'Proud to be Pinoy' won't be true if Cha-Cha pushes through

From the Office of Anakpawis Representative Crispin B. Beltran
South Wing Room 601, House of Representatives,
Constitution Hills 1126, Quezon City, Philippines
Reference: Rep. Crispin Beltran (+63)927.871.1080
Lisa C. Ito, Public Information Officer (+63)927.796.7006
Tel. # (+632) 931-6615

Solon on positive SWS survey results:
'Proud to be Pinoy' won't be true if Cha-Cha pushes through

While relieved over the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) year-end report
that four out of five Filipinos are proud to be Pinoy despite the state of
crisis besetting the nation, Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran said that it was
unfortunate that the proposed Charter Change won't be living up to the
expectations of patriotic Pinoys everywhere.

"It's extremely heartening to see the SWS survey results showing many
Filipinos proud to be Pinoy. But I'm afraid that there won't be any much to
be proud of if Pres. Arroyo's sell-out Charter Change pushes through,"
Beltran said of the annual survey review.

"Patriotic Filipinos who comprise the majority in this country will be
alarmed and angered to find out how the proposed Charter Changes will allow
foreigners to fully own lands, exploit and control natural resources, and
own and operate basic public utilities such as water, telecommunications,
and electricity, among many other damning and sell-out proposed amendments,"
Beltran emphasized.

Beltran cited the assessment of proposed Charter Changes by the legal group
Counsels for the Defense of Liberties (CODAL) released early this week. The
CODAL study revealed that the proposed Cha-Cha will have grossly negative
effect on the political, economic, and human rights of the Filipino people.

Among the amendments to the economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution
were

(a) the insertion in Section 1, Article XII of the Arroyo
Constitution declaring that "Parliament may provide by law ownership of
RESIDENTIAL and INDUSTRIAL lands by foreigners in connection with their
investment in the country under such conditions it may deem necessary for
the protection of the Filipino people";

(b) the deletion of the provision limiting the utilization and operation of
public utilities and natural resources such as mining, logging, and fishing
to corporations which are at least 60% Filipino-owned in Section 2 of
Article XII of the Arroyo Constitution; therefore opening the playing field
to full foreign ownership:

(c)deletion of the restriction of ownership of the mass media and
advertising industries to Filipinos, thereby opening this field to full
foreign ownership as well.

"The proposed Charter Changes has grossly violated rights previously
reserved to Filipinos or Filipino-owned corporations under the 1987
Constitution. These abominable amendments seem to have come straight from
the mouths of rabid foreign companies, and not from a government that claims
to represent Filipinos," Beltran said.

"These proposed changes in the Charter are the most unpatriotic, most
anti-nationalist, and most anti-Pinoy proposals from the Philippine
government ever since American rule.How the Arroyo government has the gall
to support full foreign control over our lands, resources, and basic
utilities is beyond any rational and patriotic logic," he said.

"I doubt Pinoys will have little to be proud of if this sell-out Charter
pushes through. How can one be proud to be Pinoy if our lands, resources,
water, power, media and telecom businesses are all controlled and owned by
foreigners?" Beltran ended.