The House Constitution Commission approves in particular a new withdrawal of 10% and presents an indication for a third draft

The cards were already played and everything seemed that the government this Wednesday would suffer a new defeat in the Constitution Commission of the Chamber of Deputies. And so it was: the parliamentarians of the instance approved the “heart of the second withdrawal of 10%” of the AFPs, according to the president of the commission, Deputy Matías Walker (DC).

However, they did not manage to dispatch him to the Chamber, since the vote on the indications presented by pro-government parliamentarians was pending. This, after the deputy Juan Antonio Coloma (UDI) denied unanimity to extend the session that was scheduled until 7:00 p.m.

In any case, Deputy Walker said that the most probable thing is that a new session will be summoned for this Thursday to vote until the total dispatch is missing.

Specifically, what was approved by seven votes in favor and six against, was a substitute indication of deputies Matías Walker (DC) and Pamela Jiles (PH), which establishes almost the same as the first withdrawal of 10%, but indicates that it will be possible to withdraw the provisions in a single installment.

In favor, the deputies Pamela Jiles, Gael Yeomans (CS) who voted in replacement of the deputy Gabriel Boric, Hugo Gutiérrez (PC), Marcos Ilabaca (PS), Leonardo Soto (PS), René Saffirio (independent); and the president of the Commission, Matías Walker (DC).

Meanwhile, the ruling party voted against this substitute indication, since some deputies stated that they would approve the indications presented by Chile Vamos. Thus, against Jorge Alessandri (UDI), Juan Antonio Coloma (UDI), Luciano Cruz-Coke (Evópoli), Camila Flores (RN), Gonzalo Fuenzalida (RN) and Paulina Núñez (RN).

Among other things, the indications presented by the ruling party and that did not reach a vote establish that withdrawals are taxable; that only people who have seen their income decrease or have lost their jobs can withdraw money; and that there is a refund of the money withdrawn.

The parliamentarians Leonardo Soto (PS) and Hugo Gutiérrez (PC) presented an indication, which also did not reach a vote, to make a third withdrawal of the AFPs, since the proposal states that “after the six-month period of withdrawal pension funds referred to in this rule, do not register any pension contribution within that term, they will have the right to make an additional withdrawal equivalent to 5% of the funds accumulated in their individual capitalization account of mandatory contributions ”.

However, at the beginning of the session, the government again made a reservation of constitutionality, where it provided the details that it failed to give in the previous session.

The government, among other arguments, had said that today the economic and employment situation is very different from what happened when the first withdrawal of 10% was approved, when the country was in full quarantine. Some parliamentarians during the debate prior to the vote, admitted that the situation is different, but pointed out that the outlook is more serious than before, since the pandemic seems to be prolonged and the Executive has not presented new aid for families.

On the other hand, the president of the Senate Labor Commission, Juan Pablo Letelier (PS), this Wednesday committed his vote for the second 10% withdrawal. This, despite the fact that it is not the best solution, he explained, but “in the face of a government that is increasingly autistic, without the ability to listen, or not wanting to listen, making it the working families, the middle class, who is financing this crisis ”.

This Wednesday the Executive suffered a double defeat in the Constitution Commission, since the deputies also approved a motion that seeks the withdrawal of pension funds for terminally ill patients, an initiative that was dispatched to the Chamber and that goes in parallel to the project that the government presented on this same matter and that is in the House Labor Committee.

Deputies Jorge Alessandri (UDI) and Luciano Cruz-Coke (Evópoli) abstained. Meanwhile, deputies Gael Yeomans (CS) voted in favor, who voted to replace Deputy Gabriel Boric; Juan Antonio Coloma (UDI); Pamela Jiles; Camila Flores (RN); Gonzalo Fuenzalida (RN); Hugo Gutiérrez (PC); Marcos Ilabaca (PS); Paulina Núñez (RN); René Saffirio (independent); Leonardo Soto (PS); Marías Walker (DC).

Several pro-government parliamentarians who voted in favor or abstained, asked that the government put urgency on the project presented by the Executive. Faced with this, the government announced that it would.