For several past administrations, chief executives and the legislature have been overusing the term economic revision for changing the 1987 Constitution. But in reality, what these politicians are really salivating over is to perpetuate themselves in power, through term extensions or removing term limits, etcetera etcetera.
As Jake Maderazo stated in his Inquirer column: “Since the 8th and up to the 19th Congress from 1987 to 2023– or a total of 36 years – some 358 measures seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution were filed in the House of Representatives. Of this number, nearly a hundred bills called for amendment via legislation with both Houses voting separately. None of these proposals ever made it through the Senate.”
In a last-ditch attempt last year, House Speaker Martin Romualdez reached out to Senate President Miguel Zubiri to consider legislation – to be passed by both Houses – to limit amendments only to the Constitution’s restrictive economic provisions. But that, too, didn’t prosper.”
Thus, all House bills or resolutions proposing to amend the charter through any of the three modes provided for in the 1987 Constitution itself were “DOA or Dead-on Arrival” in the Upper Chamber. Out of frustration, Constitutional reform advocates like the Ramos-era PIRMA (People’s Initiative for Reform Modernization and Action) decided to revive their advocacy and take the matter directly to the people via People’s Initiative. So, what forced Zubiri and his colleagues to suddenly take the lead in amending the charter? Was it simply a change of heart, a genuine desire to amend the Constitution, or did the Senate blink, Maderazo asked.
The infamous signature campaign that is being conducted mostly in the provinces and less affluent areas of the National Capital Region (because people here are less informed and less critical of such movements) has become bolder and is gaining traction.
Reports say that certain districts in some provinces have already collected more than the required 3 percent of registered voters needed to launch an honest-to-goodness Charter Change campaign via People’s Initiative (PI).
Even President Marcos, who was earlier distanced from Chacha by his own sister, Sen. Imee Marcos by claiming his disinterest, is now fully embracing PI and such charter revisions, again to perpetuate himself in power.
Afraid that the drive could succeed, political observers said senators started pushing the panic button. If PI succeeds, the Senate will be annihilated so the upper chamber’s only option is to stop or preempt PI by proposing amendments to the Constitution via legislation. Hence, the resolution filed by Zubiri and his allies.
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