Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa on Saturday insisted that the easiest way to encourage direct foreign investments (FDIs) into the country is through amendments to the ‘’restrictive’’ economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

He stated this in a DWIZ radio interview Saturday to respond to the opinions of some members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission (ConCom) who advised lawmakers instead pass economic laws that would address issues related to the “restrictive provisions”.

One of the former ConCom members, Florangel Rosario Braid, PhD, said a resolution seeking amendments to the “restrictive” economic provisions in the Charter might be a Trojan horse that might open the floodgates to more revisions, including extension of terms.

The Resolution of Both Houses 2 (RBH2) included the feared phrase, “Otherwise Provided for by Law”.

Critics said members of Congress would be opening themselves to bribery as the business community would seek to get better terms.

Dela Rosa said he would call senators and congressmen who would seek other constitutional revisions other than the “restrictive” economic provisions as “tarantado (rascals).”

“All we want is the economic provisions,” Dela Rosa said he and Senator Francis Tolentino authored RHB2.

“Cupal”’ was the term used by Dela Rosa to lawmakers who would be pushing for their self-interests, adding that “not all” members of Congress seek personal aggrandizement.

Dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said his and Tolentino’s intentions are pure as they want to protect Filipinos’ interests.

“We have no personal agenda,” he stressed, adding that their intentions are clean, “not swapang.”

Dela Rosa said he did not seek public office to advance his interests.

Asked if, after the mid-2022 term of President of Duterte expires, he would still move for a constitutional amendment, Dela Rosa said he would not.

It would be shameful still to insist on a constitutional change if people reject his and Tolentino’s resolution.