By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Ironic as it seems, but most Filipinos surveyed by Pulse Asia don’t know the 37-year-old Constitution and about three-fourths of Filipinos oppose charter change or Cha-Cha.

Based on a Pulse Asia survey released Wednesday (26 March 2024), of 1,200 adults polled in early March, 74 percent said the constitution “should not be amended now or any other time”.

“This opinion is echoed by small to big majorities in the various areas and classes (69% to 82% and 58% to 80%, respectively),” Pulse Asia said.

But the survey firm also noted that almost half of Filipino adults or 48 percent know little about the 1987 Constitution.

It said opposition to Cha-Cha at the national level went up 43 percentage points in March 2024 from last year.

Meanwhile, Pulse Asia reported that 8 percent of respondents in the latest survey said the 1987 Constitution should be amended.

It also noted that another 8 percent are open to Cha-Cha under the next administration.

Six percent oppose constitutional amendments now but support it at some other time under the incumbent administration, Pulse Asia said.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Senior Deputy Speaker Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. urged Senator Imee Marcos to support her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in amending the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

Gonzales pointed out that the success of the Marcos administration would also be the success of the country.

“If I were Senator – especially being Senator Imee’s sibling, I would support the Marcos administration because the success of her brother is synonymous with the success of our country, and this pertains solely to economic provisions, without political implications. That’s what I can say,” Gonzales said.

The lawmaker emphasized that Marcos’s programs and policies aim to improve the lives of all Filipinos.

“We’re all on the same boat or cruise ship called M/S Philippines. Why can’t she just help her brother succeed? The President is the duly-elected head of the Republic with a resounding 31 million votes – the highest in history,” he said.

“This amendment is for the good of the country, focusing solely on the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, as clearly stated in Senate Resolution of Both Houses 6,” Gonzales added.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Mincing no words, Vice President Sara Duterte has assailed those purportedly involved in buying signatures for Charter change (Cha-Cha) via the People’s Initiative (PI).

Inday Sara — the monicker of the Vice President — stressed that these self-serving individuals, whom she did not name, are exploiting poor Filipinos, disrespecting their decision-making, and disregarding the welfare of the nation.

“Mga kababayan, ang isinasagawang pera kapalit ng pirma para sa People’s Initiative’ ay patuloy na nangyayari araw-araw sa siyudad ng Davao at sa iba pang bahagi ng bansa. Isa itong repleksyon ng pagkahilig ng mga politiko na bumili ng boto tuwing eleksyon. Ito ay pagsasamantala sa kahirapan ng ating mga mamamayan at kawalan ng respeto sa kanilang karapatan na magdesisyon nang malaya, walang takot, o impluwensya gamit ang salapi,” the young Duterte said.

Earlier, Liberal Party (LP) president and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman raised concern that certain politicians were buying voters’ signatures to falsely show there was a People’s Initiative or PI for Cha-Cha.

Presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos also claimed that around P20 million was being offered to local politicians to gather the signatures needed to push Cha-Cha via PI.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Just like the fabled Pandora’s box, more exploitation of workers could be one of the ill effects of charter change (Cha-Cha) via the people’s initiative (PI).

This is the apprehension aired on Saturday by the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), saying amending economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution to attract more foreign investors may set aside labor protections in the charter and lead to more workers being exploited.

“We fear that Cha-cha (charter change) will remove not only limits to foreign ownership of land and other essential sectors of the economy. We also fear that it will remove the provisions of the 1987 Constitution that guarantee labor rights,” the CTUHR said in a statement.

On the other hand, the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) earlier this week argued for the lifting of restrictions on foreign ownership in certain sectors, saying that, with these in place, “there is no incentive to innovate, to compete.”

It can be noted that since the administration of the late President Fidel V. Ramos there had been attempts for Cha-Cha and even the previous Duterte administration wanted to effect a “revolutionary government” (RevGov) but failed.

Cha-Cha has been revived this month through a PI campaign that aims for the Senate and House of Representatives to vote as one in amending the Constitution.

(el Amigo/MNM)