FILE PHOTO: Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito says on Friday, January 12, 2024, that there are “too many problems to fix” to deal with Charter change (Cha-cha) now. In this photo, Ejercito was presiding over the Committee on Health and Demography hearing last December 12, 2023, on the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and other proposals for BHWs’ incentives and benefits. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito said Friday there are “too many problems to fix” than dealing with Charter change (Cha-cha) now.
He also lamented that political bickering from various issues, including Cha-cha, would only be bad for the country, stressing that amending the 1987 Constitution is all about timing.
“Too many problems to fix, [too] many challenges that need attention, early political bickering and Cha-cha will surely affect goals that [have] been laid down,” Ejercito said.
“Personally, [I] would rather concentrate on surmounting these challenges,” he added.
Ejercito’s remarks came amid a signature campaign for Cha-cha.
The People’s Initiative for Reform Modernization and Action (Pirma) has been leading the drive to amend the 1987 Constitution, asserting it’s time to change the country’s principal code.
Pirma, known for an unsuccessful attempt to remove constitutional term limits on elected officials, including the President and the Vice President in 1997, believed that the 1987 Constitution had failed to deliver on its promises.
READ: Pirma is back: Charter change drive on air, on ground
“It’s time to take action,” it said. “It’s time to rectify the defective 1987 Constitution. Gawing ‘saligang patas’ ang Saligang Batas. [Make it a fair Constitution].”
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva has likewise aired his stand on Cha-cha. He also appealed to proponents to “stop deceiving” Filipinos into thinking Cha-cha would solve the country’s perennial problems.
READ: EXPLAINER: The process of Cha-cha and why we should monitor it
According to Villanueva, the Senate is “united” on its Cha-cha stand.
“We swore to protect the soul of this nation, our Constitution. This is not just about the Senate, this is the sacred individual rights of our Filipino people. This is all I can say — history can attest that the Senate will never be a traitor to the people,” Villanueva told reporters in a text message.