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MANILA - The Makati Business Club on Thursday said it will back efforts aimed at amending the economic provisions of the Constitution, but wants the Aquino administration to first push for the passage of priority legislation.
"MBC believes that the right time for amendments of the Constitution’s economic provisions would be right after the 2013 elections," the big business lobby said in a statement.
The group agrees that amending the Constitution’s economic provisions is critical to sustaining investment inflows and job generation.
"We would welcome a constitutional amendment that would enable Congress to enact legislation that would eliminate or alter the nationality provisions in the Constitution. Ideas have been forwarded that this can be accomplished through a 'surgical amendment' through the insertion of a phrase like “unless modified or removed by Congress” to the nationality provisions, through a method similar to the passage of ordinary legislation but requiring each House of Congress to pass these with a 3/4 vote of approval, followed by a plebiscite," the MBC said.
Having said that, the group however said the Senate and the House should first act on pending priority legislation before the 2013 mid-term elections. These pending bills include the following:
- 2013 General Appropriations Act;
- House Bill 5727, which restructures the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products;
- Amendments to the Mining Act of 2005 to conform to Executive Order 79, which outlines the Aquino administration's new mining policy;
- HB 4244 or the Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health, and Population and Development Act;
- Senate Bill 3208 or the Freedom of Information bill;
- HB 4275 or an Act to Strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering Law;
- HB 4835 or the Philippine Fair Competition Act;
- HB 4935 or the Investments and Incentives Code; and
- HB 5714 or the bill Strenghtening the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program.
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