Charter change to strengthen sovereign rights, ease economic provisions sought

Metro Manila, Philippines - A Resolution of Both Houses seeking to amend the Constitution, specifically the national territory and certain economic provisions, was filed on Tuesday, July 15.

Under Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr.’s proposal, the sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea should be laid out in the 1987 Constitution, noting that it is “imperative and long overdue.”

“It is imperative to amend Article I to clearly reflect the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and continental shelf, in line with the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the 2016 arbitral ruling, to constitutionally reinforce its claims in the West Philippine Sea and affirm its duty to protect its maritime entitlements for the benefit of present and future generations of Filipinos,” the measure read.

In the current law, only “territorial sea” is mentioned and there is no reference on the EEZ and continental shelf. For Garbin, it creates “ambiguity in the constitutional framework.”

Meanwhile, Garbin said there is a need to amend the charter to maximize economic opportunities.

He noted that the soaring global interest in Asia puts the Philippines as a “prime destination for foreign investments,” boosted by its economic growth. Based on Asian Development Bank projections, economic growth may reach 6 percent this year and 6.1 percent next year.

“Despite this economic momentum, significant challenges persist, as highlighted by recent data indicating that poverty remains a critical issue in Southeast Asia, with the Philippines and Indonesia together accounting for a substantial portion of the region’s population living below the international poverty line,” the resolution stated.

During the 18th Congress, the House approved the economic Charter change but the Senate shelved it.