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| Although in favor of relaxing the economic provisions of the Constitution, President Rodrigo Duterte said he is against foreign land ownership. PPD/Toto Lozano, File | By Alexis Romero via Philstar |
MANILA, Philippines — The plebiscite for the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution may coincide with the 2019 midterm elections, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday.
During the Wallace Business Forum dinner held in Malacañan Monday, Duterte stressed that he is in favor of relaxing the economic provisions of the Constitution as long as foreign firms pay the proper taxes.
When asked by businessman Peter Wallace if the plebiscite for charter change can be done alongside the 2019 midterm polls, Duterte replied: “We could do that. Yes. Possibly. I have no objection.”
“About the Constitution, I am ready to reverse the 60-40. As long as Congress is also ready, I will go along with it,” the president said.
Duterte, however, clarified that he is against land ownership for foreign entities.
“It’s a fundamental irreconcilable difference with me and some of the congressmen,” the president said.
Duterte said allowing foreigners to own land could displace poor Filipinos.
“At this time of our financial life and civilization, you can easily sell the land even for a pittance. It would come to other people almost as free and then what happens? Where will I go if everything is already owned?” he said.
“And even if they say it’s agricultural land, they can gobble it up. Even if they say there’s a term, still and there will be a time where we would have lost control over the lands to others.”
While he believes it is too early to set a timeline for charter change, Duterte said he is open to a constitutional convention as a mode of amending the constitution.
“And to me, I would rather that, maybe not me but almost a commission of seven justices or a mix of the lawyers,” he said, adding that appointing people with vested interests to the commission could retain what he described as a “feudal setup.”
Duterte also said he is open to 100 percent foreign ownership for public utilities.
“Just pay the taxes and get the profits and go away after but you know, I am more after the opportunity for Filipinos,” the president said.
“You build something here and there has to be something that moves economically and for me, it’s alright. As long as people – the worry here is unemployment, actually. It’s not because of how much would you invest there or not. I’m ready to let go except selling of lands.”
Duterte also vowed to promote competition in telecommunications, energy and cargo transportation.
“The only way to have these things cheaper, actually, electric and telecommunications, is to open up for competition. So we’ll just do away with monopoly in the sense that you allow other players outside to enter into the picture. And that would lower everything, including energy. I’m sure of that,” he said.
Assurance to BPOs
Duterte also assured the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry of stability in terms of policies.
“Forget your fears. This is a democracy. We follow the free enterprise. There would be changes, there would be changes for the better, not to kill businesses,” he said.
“I am a lawyer and I believe in free enterprise, I believe in democracy that’s why I ran for president. I’m duty-bound by the Constitution. And about the outsourcing there, I would even guarantee to you that the Philippines would honor its contractual obligations,” he added.
Duterte said there would be no bending of policies under his watch unlike the previous administrations, whom he said “were known for the notoriety of not honoring contracts.”
”We will honor contracts. You can bet on it with my life, not yours actually,” the president said.
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