President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. will appeal to the House of Representatives and other initiators to stop the People's Initiative for Charter change (Cha-cha), Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri announced on Monday, January 29.
In his privilege speech in the Senate, Zubiri said Marcos conveyed during their meeting that Congress' bicameral nature must be protected and that checks and balances be strengthened.
"The President expressed the need to protect the bicameral nature of Congress. He upholds the system of checks and balances within the legislative branch and strengthens the checks and balances between different branches of the government. We know that the President had served as Senator himself. He knows firsthand the value of bicameralism. He knows that the Senate's approval is needed for change," he said.
"The President is set to appeal to the House of Representatives and other People's Initiative initiators to stop their version of People's Initiative," the senate president added.
According to Zubiri, Marcos wanted to intervene as the situation "is getting out of hand."
The said meeting was attended by Zubiri, the President, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
In a press briefing after the plenary session, the senate president said Marcos only wanted to push for economic reforms in the Consitution.
"The President had said that ang gusto lang niya ay economic provisions, but the situation is getting out of hand, and people are already speculating on the possibilities of what this PI can do. So sabi niya, he will stop, he will tell the initiators of this PI to stop the initiative," he said.
Zubiri, meanwhile, welcomed the Comelec's order to suspend the proceedings regarding the People's Initiative for Cha-cha.
Pang. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., iaapela sa Kamara na itigil ang People's Initiative para amyendahan ang Saligang Batas.
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) January 29, 2024
"Sabi niya, he will stop, he will tell the initiators of PI to stop the initiative," ani ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri. | via RH 28 @RaymundDadpaas pic.twitter.com/Kq211QeVTt
