Angara sees Oct deadline for Charter change debates

Sen. Sonny Angara says he is seeing an October deadline for Charter change debates. The Senate began its deliberations on the proposed amendments to specific economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, which cover public services, education, and advertising, on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sonny Angara said on Monday that Charter change discussions may conclude by the last quarter of this year.

Personally, he noted, October could be the deadline for debates about amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

Angara, who chairs the Senate subcommittee on amendments and revision of codes, was asked if the subpanel will stick with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s earlier pronouncement that amendments to the Charter may be finished before the chamber’s Holy Week break.

“We will consult our colleagues if they’re happy with the hearings and if we’re ready for the plenary,” Angara, speaking partly in Filipino told reporters in an ambush interview.

READ: Bongbong Marcos asks Senate to lead review of economic provisions

“For me, the filing deadline is in October because the Comelec probably needs to finalize it by then. Because if we pass this, we need a plebiscite, so we need to include it in the election and the most economical is to include it in the 2025 elections,” he added.

Angara emphasized the importance of conducting thorough discussions on the proposed amendments, pointing out that the 1987 Constitution is “not just any law.”

Asked how many hearings his subcommittee plans to conduct regarding the matter, Angara said he was not yet certain.

“Currently, we have four or five schedules because each sector has a dedicated general hearing. So we’ll have one on public utilities, one on education, and one on advertising,” he said.

The Senate on Monday began its deliberations on the proposed amendments to specific economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution which cover public services, education, and advertising.