MILITANT lawmakers lauded the failure of the House of Representatives to approve changes to the Constitution's economic provisions on the last day of second regular session of Congress on Wednesday.

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Neri Colmenares said the deferment was "very timely" for the 117th anniversary of the country's independence on Friday.

But Colmenares' colleague in Bayan Muna party-list, Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate, felt the deferment of voting for Resolution of Both Houses No. 1 was only a "temporary reprieve."

He said that they will continue to educate the people of the negative effects of the proposed amendments.

“We don't need this Cha-cha. The proposed amendments are detrimental to our economic sovereignty, to our national patrimony, to our people,” said Zarate.

Colmenares said allowing foreign ownership of lands and other industries would only exacerbate poverty in the country.

“We need genuine land reform and national industrialization instead of this obsession with foreign investors and foreign led development programs,” he said.

Citing lack of numbers, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte rescheduled the voting to next month in time for the opening of third regular session of 16th Congress.

Under the rules, three-fourths vote of the 290-strong chamber is needed to approve the resolution. (Sunnex)