Haresco: PH needs to follow ASEAN neighbors’ lead in Charter reforms
AKLAN 2nd District Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. has emphasized the crucial need for the Philippines to revisit the 1987 Constitution to boost its competitiveness and attract more foreign direct investment, citing the multitude of amendments undertaken by other ASEAN countries as a benchmark for necessary reform.
Haresco observed that while nations such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand have adjusted their constitutions to reflect the evolving global landscape, the Philippines’ fundamental law has remained stagnant for 37 years.
This stagnation, according to Haresco, has resulted in the Philippines falling behind its regional counterparts, both economically and politically.
“Sila po sa Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, members of ASEAN, they have changed their constitutions so many times. Thailand, 20 times silang nagkaroon ng constitution; Indonesia, 9 times; Malaysia, so many times,” Haresco said.
He said that these revisions reflected the proactive approach of these nations in addressing contemporary challenges and leveraging opportunities in the global arena.
Haresco pointed out that the hesitance to revisit the 1987 Constitution originates from an unfounded fear that it will disrupt societal harmony.
“We base our assumption that if we open up the discussion on the Constitution, we’d break up our society. That is completely untrue,” Haresco stressed.
He argued that countries like the United States, with a dynamic economy, have demonstrated the flexibility of constitutional frameworks to accommodate modern demands without jeopardizing social cohesion.
“The US, it is a free economy—you can buy land, whatever you can invest in whatever, wherever. That’s the land of the free,” Haresco emphasized.
“But it seems to me from the point of view of economics, our Constitution is for the land of the few,” he added.
Haresco emphasized the need for the Philippines to reassess its constitutional framework to foster a more inclusive and competitive environment.
He stressed that the current constitution impedes the country’s ability to attract foreign investment, leverage technology, and fully participate in the global economy.
“We don’t have enough capital. We don’t have enough technology. We don’t have enough foreign entrepreneurship to participate actively in this global world,” he emphasized.
Without embracing constitutional reform, Haresco warned that the Philippines not only risks lagging behind ASEAN but also falling behind the entire Asian region.
“If we don’t open ourselves to this debate about opening up the Constitution, we will be not only the laggard of ASEAN, but of Asia,” he said.
Haresco’s call for constitutional reform echoes growing sentiments among policymakers and stakeholders who recognize the urgency of modernizing the country’s legal foundation to ensure its relevance in the 21st century.
This call to action coincides with mounting apprehensions among foreign investors regarding the restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution, which they perceive as hindering investment opportunities in the country.
