Sen. Imee Marcos is baffled by the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) recent change of heart after its pronouncement that it is in favor of the idea of conducting the Charter-change plebiscite during the 2025 midterm elections.
"Nalito ako sa kanila eh kasi nung una sabi di kakayanin dalawa na yung election sa 2025, di na kaya yung plebiscite. Tapos sabi di daw puwede na mag-plebiscite kasama nung national eleciton pero the other day puwede na (I'm confused with them because at first they said they cannot push through with it because there are two elections in 2025, they cannot hold the plebiscite. Then they said they a plebiscite cannot be conducted during the national elections but the other day they said it's allowed)," she said during the Kapihan sa Senado on Thursday, Feb. 29.
It was during a hearing on Jan. 31 by the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation chaired by Marcos when Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that they cannot conduct a plebscite next year.
"We cannot conduct any plebiscite in 2025, that's a no-no, that's a negative," he said during the hearing.
However, in an interview on Feb. 27, Garcia agreed with the idea of holding the Charter change (Cha-cha) plebiscite alongside the May 2025 midterm elections.
"Okay na okay po ang Comelec kung sakaling pagsasabayin lalo na kung ang purpose nito ay ang makatipid (Comelec is very okay with conducting them at the same time especially if it's for the purpose of saving money)," Garcia said in an interview on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
He added that if the plebiscite is held separate from the 2025 polls, it will cost the government P13 billion. This is the same cost as conducting a Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
In terms of legality, Garcia even said that they're allowed to conduct the plebiscite alongside the 2025 midterm elections since there is no provision under the law that says otherwise.
Marcos said that the law cited by Garcia, Occena vs. Comelec which according to the latter does not specifically say that the plebiscite and the national elections cannot be done at the same time, is the same law that was used to justify that it cannot be held simultaenously.
President Marcos has reportedly supported proposals for the Cha-cha plebiscite to be held alongside next year's polls.
Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri said the President mentioned this to the senators during their recent meeting in Malacañang.
Asked if the President's stand influenced Comelec to change its stand Marcos replied: "Itanong mo sa Comelec (Ask Comelec)."