Estrada seeks for end to row over constitution

Estrada seeks for end to row over constitution

MANILA (Agencies): Philippine President Joseph Estrada
appealed to his critics on Tuesday to set aside their opposition
to his proposal to change the constitution, but said he would bow
to the will of the majority.

Estrada made the appeal in Cotabato city on the second day of
his tour of the southern island of Mindanao, where he is seeking
support for a constitutional reform program that has deeply
polarized the country.

He said protests against his proposal showed democracy was
alive, "but after this let us set aside our objections and turn
our attention to what is good for our people."

"We need unity to push our country forward," he added.
Estrada said he had directed a special commission he has set up
to study proposed charter amendments to consult widely with the
public to find out how people really feel about the changes.

"I am ready to heed the results of their studies," he said.
Estrada has called for scrapping protectionist economic
provisions in the 12-year-old constitution that he says deter
foreign investments.

Former president Corazon Aquino and Roman Catholic Cardinal
Jaime Sin, who led a big protest --the largest so far against
Estrada-- in Manila last week against the proposal, have
expressed fear that Estrada also wants to scrap a provision that
limits presidents to a single six-year term. They said it could
endanger the country's young democracy.

Estrada denies this, saying he only wants to attract foreign
capital to develop industries and lift Filipinos out of poverty.

Aquino has agreed to meet President Joseph Estrada to discuss
her opposition to Estrada's plans to revise the Philippine
constitution, said Lourdes Sytangco, her spokeswoman said on
Tuesday.

Cardinal Sin also said he is willing to meet Estrada and
listen to the reasons behind the president's proposal to amend
the constitution.

Meanwhile, the Philippine central bank chief said on Tuesday
that "billions of dollars" ride on Estrada's move to rewrite the
Philippine constitution.

Rafael Buenaventura said "billions of dollars" were needed to
establish a fully operational telecommunications company.

He added capital of similar magnitude would also be needed if
Manila wanted to set up an information technology center.

"Filipinos don't have the money for that," Buenaventura said.
"We need to allow foreign investors to come in."

Estrada, who has rejected allegations of having a "hidden
agenda", has proposed allowing full foreign ownership in areas
where foreign entities are currently limited to 40 percent
equity.

He also wants foreign investors to be able to own land. The
1987 constitution only allows them long-term leases.

"There are certain sectors where we have to be practical and
be competitive with Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia," said
Buenaventura.

He said Filipinos would in any case have the final say on
Estrada's plans, with a plebiscite to ratify the reforms.
And he added that the opposition were playing on popular fears
that all farm land would be sold for industrial use.

"There is this notion of selling agricultural land to
foreigners. We seem to have an emotional attachment to that,"
Buenaventura said.

Moreover, influential sections of the business community were
"not against charter change", he said. Finally, he repeated
government warnings that street protests against the
constitutional amendments, such as one led by Aquino and Catholic
bishops last Friday, "will have an effect on us".

He said the protests raised "questions of political stability"
in the minds of potential foreign investors.