Marcos thinks Cha-cha via people's initiative 'too divisive,' says Zubiri

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. believes the proposed amendments in people's initiative for Charter change was “too divisive,” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Monday.

In a press conference, Zubiri said he and Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda met with Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez on January 11 before the Vin d'Honneur to raise concerns on the proposed amendments contained in the people's initiative.

“The President agreed with us that the proposal was too divisive, and asked the Senate to instead take the lead in reviewing the economic provisions of the Constitution. In this way, we can preserve our bicameral nature of legislation,” he said.

Resolution of Both Houses No. 6

Zubiri said the Senate is open to discussion on the amendment on the economic provisions of the Constitution.

He, Legarda, and Senator Sonny Angara thus filed Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, proposing amendments to certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. It included reforms in the Public Services Act, education, and advertising industry by adding the phrase "unless otherwise provided by law."

Zubiri said Marcos, who was a former senator, told him that he would not allow the power of the Senate to be undermined or diminished when it comes to bicameralism or bicameral form of government.

“Sabi niya sa akin at kay Speaker [Marcos told me and Speaker], why doesn’t the Senate take the lead in the discussions of the economic provisions and then you approve your version which the House can adopt? Para hindi na tayo maglalagay pa ng kung anu-ano pang mga amendments na sa tingin natin ay magagalit ang taumbayan [this is so we will not add any more amendments that will make the people angry],” the Senate president said.

Zubiri said he got the support of 14 senators for the review of the economic provisions of the Constitution, but Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed reservations.

Angara was also tasked to lead a subcommittee on the Committee of the Constitutional Amendments to tackle the matter.

Romualdez, in a statement, said he backs the Senate's decision to pursue amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution.

"As Speaker of the House of Representatives, I would like to express my unwavering support for the Senate's initiative to file a Resolution of Both Houses of Congress. This resolution using the mode of Constituent Assembly is a decisive step towards amending the 1987 Constitution, particularly in terms of relaxing the economic provisions that currently restrict the entry of foreign direct investments into the Philippines," Romualdez said.

"Our nation stands on the cusp of transformative economic growth, and it is imperative that we adapt our constitutional framework to the evolving global economic landscape. The amendments proposed are not just timely but necessary to unlock the full potential of our economy, fostering a more competitive, inclusive, and robust economic environment," he added.

As to the people’s initiative, Zubiri said its proposal subject could result in a constitutional crisis, “destabilizing our bicameralism and upsetting the system of checks and balances.”

“While we respect and recognize the people as our sovereign, with the right to call for Constitutional change, we must guard against any attempt to revise the Constitution by exploiting our democratic process under the guise of a people’s initiative,” he said.

He said while the Senate is vehemently opposed to a dilution of its participation in the task of reviewing the Constitution, it exercised all restraint, because in any conflict, it is always the people who stand to suffer the most.”

“While the Constitution must be reviewed in keeping with the demands of the present and the possibilities of the future, we believe that we must first exhaust all other avenues open to us, through policy-making and legislation,” he added.

Romualdez last year said 2024 is the right time to push for Charter change, and said he was keen on launching a people’s referendum to determine how Congress should vote on proposals amending the Constitution.

‘All about greed’

Hontiveros, meanwhile, said that the push for people’s initiative is “all about greed and the desire to act with zero accountability to the nation.”

“Umpisa pa lang, nang mag-viral ang patalastas, halatang ang galaw na ito ay para lang sa kapakinabangan ng mga abusadong may nakatayang personal na interes. Kaduda-duda na ‘yung mga organizer na nasa likod ng TV ad, at ‘yung mga kumakalat ng form ay ayaw magpakilala at nagtatago sa likod ng isang law firm,” she said in a statement.

(Right from the start, when the ad went viral, it was obvious that this was done only for the benefit of those who have their personal interests at stake. The organizers behind the TV ad and those spreading the form both don’t want to get identified and are hiding behind a law firm.)

Hontiveros was referring to the “EDSA-Pwera” TV ad questioning the 1987 Constitution and calling for changes to its provisions, as well as the signature campaign to push for Cha-cha.

She also said that the people’s initiative was not about any economic or political reforms in the Constitution.

“Walang nabanggit tungkol diyan ang mismong form daw na kumakalat [the form being spread does not mention anything about these]. The campaign only wants both houses of Congress to ‘vote jointly’ during a Constituent Assembly, thus weakening the Senate’s voice and participation in the process of Charter Change,” she added.

No money involved in Antipolo

Antipolo 2nd District Representative Romeo Acop on Monday admitted that a signature campaign for people’s initiative is ongoing in his district, but said that it did not involve money.

“Merong nangyayaring signature campaign doon sa aking distrito but I can assure you na kung merong pumipirma roon, walang bayad,” he said in an ambush interview at the House of Representatives.

(There is a signature campaign happening in my district but I can assure you that people signing there are not getting money.)

When asked if there was a directive from the House leadership to legislators regarding people’s initiative, Acop replied, “Wala naman [none].”—with Tina Panganiban-Perez/AOL, GMA Integrated News