Charter’s ‘restrictive’ features prompt change

THE constraining and outdated characteristics of certain provisions of the 1987 Constitution demand change, said an expert.

“I think all these moves about changing not just the Constitution but also the laws behind these are very much overdue. Even if the President (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.) says ‘I want these laws changed,’ are they actually able to make the change? Many of our laws date back from the Commonwealth era; our Telecom structure is even controlled by a Radio Control Act,” said Dean Roberto Galang of the Ateneo de Manila University-John Gokongwei School of Management during the “BBC World Questions:

Philippines” aired by the British Broadcasting Corp.’s World Service Radio broadcast on Saturday.

Galang added that the country’s legal restrictions on foreign investments were comparable to those of Ethiopia and Indonesia, which encompasses education, media, advertising and retail.

He said there should be ways to pass laws faster in response to changing times, noting politics is a hindrance to growth.

“Let us not bury our heads in the sand and say, ‘Look, we need to change the Constitution but on the economic side.’ The politics is where our problems are, and if we can’t resolve that, it would be very hard for us to develop,” Galang said.

Akbayan Citizens Action Party President Rafaela David and former Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio have expressed their opposition to Charter change.

“We are witnessing a Charter change amid escalating political rivalry between the Marcoses and the Dutertes, which puts to question what is the point of its Charter change,” David said.

Carpio said the country’s economy had already been liberalized; thus, any move to change the Constitution for that purpose was unnecessary.

In a related development, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said he was confident the Senate would pass its version of amendments to the 1987 Constitution despite the opposition of some senators.

“We understand the challenges but the Senate has always lived up to the challenge. Our senators are very good, and I know that they know what is good for our people,” Romualdez said.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said earlier that it would be a “challenge” to gather the necessary 18 votes to approve the measure.

Zubiri added that the Senate would come up with a decision before the Holy Week.