Caritas Philippines against constitutional reform: corruption and poverty the priorities

In recent weeks, parliament has begun to discuss changes to the charter, to favour the economy and the entry of foreign capital. For the Catholic body, the urgencies are other, starting with assistance programmes and environmental protection. According to a survey last March, 45% are against changes to the Constitution, while 41% are in favour

Manila (AsiaNews) - Caritas Philippines enters with a straight leg into the Constitution reform program being examined by Congress (the lower house), remembering that the real priorities for the country and its inhabitants on which the government's work must focus are others : basic social services, strong fight against corruption and application of programs that help the poor and their needs.

“Any attempt to alter” the Charter, underlines the president Msgr. Jose Colin Bagaforo, bishop of Kidapawan, especially if "shrouded in secrecy and lacking genuine public participation, raises serious concerns about his true motivations."

The "fundamental" law on which the state system is based, he warns, "is not a football pitch in the political arena on which to kick to satisfy the whims of those in power".

Last December, House Speaker Martin Romualdez declared that this year the lower branch of Parliament will try to amend some parts of the Constitution, in particular the part concerning the economy which limits foreign ownership. At the same time, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Romualdez's cousin, asked to examine the Charter to see if it was necessary to change it to encourage the entry of foreign capital.

In this context, Msgr. Bagaforo underlined that a possible revision of the Charter is certainly not enough to solve the economic problems of the Philippines and there are other ways to address the problem, in particular with regards to the fight against corruption.

"Poverty will always be a problem - warns the prelate - if corruption is allowed to spread within our government". Instead of wasting time and resources to amend the Constitution, he continues, the government should "give priority to measures to eradicate corruption and ensure the efficient and effective delivery of basic social services to our population".

From this perspective, the Philippine Caritas relaunches the words and position expressed several times by the Episcopal Conference (CBCP), which is against initiatives of this type in a delicate sector such as that of constitutional reforms.

Father Antonio Labiao, Jr., executive director of the Catholic body, urged the executive branch to focus on passing laws that address urgent problems such as environmental protection. “The Philippines,” he warns, “needs a comprehensive mining reform law that protects the environment and the rights of local communities,” while Congress “has not acted on this issue for too long.”

Another concern concerns anti-dynasty measures, which would allow the chain of power within a clan to be interrupted: "A real norm is crucial to breaking the grip of political dynasties in our democracy," says Fr. Labiao. "The Filipino people deserve leaders chosen based on merit and not family ties."

Furthermore, the priest concludes, "the country needs electoral reforms" that "guarantee the quality of our elections and the integrity of the vote", because "only in this way can we have a truly representative democracy, free from manipulation and buying and selling".

Since the presidency of Fidel Ramos, reshaping the 1987 Constitution has been discussed during every term. During his election campaign, former President Rodrigo Duterte promised changes that would move the country towards a federal system of government, but later admitted that the Filipino people were not in favor.

Under Benigno Aquino III, calls for change have been fewer, although he said in 2014 that he was open to the idea, despite initial opposition due to tensions with the judiciary. According to Pulse Asia, which released a survey interviewing 1200 Filipinos between 15 and 19 March 2023, there is "substantial balance": 45% are against changes to the Constitution, while 41% are in favour.