Belmonte’s “unless otherwise provided by law” is one big sell-out – KMP by Jul 9, 2013 1:31pm HKT THE peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) today warned that House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr’s. Charter change (Cha-cha) proposal via constituent assembly “would give foreigners not only the 100 percent ownership and control but an unlimited size of land for an unlimited time.” The KMP issued the statement after Belmonte filed House Concurrent Resolution No. 1 which seeks to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution by inserting the phrase “UNLESS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW” in five provisions of the constitution that restricts foreign ownership of lands, public utilities, and media. “Speaker Belmonte is not only giving foreigners 100 percent ownership of our lands. He is also giving away an unlimited size of land to be controlled by foreigners for an unlimited time. This ‘double unlimited’ is not simply a promo to attract foreign investments. This is one big sell-out of our national patrimony and an assault to the Filipino people’s dignity and independence,” says KMP deputy secretary general Randall Echanis. The KMP leader was reacting to Belmonte’s proposed amendments in paragraph 1, Section 2 of Article XII of the 1987 Constitution which states that: “The State may directly undertake such activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture, or production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens, or corporations or associations at least 60 per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens, UNLESS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW.” Belmonte also proposed to amend paragraph 1, Section 3 of Article XII which states that “Private corporations or associations may not hold such alienable lands of the public domain except by lease, for a period not exceeding twenty-five years, renewable for not more than twenty-five years, and not to exceed one thousand hectares in area, UNLESS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW.” “At first glance, Belmonte’s amendments seem simple but it’s extremely dangerous,” Echanis said. “The Aquino administration’s Cha-cha would lead to widespread land-grabbing and the massive eviction of farmers from their farmlands,” Echanis said. Obviously, Echanis said, “Belmonte’s plan to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, particularly the removal of restrictions on 100 percent foreign ownership of lands and public utilities, are clearly linked with Aquino’s program to attract foreign investments.” “It is the height of irony and injustice that foreigners will be given full ownership and control over unlimited tracts of lands while millions of Filipino farmers remain landless,” Echanis said. The KMP leader also warned that “once Congress convene into a constituent assembly, Aquino’s allies will surely push for political amendments including but not limited to the lifting of term limits of the President and other public officials and the removal of the prohibition against foreign military bases, troops, and facilities.” Instead, the KMP called on Congress to uphold Anakpawis partylist group’s House Resolution No. 13 calling on Congress to oppose the Aquino administration’s Charter change. The peasant group also called on Congress to immediately tackle House Bill No. 252 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill seeking the “nationalization and free distribution of all agricultural lands to landless tillers.”
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:23:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015