Malacañang on Tuesday flatly denied allegations made by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano that a covert push to amend the 1987 Constitution is being used to weaken the upper chamber of Congress.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated that the administration fails to see any connection between recent political friction within the Senate and the alleged revival of the Charter change bid.
Castro was reacting to claims by Cayetano that concerted attacks against the Senate began as early as 2023, featuring proposals to “abolish” the chamber. The Senate President further asserted that recent legislative developments seem tied to a renewed momentum to alter the nation’s basic law.
’Pure Intrigue’
The Palace press official dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated rumors, noting that Cayetano failed to provide concrete evidence to back up his claims.
“Hindi namin makita ‘yung koneksyon na sinasabi niyang intriga na Constitutional change. Wala rin naman siyang ibinigay na detalye… Kung intriga ‘yan, mahirap paniwalaan,” Castro said.
”We cannot see the connection to the Constitutional change intrigue that he is talking about. He did not give any details either… If that is just intrigue, it is hard to believe,” Castro said.
“Wala pong ganun. Hindi po ‘yan totoo,” she added.
”There is no such thing. That is not true,” she added.
No Charter Change Discussions in Malacañang
Castro maintained that amending the Constitution has never been on the Palace’s active agenda. She recalled that during the early years of his term, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. himself explicitly stated that changing the Charter was not the solution to the country’s pressing economic and social issues.
“Sa Palasyo hindi po ‘yan napag-uusapan. Sa anumang meeting, hindi po ‘yan napag-uusapan. Sa totoo lang po nung mga unang taon ng Pangulo, sabi niya ang Constitutional change ay hindi ito sagot sa ating mga issues ngayon,” Castro clarified.
”In the Palace, that is not being talked about. In any meeting, that is not being discussed. Truth be told, during the early years of the President, he said Constitutional change is not the answer to our current issues,” Castro clarified.
“’Yung pagpapalawak o ‘yung pagpapa-extend ng term, wala po ‘yang napapag-usapan. Hindi ko alam saan hinuhugot ni Sen. Alan Cayetano ‘yung sinasabi po niya. Siguro kung makakapagbigay po siya ng anumang detalye, at least magkakaroon po tayo ng basehan,” she continued.
”The expansion or extension of terms, nothing like that is being discussed. I do not know where Sen. Alan Cayetano is drawing what he is saying from. Perhaps if he can provide any details, at least we would have a basis,” she continued.
Familiar Political Rhetoric
While dismissing the Senate President’s claims, Castro pointed out that advocacy for constitutional reform within the legislature is not new, noting that Senator Robin Padilla—a member of the new Senate majority bloc—has long been independently pushing to revise the Charter through a constitutional convention.
The controversy also echoes prior warnings made by Vice President Sara Duterte, who earlier raised alarms over alleged backroom discussions on Charter change that she claimed could pave the way for President Marcos to extend his stay in power.
Malacañang had previously dismissed the Vice President’s assertions, labeling them as entirely “baseless and unsubstantiated.”