Senator Sonny Angara said Thursday that the plebiscite on proposed changes in the 1987 Constitution can be held simultaneously with the 2025 midterm elections.
“I’m not sure about the legal basis of (Commission on Elections) Chairman (George) Garcia for saying that,” Angara said during the Kapihan sa Senado.
Angara said the Supreme Court ruled in the 1981 Occena vs. Comelec case that a plebiscite on constitutional amendments can be held along with a regular election.
He also said the “practical deadline’” for passing Resolution of Both Houses 6 (RBH6), which the Senate is tackling, would be in October—in time for the filing of candidacies for next year’s polls—although he pointed out it could be earlier.
Angara, who chairs the Senate hearings on RBH6, said the October deadline would allow the Comelec to include the question on the proposed constitutional amendment in the ballot.
Meanwhile, a House leader said Thursday the People’s Initiative (PI) to amend the 1987 charter remains an alternative should the Senate fail to honor their commitment to pass RBH6 by March.
“So far, we haven’t discussed the backup plan. We are just giving the Senate the time to consider approving and adopting RBH 6. It would really be appreciated if they will adopt this within the time that they have promised,” said Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.
“If this will not happen, I think the PI is still ongoing and it’s just suspended for the meantime in the Comelec. Maybe the backup plan is to consider the PI,” he said.
The people’s initiative proposes that the two chambers of Congress should vote jointly, not separately, on any Charter change proposal.
“The PI, that’s not in our hands, it’s in the hands of PIRMA… wehave no role in that. Many quarters are saying that we need to look at the Constitution. The League of Governors, League of Municipal Mayors, chambers of commerce and industry in the different provinces, business community, Makati Business Club,” he said.
Several senators, however, continued to question the motives of the Lower House in pushing for charter change.
Senator Chiz Escudero dared House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe and the other congressmen to finally admit in public that they were behind the “fake” people’s initiative signature campaign.
“It would bode well for them to heed their own Speaker’s words when he quoted the saying ‘People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,’” Escudero stressed. Sen. Imee Marcos asserted that the amendments go beyond economic provisions and aim to extend term limits of certain elective officials, including congressmen.
“Let’s get real here. Be honest, sister, that’s my only advice. Let’s not talk about economic matters as a disguise. We all know that the intention is not about economic matters. Why not just openly admit what you want?,” she said in an interview over DZBB.
Former Senate President Franklin Drilon noted that the lack of trust towards politicians is a factor that has historically hindered constitutional reform efforts.
He noted that, except for the administrations of Cory Aquino and Noynoy Aquino, all past administrations had proposed changes to the Constitution that were met with widespread skepticism.
“It failed because of the mistrust of people on us politicians,” Drilon candidly admitted, emphasizing the challenge of overcoming public mistrust. Drilon also pointed out that the ongoing discord between the House of Representatives and the Senate exacerbates public mistrust. He emphasized that only the President can facilitate a dialogue between the two chambers.
“I would appeal to my former colleagues to start a sincere dialogue between the two of them. The President should call the leaders of both chambers to a meeting. This is not good for our country. They should come to an agreement. He is the only one who can do it because he is a political leader,” Drilon asserted.
