Garbin: Cha-cha to allow foreign ownership of public utilities a 'moral duty'

Amending the 1987 Constitution to allow foreign ownership of public utilities, educational institutions and the media is a matter of moral duty, not a political move, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin, Jr. said Monday.

Garbin was referring to his proposed Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 1 which also amends the Constitution by explicitly including the West Philippine Sea as part of Philippine territory. 

“I filed RBH 1 knowing fully well that it would spark criticism. But I proceeded, because when outdated laws hinder our nation’s progress, it becomes not just a legal step—but a moral obligation,” Garbin said.

Garbin then said that his proposal does not contain provisions changing the form of government, extend term limits, or alter political structures.

“The Resolution targets provisions that have long discouraged foreign investment, hindered global partnerships, and stifled national development,” Garbin said.

“This is not a political maneuver. It is a focused, calibrated move to lift legal barriers that have long stood in the way of economic prosperity,” Garbin added.

The existing 1987 Constitution provides for three modes of amending the Charter:

• via Constituent Assembly (ConAss) wherein all members of Congress will vote on the proposed amendments, although the Constitution does not explicitly state whether the House and the Senate should vote jointly or separately on proposed amendments to the Charter
• via Constitutional Convention (ConCon) wherein the public will ConCon delegates who will make the Constitutional amendments, with all of ConCon-proposed amendments later subjected to the ratification of the people via plebiscite and
• via People’s Initiative wherein the people can directly propose amendents “upon a petition of at least 12% of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least 3% of the registered voters therein.”