FILE PHOTO: Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil explains on Friday, January 26, 2024, that details of the separate meetings that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had with members of the Senate and House of Representatives on January 25 are classified and could not be made public. PCO official website
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang remained mum on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s separate executive sessions with Senate and House of Representatives members.
Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil on Friday explained that the discussions made during the independent meetings are top secret.
“The meetings were held in executive session, so all matters tackled therein are treated confidential,” Garafil told reporters in a Viber message.
READ: Marcos ‘not as warm as usual’ in latest meeting with senators – source
Members of the Senate and House were supposed to meet with the President on Thursday for a Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council meeting.
However, separate executive sessions with the Senate and House were held instead.
Tensions between the two chambers of Congress have escalated over Charter change (cha-cha) efforts through a people’s initiative (PI), which has been gathering signatures to support amending the 1987 Constitution.
READ: Marcos separately meets House, Senate amid Cha-cha debates
While members of the House have shown support for the PI, all 24 senators slammed the lower chamber’s alleged backhanded efforts for Cha-cha.
If the PI succeeds, both chambers of Congress would jointly vote to amend the 1987 Constitution – a concern for the 24-member Senate as it may easily be outvoted by the House, which has more than 300 members.