Solons prefer Cha-cha plebiscite before 2025 polls
MANILA — Lawmakers still prefer that a possible plebiscite on the proposed a m e n d men t s t o t h e Constitution be held before the 2025 midterm elections to avoid politicizing the issue.
Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said in a press briefing on Tuesday that voting on economic provisions’ amendments might be politicized as 2025 election candidates may harp on the discussions or even use it as a part of their platforms.
“Personally, I would want that to end the soonest possible time because come 2025 it would be an election season. And the reason why we’re fasttracking this discussion and the amendments is because we want to insulate this from political innuendos and political interpretation. It just might be used as a campaign slogan. So it will muddle up again the information,” Adiong told reporters.
“We’ve been saying this all along. We want to insulate this issue on economic provisions… If we want to pass that and then simultaneously, with the holding of the elections, this will open up to several political interpretations. And this might [ be] used as a political campaign,” he added.
A d i o n g a n d o t h e r lawmakers were asked about
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s recent statements about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’ s preference for holding t he plebisc i t e alongside the 2025 polls.
Zubiri s ai d Marc o s ’ consideration was made out of a yearning to save public funds, because holding a plebiscite before the 2025 polls would cost around P12 to P14 billion.
But Adiong warned that the administration’s intentions about Charter change may be affected if the plebiscite is held alongside the 2025 polls
“The i ntention of the administration — to finalize