By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Despite the public stance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. supporting the easing of restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution to allow for more foreign investments ostensibly for economic development, his big sister Senator Marcos has remained adamant against charter change or “Cha-Cha”.
The lady senator from Ilocos Norte — rumored to be eyeing as the running mate of Vice President Sara Duterte of Davao City in the 2028 presidential race — said she was surprised by PBBM’s proverbial change of heart because she thought they both agreed earlier that “Cha-Cha” is just a distraction from the country’s more pressing problems.
“Ako mismo, hindi ko ipagtatanggol yang Aquino na Konstitusyon. Siyempre Marcos ako. Maraming probisyon diyan talagang paghihiganti, paninigurado na wala nang Marcos na uupo,” Senator Marcos said in an ambush interview on Friday, December 15.
Earlier, she also ribbed her cousin Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez for pushing for “Cha-Cha” in 2004, hinting that just because he couldn’t win in presidential elections he wanted to become a Prime Minister.
Romualdez, however, only echoed PBBM’s preference for the tinkering of economic provisions in the Constitution and did not mention a shift to a unitary parliamentary system that will have a Prime Minister as head of government.
Senator Imee stressed that “Cha-Cha” should not be the government’s priority now as the country is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
(ai/mnm)
