipino. “Several provisions may be changed to help the country.”