Business Mirror | 9 July 2013
Farmers buck Belmonte’s ‘Cha-cha’ call
Written by Joel R. San Juan and Jonathan L. Mayuga
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) on Tuesday opposed the proposal of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution via constituent assembly.
The proposal, the group said, will not only allow 100-percent foreign ownership and control of land but will also give non-Filipino individuals and entities access to an unlimited size of land.
“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 sellout of our national patrimony and an assault to the Filipino people’s dignity and independence,” KMP Deputy Secretary-General Randall Echanis said in a statement.
Echanis said the proposed amendments may eventually lead to massive land grabbing of agricultural land by foreigners.
Belmonte recently filed House Concurrent Resolution 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 Charter that restrict foreign ownership of lands, public utilities and media.
Belmonte’s proposed amendments in Paragraph 1, Section 2 of Article 12 of the 1987 Constitution said “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 percent of whose capital is owned by such citizens.” The phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” was inserted at the end of the provision.
Belmonte also proposed to amend Paragraph 1, Section 3 of Article 12, 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 25 years, renewable for not more than 25 years, and not to exceed 1,000 hectares in area.”
According to Echanis, at first glance, Belmonte’s amendments seem simple. However, he said the proposed amendment is “extremely dangerous.”
“The Aquino administration’s Cha-cha would lead to widespread land-grabbing and the massive eviction of farmers from their farmlands,” Echanis said.
The removal of restrictions on 100 percent foreign ownership of lands and public utilities, Echanis said, is 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.
“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,” says KMP Deputy Secretary-General Randall Echanis.
Farmers buck Belmonte’s ‘Cha-cha’ call
Written by Joel R. San Juan and Jonathan L. Mayuga
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) on Tuesday opposed the proposal of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution via constituent assembly.
The proposal, the group said, will not only allow 100-percent foreign ownership and control of land but will also give non-Filipino individuals and entities access to an unlimited size of land.
“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 sellout of our national patrimony and an assault to the Filipino people’s dignity and independence,” KMP Deputy Secretary-General Randall Echanis said in a statement.
Echanis said the proposed amendments may eventually lead to massive land grabbing of agricultural land by foreigners.
Belmonte recently filed House Concurrent Resolution 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 Charter that restrict foreign ownership of lands, public utilities and media.
Belmonte’s proposed amendments in Paragraph 1, Section 2 of Article 12 of the 1987 Constitution said “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 percent of whose capital is owned by such citizens.” The phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” was inserted at the end of the provision.
Belmonte also proposed to amend Paragraph 1, Section 3 of Article 12, 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 25 years, renewable for not more than 25 years, and not to exceed 1,000 hectares in area.”
According to Echanis, at first glance, Belmonte’s amendments seem simple. However, he said the proposed amendment is “extremely dangerous.”
“The Aquino administration’s Cha-cha would lead to widespread land-grabbing and the massive eviction of farmers from their farmlands,” Echanis said.
The removal of restrictions on 100 percent foreign ownership of lands and public utilities, Echanis said, is 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.
