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By HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated News
Published January 12, 2024 3:18pm
Senator Francis Tolentino on Friday stressed the need for the Senate to have a united stand amid the reported push to amend the 1987 Constitution.
Tolentino, who is the vice chairman of the Senate constitutional amendments and revision of codes, said he hopes the matter can be discussed once session reopens in a couple of days.
“Siguro pagbukas namin ng session sa [January] 22 mauupuan na ito…the Senate will have to make a collective stand on this,” Tolentino said in a radio interview.
(Maybe when we resume sessions on January 22, we will address this. The Senate will have to make a collective stand on this.)
Tolentino also bared that he and 15 other senators had a meeting last Wednesday. He said the meeting lasted for around 4 hours as they “discussed pressing urgent concerns.”
He said that among the topics discussed is the alleged bribes being put out to push for Charter change (Cha-cha) through a people’s initiative.
“Kasi ‘yung issue po ng patungkol po don sa bina-bribe raw ‘yung mga pumipirma iyon po yung isa sa mga masusing iimbestigahan din,” he added.
(Because the issue now is on the alleged bribery to get signatures for Charter change. That is one of the issues that will be investigated.)
Several senators have already expressed concerns on the alleged payment of P100 pesos in exchange for a person’s signature for the people’s initiative campaign in a bid to revise the 1987 Constitution.
Senate constitutional amendments and revision of codes chairman Robin Padilla and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian have also hinted at supposed “personal agenda” behind the push for Cha-cha.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva has also issued a strong statement against those who are pushing for this.
While he did not mention any individuals, Villanueva said the moves to amend the Charter is intended to disband the Senate.
“Magpakatotoo nalang po kayo. Alam naman po natin na ang totoong dahilan kaya pinagpipilitan nilang buwagin ang Senado ay para kontrolin ang kapangyarihan sa ilalim ng unilateral o iisang Kongreso. Higit po sa lahat, nais nilang palawigin ang kanilang mga termino,” Villanueva said.
(The truth is they want to abolish the senate and create a unilateral Congress. More than that, they also want to extend their term.)
“This is not just about protecting the Senate as an institution, but also about defending the rights of every Filipino whom I swore to serve and protect since I entered public service,” he added.
Several senators have already expressed openness to revising the constitution, but only the economic provisions of the charter.
Senate President Migz Zubiri, meanwhile, had repeatedly stated that amending the 1987 Constitution is not the chamber’s priority.
However, in the House of Representatives, Speaker Martin Romualdez said 2024 is the right time to push for Charter change. Many of his allies in the Lower House said a People’s Initiative is the course that it should take since the Senate would hinder a Constitutional Convention after it is approved by the House of Representatives.
Under the 1987 Constitution, any amendment to or revision of the Constitution may be proposed by:
The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members (constituent assembly) A constitutional convention during which Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of all its members, call a constitutional convention, or by a majority vote of all its members, submit to the electorate the question of calling such a convention. A people’s 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. Under Republic Act 6735, revisions via the public can happen if a petition for an initiative on the 1987 Constitution must have at least 12% of the total number of registered voters as signatories. For each district, no fewer than 3% of registered voters should sign the petition. The signatures would then be verified by the Commission on Elections.
—VAL, GMA Integrated News
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