Comelec: P13B needed for Cha-cha referendum

A P13 billion budget is needed for the charter change referendum, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday.  

According to Mark Salazar's report on "24 Oras," Comelec said it may experience a "financial crisis" if the national referendum would push through within the year.

The poll body said that holding a referendum for charter change would be ideal in 2026, when the 2025 elections are finished.

“Sana po wag na magkaroon ng plebisito sa month ng October, kasi start na ng filing ng certificate of candicacy (COC) hanggang November, December. So much so pagpasok ng January, February, March to April eto na bulk ng preparation natin. So ang window namin talking to the chair hanggang August or September po,” said Teofisto Elnas Jr., Comelec Executive Director.

(I hope there won't be a plebiscite in October, because of the start of the filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC) which will be until November, December. So much so when the months of January, February, March, April come as these would be the bulk of preparation. So our window, as we talked to the chair, is until August or September.)

He said it will be more challenging to set the referendum in 2025, especially since there are national and local elections as well as Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.

On Sunday, the poll body said at least 884 cities and municipalities had received several pages of signatures for the people's initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution.

Amid the reports that the proponents of the people's initiative for Cha-cha are aiming to have the plebiscite by July, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the poll body has yet to discuss a specific timeline.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia earlier stressed that the commission has yet to gather enough signatures from towns and cities for the plebiscite to happen in a six-month timeline.

As stated in the 1987 Constitution, amendments can be directly proposed by the people "through initiative 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, a mode called people's initiative."

Once the number of required signatures is met, proponents of the said people's initiative will have to file their petition with the Comelec. The poll body will scrutinize and verify the signatures.

If the Comelec can verify that the signatures are authentic, it will schedule a national plebiscite or referendum where the people will vote on the petitioners' proposed constitutional amendments.—Sherylin Untalan/LDF, GMA Integrated News