Iloilo 1st District Representative Janette Garin on Wednesday clarified that the House of Representatives is not holding serious deliberations regarding amendments to the 1987 Constitution, debunking assertions that such efforts are tied to Vice President Sara Duterte’s potential presidential run in 2028.
According to Garin, recent weekly meetings among House deputy speakers have remained strictly focused on the chamber’s legislative agenda. Among the primary topics of discussion is the potential postponement or restructuring of the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Garin categorically denied rumors of a “no election” (no-el) scenario, which had been floated by Senator Imee Marcos.
Senator Marcos previously alleged that there were backroom maneuvers to extend the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., supposedly contingent on the outcome of the Senate impeachment trial against the Vice President.
“Ang napag-usapan doon is yung SK elections kasi may call for abolition. Itutuloy ba ngayong November, October? And ‘yung barangay elections, but not ‘no-el,’” Garin explained.
While acknowledging that casual talk about Charter change frequently arises among lawmakers, Garin emphasized that informal banter between congressional leaders should not be mistaken for official, structured legislative proceedings.
She noted that constitutional reform has always been a recurring topic of debate across multiple administrations due to its long-standing advocates.
“Yung usapan kasi ng Charter Change is always there, not only for this administration, but even during the previous administrations. Totoo naman ‘yan,” the lawmaker remarked.
“Because there are advocates for this. So every now and then, napag-uusapan ‘yun, nagtatawanan. But it’s not something serious.”
Furthermore, Garin strongly refuted allegations tying these constitutional discussions to the ongoing impeachment case against the Vice President, branding claims that lawmakers were bribed with term extensions as completely fabricated.
She concluded by reminding the public that Duterte’s impeachment trial now rests solely within the jurisdiction of the Senate.
“And the big lie there is connecting it to the impeachment proceedings. Kasi ang pangit na sabihin na kaya marami ang bumoto because of the promise of ‘no-el.’ That’s a big lie,” Garin stressed.