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Marcos eyes charter change plebiscite in 2025 elections

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ABS-CBN News

<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2972683"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><p>MANILA -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said he was eyeing holding the charter change (cha-cha) plebiscite alongside the 2025 elections for practicality. </p><p>“Pinag-aaralan talaga namin yun dahil kung paghihiwalayin natin ‘yung election at saka &#x27;yung plebiscite, parang dalawang eleksyon ‘yun eh, napakamahal. So, baka maaari kung isama natin &#x27;yang plebisito sa local elections na gagawin sa Mayo next year. Malaking bagay ‘yun, malaking savings para sa atin ‘yun,” he told reporters.</p><p>&quot;There’s some legal consequences because...plebiscite is different from an election. So, if we are able to incorporate the two exercises together, as a practical matter palagay ko makakatulong ‘yan,&quot; he continued. </p><p>The public votes in a plebiscite as a culmination of efforts to amend or revise the constitution either through a people&#x27;s Initiative, constitutional convention, or a constituent assembly.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/11/angara-cha-cha-hearings-can-help-public-prep-for-plebiscite-1602">Angara: Cha-cha hearings can help public prepare for plebiscite</a></div><p>Marcos maintains he is primarily seeking to amend the charter&#x27;s economic provisions to allow more foreign investment, and ideally create more jobs.</p><p>He has said the political aspects, including term limits, should be tackled later.</p><p>Critics warn the effort could lead to the abolishment of term limits, with presidents currently allowed just one six-year stint in office.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/26/charter-change-being-used-for-term-extension-duterte-warns-1038">Charter change being used for term extension, Duterte warns </a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/25/groups-call-for-vigilance-vs-push-for-charter-change-2059">Groups call for vigilance vs push for charter change </a></div><p>Marcos said he would talk to House Speaker Martin Romualdez on the possibility of holding the plebiscite later than the chamber&#x27;s target to have it by July this year.</p><p>“Kausapin natin si Speaker, sasabihin well hindi ibig sabihin na pagka natapos ang House or ang Senado, kailangan na ng magplebisito... Maaari naman tayong maghintay para magplebisito, sabayan nga nung local elections,” he said. </p><p>“So, we&#x27;ll see. It [will] really come down to a practical thing. Mago-organize tayo--- kasi ang plebisito parang eleksyon din ‘yan eh. So, mag-eeleksyon ka tapos magpeplebisito ka, it’s very hard also to have a plebiscite before the election kasi mabubulilyaso ‘yung preparation para sa halalan. So, ‘yun na nga. We have to take all of these things into account and I think we’ll come with to a good solution, I think.”</p><p>The Commission on Elections earlier said it might not be able to hold a plebiscite next year when two &quot;big&quot; polls would be conducted, namely the May midterm elections and the December barangay elections. </p><p>&quot;If in case the constituent assembly would be able to pass by this year or before the end of this year an amendment to a provision to the constitution, unfortunately… we cannot hold such plebiscite in 2025. The most that we can hold that is in 2026,&quot; Comelec Chairman George Garcia said this month. </p><p>&quot;You cannot squeeze a plebiscite in the middle of an election. Even prior to 2025, you cannot do that,&quot; he added.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/7/comelec-can-t-hold-plebiscite-during-regular-election-garcia-1116">Comelec can&#x27;t hold plebiscite during regular election: Garcia</a></div><div><strong>-- With a report from Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UKUBWSYpN_A?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said he was eyeing holding the charter change plebiscite alongside the 2025 elections. </p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said he was eyeing holding the charter change plebiscite alongside the 2025 elections.