A House leader denied claims that Charter change is being seriously pursued in the chamber, rejecting allegations that constitutional amendments are being linked to the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Deputy Speaker and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said there have been no formal or organized discussions within the House leadership on convening Congress as a Constituent Assembly or pushing a “No-Election” scenario in 2028.
She said constitutional amendments have been casually discussed across different administrations, but stressed that informal conversations should not be confused with official congressional action.
“Well, baka personal nilang napag-usapan ‘yun. But in the part of Congress, we have a weekly meeting with the Deputy Speakers. Lahat na napag-usapan na seryoso at posibleng i-tackle, the Deputy Speakers are being appraised,” the Iloilo solon said in an interview.
“In this case, wala,” she added.
She said the issues formally discussed in recent House leadership meetings involved the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, including proposals to abolish the SK system and whether the scheduled polls should proceed later this year.
She clarified that the discussions did not include Charter change or a no-election proposal.
The remarks came after allegations were raised that Charter change was being used to advance a supposed plan to extend the President’s term and that the impeachment proceedings against Duterte were tied to such efforts.
The legislator dismissed the claim, particularly the allegation that House members supported the impeachment because of promises connected to Charter change.
“And the big lie there is connecting it to the impeachment proceedings. Kasi ang pangit na sabihin na kaya marami ang bumoto because of the promise of No-El. That’s a big lie,” she said.
She acknowledged that Charter change is a recurring topic in Philippine politics and has been discussed under different administrations, including the previous one, because there are groups that continue to advocate constitutional amendments.
However, she emphasized that no serious proposal has been taken up in the House leadership meetings she attends.
She also said developments in the Senate, including leadership tensions and internal disputes, could affect how the public views the impeachment process now pending before the upper chamber.
She said the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, has a constitutional duty to proceed with the case and render judgment.
“The Senate is the impeachment court and it is not their choice. It is their mandated duty,” Garin said.
She urged the public to closely monitor the proceedings, with the pre-trial expected to begin on July 6 and the trial proper likely to start by the end of July.