Zubiri: Marcos wants Cha-cha plebiscite, Eleksyon 2025 held at same time

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. wants the plebiscite to ratify the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution to be done simultaneously with the 2025 national and local elections, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Monday.

Zubiri shared this after Marcos talked with the senators in a private meeting held after the ceremonial signing of two new laws earlier in the day.

"To be very honest, binanggit niya po kanina yan, mas gusto niya, na magkaroon ng plebiscite in the 2025 elections. Dahil, napaka-klaro, kung gagawin natin yan, bago mag-eleksyon, gagastos po tayo ng 12 to 14 billion," Zubiri told reporters.

"Siya mismo, galing mismo sa kanya, sinabi niya, mas gusto niya, sabay na lang sa halalan ng 2025. So, pagka ganun, hindi po tayo kailangan magmamadali," he added.

Zubiri and two other senators filed Senate Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 after the leaders of the Senate and the House agreed before Marcos that the Senate will lead the deliberations on the amendments to the 1987 Constitution if the people's initiative campaign will stop.

RBH No. 6 seeks to amend some economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, particularly Articles XII, XIV, and XVI.

The constitutional provisions on public services, education, and advertising industry will be amended by adding the phrase "unless otherwise provided by law."

House Resolution of Both Houses No. 7 which mirrored the proposed amendments made by the Senate was also filed to fast-track the moves to amend the 1987 Constitution.

While the House of Representatives eyes to pass the measure containing the constitutional amendments before the Lenten break of Congress, Zubiri said "there's no real rush" for charter change (Cha-cha).

"Hindi po tayo kailangan magmamadali. So, we can take this up after the break, and complete the resolution, and approve the resolution before the sine die break, 'yung aming target date. Baka sabihin nila, nangako na naman ako. Target date po natin, kasi ang gusto po ng ating Pangulo eventually, is to force it to the elections of 2025," he said.

Further, Zubiri said the president had asked Senator Sonny Angara, who leads the hearing on RBH6, to look at legal possibilities to convince the Commission on Elections to add a rider question in the 2025 polls ballots pertaining to the amendments to the constitution.

Meanwhile, on the issue of whether the senators and congressmen will vote on the constitutional amendments jointly or separately, Zubiri said "the President is very clear with that. It's voting separately."

"Alam naman ni Presidente yan. He knows it's supposed to be voting separately...Did you listen to his speech? When he signed it? The bicameralism is strong with both houses. It's really voting separately," he said.

"As a matter of fact, he wants the House to adopt our version," he added.

During the meeting, Marcos made it clear that he only wanted to limit the amendments to the economic provisions only, Zubiri said.

"We had a sense, nung nakita po namin ang sense ng Pangulo, na gusto niya economic provisions lamang, ayaw niya ng gulo, ayaw niya magkaroon ng controversy, trabaho lang, keep our heads low, and then when the time comes to vote on it, vote on it. And then present namin sa House for their adoption," he said.

During the House committee of the whole's first hearing on RBH7, Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House will adopt the Senate's proposed amendments to the constitution "in toto" as he assured that they will not touch on the political provisions of the charter. —NB, GMA Integrated News