MALACANANG on Tuesday said President Marcos is open to proposals to amend the 1987 Constitution to address ambiguous provisions, but will wait for the full details before adopting an official position.
This came a day after Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno delivered a privilege speech in the House of Representatives pushing for the convening of a Constitutional Convention (ConCon).
Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pangilinan on Tuesday took over chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes during the Senate’s plenary session.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Palace acknowledges the framers’ intent to set clear definitions, but noted that certain terms may be interpreted in ways that favor particular interests.
“At present, the Palace and the President cannot comment on the proposal as the details have yet to be seen,” Castro told reporters.
“If it will help clarify and safeguard provisions in the Constitution, the President will not oppose it,” she added.
At the House of Representatives, Puno admitted that amending the 1987 Constitution via a Constitutional Convention (Con-con) will face “challenges,” but remained optimistic about its chances.
Puno was deemed the prime mover of the Charter change campaign when he was Interior and Local government Secretary during the watch of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
He said the move aims to clarify vague language in the Charter, citing as an example the word “forthwith” in Article XI, Sections 3 and 4 on impeachment proceedings.
Under the Constitution, the House has the sole power to initiate impeachment initiatives, while the Senate sitting as an impeachment court has the exclusive power to try and decide them.
Puno noted that the lack of a precise definition for “forthwith” in the transmission of impeachment articles has led to disputes between the two chambers, thereby undermining the intent of the provision.
“This is not about discarding the Constitution, but completing and correcting it through a transparent and participatory process,” Puno said, stressing that a ConCon would allow broader representation and minimize conflicts of interest among lawmakers.
Efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution have been raised repeatedly over the past decades, often to address issues on the political structure, economic restrictions, and term limits.
President Marcos earlier floated the possibility of holding a plebiscite on constitutional amendments alongside the 2025 midterm elections, primarily to ease foreign ownership limits and attract more investments into the country.
The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments is expected to play a key role in determining whether Congress will endorse a ConCon, a Constituent Assembly, or a people’s initiative, the three modes of rewriting the Charter allowed under the existing Constitution
“The initial feedback is that Con-con faces an uphill climb. The initial reaction is that the Senate won’t agree to it. Next is that this is just about perpetuating ourselves in power by changing term limits,” Puno said in a press conference.
He said the public and his colleagues in the House and Senate should trust the Con-con system which is provided for by the Constitution, given that the House and the Senate can also limit the scope of the Constitution’s provisions that will be amended.
Puno also believes that the first challenge for the Con-con was to secure the passage of the Joint Resolution in the House and the Senate for the establishment of the Con-con to amend the Constitution.
A Joint Resolution needs to be approved by two-thirds of the members of the House and Senate, voting separately, before both Houses of Congress draft and pass a bill that will serve as the implementing law for Con-con.
In addition, Puno said the ConCon bill will set the parameters for which constitutional provisions should be amended and the qualifications of the Con-con delegates, among others.
“We are not thinking of changing the form of government here. If the Senators or my colleagues in the House want to limit the scope of the amendments that can be done under the bill,” Puno said.
Likewise, Puno said that the election for Con-con delegates can be done manually to save money, since it will not involve many names, unlike in usual midterm and national elections.
“I think that there is enough goodwill, there is enough patriotism in our national leaders that they can rely on to move forward. With a little faith…a little faith in the wisdom of our people in electing the delegates to the convention, faith in all of our citizenry in their ability to prevent abuse by being vocal and by being vigilant,” Puno said.
Pangilinan, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, thanked his fellow senators for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading one of the chamber’s most influential panels.
“We will uphold democratic principles and guarantee a consultative and transparent process in any proposed changes to our Constitution,” he assured.
These consultations will gauge public sentiment on potential amendments to political and economic provisions, methods of revising the Charter, and the broader political and social impacts of constitutional reform.
Pangilinan has previously chaired the same committee during his earlier Senate terms, where he oversaw deliberations on Charter change proposals.
His return to the constitutional amendments panel marks a continuation of his long-standing involvement in national debates over possible changes to the country’s fundamental law.
“The Constitution belongs to the people, and any move to change it must be anchored on their aspirations and welfare. It must also undergo a thorough, principled, and participatory process,” the senator said.
He has said his approach will draw heavily on his two decades of experience as both a lawyer and a legislator.
