Marcos open to Charter change via Con-con to close loopholes – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not oppose calls to amend the 1987 Constitution through a constitutional convention (Con-con) as long as it would help improve the charter and close loopholes in its provisions, Malacañang said Tuesday.

The Presidential Communications Office made the statement after House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno, in a privilege speech on Monday, said “historical experience” and the “evolving exigencies of governance” compel lawmakers to consider Charter change (Cha-cha), or amending the Constitution’s wording.

READ: Con-con for Cha-cha to avoid Constitution’s ambiguities – solon

One example he cited was the interpretation of the word “forthwith” in Article XI, Section 3(4) on impeachment, noting how a single ambiguous term “can become the justification for legislative inaction, procedural manipulation, or worse, the loss of accountability itself.”

Palace press officer Claire Castro argued that the framers of the 1987 Constitution had already made the definitions and provisions clear, saying any perceived ambiguity was merely crafted to favor certain interests.

“It may simply be that, even if certain definitions or terms are already clear, they are sometimes muddled to favor certain interests. At this point, the Palace and the President cannot yet say what their reaction will be because the details of what will be done in relation to this have not yet been seen,” Castro said in Filipino in a press conference.

“But if this will help improve and clarify matters to prevent any provision in the Constitution from being exploited, the President will not oppose it,” she added.

The issue arose from the Senate’s alleged delay in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment proceedings, despite the 1987 Constitution’s mandate for the chamber to “forthwith” proceed with a trial once it receives the Articles of Impeachment from the House of Representatives.

While “forthwith” is generally understood to mean "immediately," the term became contentious as the impeachment process overlapped with the transition from the 19th to the 20th Congress last June.

The dispute led to a temporary impasse before the Senate decided to convene as an impeachment court during the 19th Congress, only to later return the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte to the House “without dismissing or terminating the case.”/mcm

(2025/08/12-13:41)

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