SEN. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos voiced alarm that the move of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to veto the bill that seeks to create the Bulacan City economic zone (ecozone) might drive away foreign investors.

She said that foreign investors might have second thoughts about coming to the Philippines.

The senator, in a text message on Sunday, however, said the President, her younger brother, “has the power to veto any law.”

Marcos, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs in the 18th Congress, sponsored the passage of House Bill 7575 or the proposed Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Act.

The measure aims to create Bulacan City Airport as a special economic and freeport zone.

“Trabaho lang, walang personalan at walang kapatiran (Nothing personal.

I’m just doing my job),” she said in a text message.

She pointed out that since 2016, former Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd had prohibited the creation of ecozones because it will lead to “foregone revenues” in the form of taxes.

“Sayang (It’s a pity),” she said, adding that the proposed special ecozone could have provided jobs in Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and nearby provinces.

She raised the need for the Senate and the executive branch to determine if the Marcos administration will continue the ban on the creation of new ecozones.

Sen. Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, who hails from Bulacan, said he respects the President’s decision “to veto this bill as it is his prerogative.”

“As a true-blooded Bulakenyo, we fiND THIS DECISION UNFORTUNATE, AS THE proposal has the potential to create a lot of jobs for Filipinos,” the senator said in a statement.

“We fully supported the passage of the Bulacan freeport bill as it aims to provide jobs and livelihoods for our kababayans (fellowmen), as well as develop the country’s economy with investments and infrastructure,” he said.

Villanueva said he looks forward to working with the new administration and pushing for proposed legislations and policies in harmony with the priorities of the executive branch, especially when it comes to job generation for all Filipinos.

“WE WILL CAREFULLY STUDY ON REfiLING this bill and even consider other possible proposals such as strengthening the PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) Law,” he added.