“The Philippines may protest against it, as it had so many times, but will that end the assertiveness of China in the Philippine Sea?”
Those behind the rampant smuggling of agricultural products like onions, sugar and rice, including fish and meat, have been identified as the same people involved in the hoarding and manipulation of prices.
During the many hearings of the House of Representatives, these importers, mostly Chinese, are said to operate like the Mafia, from shipment to the unloading of goods, to hoarding and manipulation of prices, Santa Banana!
What surprises me is the government has not lifted a finger to go after this Mafia-like syndicate or cartel.
President Marcos Jr. in fact should be the first to go after this cartel, as secretary of agriculture, if only to show the people the President has zero-tolerance on corruption.
BBM must remember it’s the poor who are the worst affected by the manipulation of prices, giving rise to the high inflation rate the country is now undergoing.
It is said Customs is involved in the smuggling and hoarding of high-value agricultural products.
Mister President, what these Mafia-like smugglers, hoarders and manipulators of prices are doing in the market is nothing but economic sabotage.
Crack the whip, Mister President!
The people need action against this cartel smuggling onions, sugar, rice and other food items like fish and many other products.
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President Marcos Jr. says charter change or the amendment of the 1987 charter is not a priority.
Obviously, the President wants to show to the people that without amending the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, foreign investors will still come to the Philippines with him as President because in many of his trips abroad, especially during his five-day working visit to Japan, he struck no less than 35 deals between Japanese zaibatsus and Philippine conglomerates.
The JICA or Japan International Cooperation Agency had promised the President to fund railways in the Philippines.
Even Japan’s JETRO had pledged to help the country in its economic plans.
On the controversy over the West Philippine Sea, a tripartite agreement was even made for the Philippines, Japan and the United States to cooperate with each other.
Yes, my gulay, foreign investors will come without a charter change!
But, would it be better for the Philippines to have a charter change on the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution to give assurance to foreign investors the repressive, archaic and oppressive economic provisions, if amended, would assure foreign investors the country is opening its doors to the world?
In fact, President Marcos Jr. ‘s nine official trips over the past eight months have yielded P3.48 trillion in investments pledges, according to Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.
Santa Banana, data has shown among 84 countries worldwide, the Philippines ranks third among the most restrictive countries when it comes to foreign investors.
This should convince BBM of the need to amend the economic provisions of the charter since, among all the countries in Southeast Asia, we are considered a laggard when it comes to FDIs.
Mister President, all the foreign chambers of commerce and industries are one in urging you to do away with the restrictive, archaic and oppressive provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
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The1987 charter can no longer match the advances of world technology and communications. It was in fact a reactionary charter of then President Cory Aquino who picked her own people to amend the charter according to her wishes.
It’s a Constitution that has become so antiquated and outdated, so much so that there are many provisions that can no longer apply to modern times.
I would like to cite some of the provisions in the Constitution like the multi-party system , which to me is an anomaly.
Take that provision in the charter which provides for party-list organizations, providing for representation in Congress.
Recall that, at that time, the Parliamentary system of then President Marcos Sr. was then no longer under a Republican system to which we are now under.
According to the record of the 1987 charter, the system of government was under discussion on what system of government the country would be under, whether it be Parliamentarian or Republican.
The Parliamentarians lost, would you believe by only one vote.
The German Constitution was adopted which provides a multi-party system.
That gave birth to the multi-party system which we now have.
Yes, the party-list system is supposed to represent the marginalized people, but it also gave birth to the participation of the Left and the so-called Makabayan Bloc which actually support the communists.
Thus, we have a peculiar system of government with a Republican form of government which provides a multi-party system which can only happen under a Parliamentary system.
Then, there is Section 18 of Article VII which gives the power to the President to declare Martial Law in case of invasion, rebellion or when public safety demands it.
A reading of Section 18 will show it was a reaction to the Martial Law of Marcos Sr., which in effect makes Martial Law a toothless tiger.
Santa Banana, with all the restrictions and conditions provided on the declaration of Martial Law, it would be stupid on the part of a President to declare Martial Law.
The provision in effect ties his hands when he has to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus when needed!
The declaration of Martial Law under Section 18 is so much unlike the 1987 charter when Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law in 1972.
There’s also the need to amend Section 18 when Martial Law is needed in case of invasion and rebellion or when public safety demands it.
As suggested by former Justice Secretary Estelito Mendoza during the discussion with the Senate panel under Robin Padilla, head of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, the phrase “or imminent danger thereof” in cases of invasion or rebellion or when public safety demands it should be inserted.
In the absence of that phrase, Santa Banana, it would be silly to declare Martial Law when there’s already invasion or when rebellion starts or when public safety demands it.
It’s but logical for a President to declare Martial Law before invasion or rebellion, or when public safety demands it by adding the phrase “in imminent danger thereof.”
I can go on and on to cite many more provisions of the 1987 Constitution that demand amendments, my gulay!
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The latest act of bullying on the part of China in the Philippine West Sea is but one of the hundreds or more acts of bullying by China in its assertiveness to intimidate the country by using a military-grade laser beam on the Philippine Coast Guard.
The Chinese envoy and the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ spokesman may be twisting facts, but the Chinese Coast Guard aimed that military grade laser beam on our vessel which was headed to Ayungin Shoal on a mission to provide supplies to a navy crew in a grounded Philippine vessel.
The Philippines may protest against it, as it had so many times, but will that end the assertiveness of China in the Philippine Sea?
Of course not, especially now when the Philippines and the US have expanded EDCA or the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement to allow the US to use our four Philippine military campsites for the US military.
The question now is, will it come to a point that China will indeed intimidate the Philippines and our fishermen that can result in a real confrontation?
I can only pray and hope not.