MANILA — Progressive groups held a protest against charter change outside the Batasan Pambansa on Monday morning ahead of the resumption of plenary sessions of the 19th Congress.

The groups under Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) called the campaign "self-serving" and warned that it could be used to remove term limits and allow more foreign troops and military facilities into the country.

"Instead of [charter change], Congress should focus on passing laws that will uplift the conditions of the people such as a substantial wage hike, free land distribution and support for local producers," Bayan said in a statement.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri last week filed a Resolution of Both Houses to empower Congress to regulate foreign investments in public utilities, education and advertising.

• What does Zubiri's charter change resolution seek to amend?

The House had a separate proposal in the 19th Congress to also empower lawmakers to regulate foreign investments in land, mass media and natural resources.

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro joined the protest, saying the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives also opposes moves to change the 1987 Constitution.

"Hindi po tayo naniniwala na economic provision lang ang mapapalitan," Castro, of ACT Teachers party-list, said.

"Ang dapat na asikasuhin ng ating gobyerno ay ang problemang pan-sikmura ng ating mamamayan," she said, adding that people are more worried about wages and job security than the Constitution.

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CONCERNS OVER FOREIGN BASES

Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Arlene Brosas, also a House assistant minority leader, said in a separate statement that charter change will also lead to the removal of the ban on foreign military bases in the country.

"The 1987 Constitution explicitly prohibits foreign military bases in the Philippines, but previous administrations were able to skirt this provision by passing defense treaties like the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense and Cooperation Agreement," she said.

She said that if the 1987 Constitution is opened up for revision, "the Marcos Jr. administration will be able to freely allow foreign bases from the US and other countries to enter the Philippines, compromising our national sovereignty."

Zubiri's RBH 6 mentions specific provisions in the Constitution and the proposed changes to them.

He said that he specified the provisions to make clear that only economic provisions will be touched.

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