Senator Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla on Wednesday maintained that the key to alleviating the plight of farmers is to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution even as the Senate ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Padilla, who voted for the ratification, said that if the RCEP will not be properly implemented, it could have a similar effect on farmers as the Rice Tariffication Law, which allowed the importation of rice and allowed palay prices to drop.

Senate Resolution 485, sponsored by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, was concurred by the upper chamber on Tuesday evening with 20 affirmative votes, one negative vote, and one abstention.

Of the senators who registered their vote, Senator Risa Hontiveros did not favor the ratification of the RCEP, while Senator Imee Marcos abstained.

The Philippines is the latest RCEP signatory to concur in the ratification of the trade deal, joining fellow members in the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and trade partners Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

The RCEP, according to Padilla, just like any international trade agreements the Philippines entered into — may facilitate the entry of foreign goods.

The senator is seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions to allow the entry of foreign investments, which are restricted to a maximum of 40 percent.

“Kung binaha tayo ng produkto nila, bahain dapat tayo ng investment nila. Pinayagan natin sila magbaha ng produkto dito pero di kayo pwede mag-invest (If foreign goods enter the Philippines due to the RCEP, so should foreign investments. Yet, we allow the entry of foreign goods but not so much on investments),” he said at a media forum, adding how can it be competitive if the Constitution is obsolete.

In his Resolution of Both Houses No. 3, he proposed that this be done through a constituent assembly with members of the Senate and House of Representatives voting separately.

Padilla, chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, maintained he favors a constituent assembly as the most practical way of amending the Charter’s economic provisions, with members of both houses of Congress voting separately.

“Ang constitutional convention, independent yan, hinahalal ng kababayan. Ang problema sa ngayon tulad ng sabi ni dating Chief Justice Puno, totoo ang sinabi niya — hindi natin control kung sino ang uupo. Baka mangyari diyan asawa ni congressman o pinsan ni senator o bata ni oligarch. Nag-aksaya tayo ng panahon, nag-aksaya tayo ng pera (A constitutional convention is independent, with delegates voted by the people. But as former Chief Justice Reynato Puno said, we cannot control who the delegates will be — they could be relatives of a sitting lawmaker or a dummy of an oligarch. If this happens, we may be wasting time and funds),” he said.

The senator said he is planning to conduct public consultations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao — including Baguio City, Cebu, and Davao City (starting March 2 in Davao). (PNA)