Cha-Cha puts urban poor, workers at risk, Cebu church leaders, advocates say

CEBU, Philippines – Religious leaders and advocates of civil rights organizations in Cebu are concerned over the latest push for charter change which they feared would greatly affect the lives of the urban poor and laborers.

Franciscan priest Allan Arcebuche, the vice chairperson of the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) in Cebu, told Rappler on Monday, March 4, that they were concerned over the intention of lawmakers to “open the economy” as part of the economic agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

At a forum held at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu on Monday, Arcebuche and fellow members of different religious communities learned about Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 and 7 which introduced the phrase, “unless otherwise provided by law.” 

Under the proposed amendments, the phrase would be inserted in Section 11 of Article XII of the Constitution which currently caps foreign ownership of public utilities at 40%. This means that Congress may pass a law to lift or ease the ownership restriction.

“Ang problema natin dyan ay binibigyan ang Kongreso ng napakalakas na poder para amyendahan ang constitution…batas niya mismo deretsong amyendahan ang constitution, ni walang three-fourths vote, walang plebisito, walang referendum,” Human rights lawyer and Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares told reporters on Tuesday, March 5.

(Our problem with that is how it is going to give Congress immense power to amend the constitution…its laws will directly amend the constitution, without having the need for a three-fourths vote, plebiscite, or referendum.)

The lawyer said that once foreign companies own a majority of public utilities, huge rate hikes on services like electricity and water would be imminent, hitting consumers, especially those in the marginalized sectors. 

“Of course, they’re going to want to earn double from their investments here. They’re not just going to the Philippines to invest a dollar and earn only fifty cents from it,” Colmenares said.

‘No, thank you’

In previous years, laws have been passed to open the economy to foreign investors. Under the Public Service Act, foreigners are allowed to fully own companies in the telecommunication, shipping, airline, railway, toll road, and transport network vehicle industries.

Lawmakers who are now pushing for the removal of economic restrictions insist that these would increase foreign direct investments into the country and boost the overall economy.

However, Arcebuche questioned the move, emphasizing the lack of discussions with the public into the specific provisions that would be taken out of the constitution. 

The priest feared that legislators might soon opt to remove restrictions in an effort to favor large corporations over local companies and workers.

“Even back then, they wanted to delete the (economic) provisions that supposedly protect the urban poor, farmers, workers and vendors, because large foreign companies don’t want these,” Arcebuche said in a mix of English and Cebuano.

Jaime Paglinawan, the vice president for the Visayas of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) told Rappler on Tuesday that if the clause “unless otherwise provided by law” would be included into amendments, lawmakers would give foreign companies the power to pressure them into signing laws against worker unions through sheer control of major public utilities.

“Security of tenure, right to organize, humane working conditions and livable wages will be targeted,” Paglinawan said in Cebuano. – Rappler.com