The proposed Charter change, which currently creates a lot of partisan noise, has two objectives. One is admitted, to delete Section 2, Article XII of the Constitution in order to open the right to own lands and other natural resources to non-Filipinos; the other is covert, to amend the Constitution to perpetuate Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in power beyond 2010.

Both objectives are treason-driven and grossly anti-Filipino.

Sec. 2 of Article XII of the Constitution states: “All lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, all other natural resources are owned by the State. With the exception of agricultural lands, all other natural resources shall not be alienated. The exploration, development and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State. 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 sixty per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens.”
The intent of the preceding paragraph is clear and unmistakable: to secure the ownership of all lands and other natural resources exclusively in the hands of Filipinos. Foreign corporations or associations may own shares of stock in a Filipino-owned corporation or association which has entered into a “co-production, joint venture or production-sharing” agreement with the State, but their participation should not exceed 40 percent.

In power during the last nine years, the Arroyo regime has failed completely to undertake directly or jointly with Filipino citizens, or corporations or associations the exploration, development and utilization of our natural resources. Instead, the Arroyo regime has been engaged all these years in circumventing the fundamental law for the benefit of foreigners, as exemplified by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the Expanded Value Added Tax, the Special Assets Act, the Mining Act of 1995, etc.

Now, concerning the second objective of Charter change, why should the Constitution be amended to perpetuate in power the Arroyo regime which has been and still is governing this country for the aggrandizement of non-Filipinos? The EPIRA privatized all assets of Napocor (the privatization process is still going on) and socialized (passed on) all its gargantuan debts to the nation. The EVAT was imposed to reinforce the state’s capacity to service its debts by increasing the people’s tax burdens. The SAV was invented to open the real estate business to foreign financiers. The Mining Act of 1995 was constitutionalized to let foreign mining companies plunder our non-renewable mineral wealth.

Are we a nation of masochists?

—AMADO GAT INCONG,
Unit 301 Union Square Condominium,
145 15th Avenue,
Cubao, Quezon City