Senate Survey Suggests Government Agencies are Supporting Economic Charter Change

In a Senate hearing held on Monday, a concise survey revealed that a majority of government agencies are in favor of revising the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa queried the representatives present, asking, “Who among you, based on your agencies’ positions, support amending the restrictive provisions of our economic Constitution?” Eight out of ten government agency members raised their hands in affirmation.

Expressing his late arrival and the need for clarification, Dela Rosa requested a recap of the agencies’ positions before posing the question.

Among the agencies invited to the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments hearing were the National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Finance, Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippine Competition Commission, National Security Council, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, and Department of Information and Communication Technology.

Chairing the subcommittee, Senator Sonny Angara leads the deliberations on a motion aimed at amending various economic provisions of the Constitution.

The resolution, submitted by Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Loren Legarda, and Angara, has garnered attention, with some colleagues expressing reservations about a proposal to allow full foreign ownership of all public utilities.

During the hearing, Senator Grace Poe, head of the Senate Committee on Public Services, raised concerns about the potential implications of amending the public utilities provisions, questioning whether it would truly open up the economy or lead to unforeseen consequences.