Legislator expresses optimism Senate will support economic amendments to Constitution

A DEPUTY SPEAKER said deliberations on economic amendments to the Constitution will likely continue in May for timely transmission to the Senate, where he is confident the amendments will find support.

In a statement Thursday, Representative Rufus B. Rodriquez said: “Since we will have a break next week on March 25, the deliberations will continue when we resume session on May 17.”

Mr. Rodriguez said by the time the amendments are transmitted to the Senate, that chamber will have sufficient time to consider the proposed changes to the Constitution.

The House committee on constitutional amendments last month adopted Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 which inserts the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” in the foreign investment restrictions in the Constitution, which would allow greater foreign participation in the economy with the passage of appropriate laws.

“The changing of those restrictions will hasten the country’s recovery from this crippling pandemic,” he said, adding that statements of support by some Senators makes him confident that the chamber “will tackle our amendment proposals once transmitted to them and will eventually consider approving them.”

He added that the House will propose only economic amendments.

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said in January that a one-line amendment to relax foreign ownership limits in the Constitution has a chance of being passed by the Senate. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas