Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda has hosted the Central Luzon-leg of a congressional public consultation on constitutional amendments in this Pampanga City on Friday.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa ating mga mambabatas dahil ang Pampanga po ang pinili nilang lugar ng public consultation dito sa Central Luzon. Dahil po rito, narinig nila ang mga opinyon ng iba’t-ibang sectors ng Kapampangan,” the govenor said.
He said he would support proposed economic provisions that will “truly be beneficial to the people.”
“Kapag nadagdagan ang foreign investors sa bansa, uusbong ang ekonomiya natin. Mas maraming investors, mas maraming trabaho. Therefore, bababa ang unemployment rate natin at kahit paano’y maiaangat ang buhay ng mga kababayan natin,” the governor said in media interviews.
The 19th Congress’ committee on constitutional amendments held public consultations in Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro provinces before holding the event in Pampanga.
Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, Jr. facilitated the consultation that drew 268 participants including 20 resource persons from the business, education, agricultural, legal, media, local governments, and civil society sectors.
“Ipinapaalam natin sa grassroots itong mga [12] petitions, bills at resolutions na na-file to amend the Charter,” said Congressman Gonzales who filed a bill revising the term limits of public officials.
Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor, the committee’s senior chair, and Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, senior vice chair of the committee on appropriations, presented the proposed political and economic provisions. They said the modes of amending the charter was to be decided by voters.
Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo joined legislators and elected leaders in the province but opted not to talk in the public consultation, noting that the event was held to help the people convey their stand on the matter.