Senate studying options after Marcos cha-cha meeting

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26) – Senator Imee Marcos said her chamber is studying its options to deal with the issue of charter change (cha-cha) after it met with the president on Thursday night – including the reopening of discussions on its now-suspended resolution introducing constituent assembly.  

She said that the upper chamber met after its session with her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos, to decide on its action for the coming days.

Imee Marcos said Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri called a meeting with the president to discuss and enlighten the chamber on the people’s initiative (PI).

Asked by reporters on Friday if the Senate would reconsider Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6, Imee Marcos said: “Parang ganun ang pagka intindi ko. Medyo nalito na ako kasi hindi ko pa talaga nakikita yung sulat ni Speaker [Martin Romualdez] pero ang pagka intindi ko, tuloy tuloy pa rin ang PI at may alternative PI pa so paano kaya yon?”

[Translation: That’s how I understood it. I’m confused because I have yet to see Romualdez’s letter but from my understanding, the PI will continue while there is an alternative PI so how will this play out?]

Sen. Koko Pimentel revealed RBH 6 was shelved after the Senate found out the PI was continuing, and that some members of the House were supposedly behind it.

The Senate likewise rejected the attempt and labeled it as a “sinister” means to exploit democratic processes.

The “alternative PI” mentioned by Marcos refers to Romualdez’s letter expressing its support for the Senate’s amendment of the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

In it, Romualdez backed the Senate’s RBH 6, which seeks to amend the charter through constituent assembly (con-ass).

However, he also wrote that the House had pledged support for an alternative PI, this time led by the Senate, which seems to go against the proposed con-ass.

This comes amid reports that the Office of Speaker Romualdez was behind the financing and timeline of the PI, which Marcos is convinced of.

READ: Imee Marcos convinced Romualdez’ office behind people's initiative  

Other senators have also accused Romualdez of involvement with the PI. He, however, has denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, Sen. Koko Pimentel said that he would ask the Supreme Court to intervene in the Commission on Elections’ acceptance of signatures gathered for the PI. Marcos said that she and the rest of the Senate were still deliberating if it would act as one in filing a petition.