Pro-administration Senator Robinhood C. Padilla is saddened by a position of President Marcos that Padilla’s proposal to amend the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution is not a priority.
"It is sad because if we do not make the needed changes to the Charter's economic provisions, ordinary Filipinos will not feel the benefits of progress for our Motherland, or of improvements in their lot in life," Padilla said.
"I have heard from past presidents that they are not prioritizing amending the Constitution, particularly its economic provisions," he stressed.
The President expressed his position on this issue after returning from his working visit to Japan.
Then Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and then Speaker Feliciano Belmonte had publicly stated their position that they are for amending the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution.
Enrile is now the legal adviser of President Marcos.
Padilla said that the Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) that the Philippines badly needs could not come true without the proper provisions from the Constitution.
"And most of the pledges by foreign investors from our leaders' foreign trips will not materialize," he added.
President Marcos has stated that the Philippines had bagged at least USD52 billion in investment pledges from his nine trips abroad.
"I repeat: In any country, the basic law is the Constitution. Because of this, I will continue the hearings to update our Constitution. My job in the Senate is to benefit our Motherland and inform our people about what we are doing," Padilla said.
"As the President's senatorial candidate in UniTeam, I support all his priority legislation. That said, I will pursue my own advocacies, with or without the President's support, because that is my obligation to the people - and I will stay the course in the Senate, as part of our democracy," he pointed out.
"Whether or not my fellow senators support my advocacy, it is important that the people know why our growth as a nation has been held back - and what must be done to address this," he emphasized.