Supreme Court decision in Santiago vs Comelec says:

"Comelec should be permanently enjoined from entertaining or taking cognizance of any petition for initiative on amendments to the Constitution until a sufficient law shall have been validly enacted to provide for the implementation of the system… We feel, however, that the system of initiative to propose amendments should no longer be kept in the cold; it should be given flesh and blood, energy and strength. Congress should not tarry any longer in complying with the constitutional mandate to provide for the implementation of the right of the right of the people under the system." 

Rep. Jaraula filed HCR No. 4, entitled

“CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE CONVENING OF CONGRESS AS A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY TO PROPOSE REVISION TO THE 1987 CONSTITUTION, PROVIDING FOR A UNICAMERAL PARLIAMENTARY AND FEDERAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT AS DEFINED AND SPECIFIED IN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS APPENDED HERETO” 

House committee on constitutional amendments in action. 

House committee approves proposed rules of the 13th Congress acting as constituent assembly. 

In her SONA, President Arroyo says: "The mode of charter change is the exclusive prerogative of Congress. But a constituent assembly may well give our people the quickest reforms… I shall work with Congress, civil society groups and local government executives who are convinced that charter changes are needed to enable the country to surmount unprecedented challenges of the 21st century…I recognized that our form of government will be the decision of the body constituted to undertake charter change…" 

Approval of committee report on House Concurrent Resolution calling for the Senate and the House to constitute themselves as Constituent Assembly to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution 

President creates Consultative Commission to help draft proposed amendments.  

The President, through the presidential spokesman, in connection with the ConCom recommendations says: "I reiterate that these are recommendations to speed up the discussions on the proposed charter change. These are all subject to the decision of both houses of Congress." 

Committee discusses specific amendments to the 1987 Constitution and subsequently approves the working draft of the proposed amendments. 

Last deliberation of the committee which mysteriously stops its deliberation after a frenzied start. 

The Sigaw ng Bayan started gathering the signatures for the people's initiative (to complete the required 12 percent signatures of the total number of voters nationwide and three percent per legislative district). 

House leaders change direction, saying the House can do it alone provided it secures 195 signatures representing three-fourths of all the members of Congress. At the same time, they express support for people’s initiative. 

Senate adopts resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that any proposed amendments to, or revision of, the Constitution requires the approval of the Senate and the House of Representatives, voting separately. 

Barangay assembly and launch of signature campaign for people’s initiative spearheaded by Sigaw ng Bayan whose spokesman is Raul Lambino, member of the Consultative Commission and member of the Presidential Charter Change Advocacy Commission.   

In a live TV interview in Strictly Politics in ANC, two barangay captains, one from Cebu City and another from Bacolod, report that the DILG held coordination meetings with barangay captains to discuss the people’s initiative signature drive and provided the forms to be used for the signature campaign.In the same live ANC program, Lambino says it is all right for Malacañang, governors, mayors and congressmen to be behind people’s initiative because they are people too. 

House minority presents resolution declaring charter change should be by action of both Houses of the Congress, signed by 50 members. This effectively kills the effort of the majority to secure 195 signatures from House members. 

Rep. Jaraula filed House resolution No. 1230 “RESOLUTION PROPOSING THE REVISION OF THE 1987 CONSTITUTION” 

Rep. Pichay filed House Resolution No. 1285 “RESOLUTION PROPOSING THE REVISION OF THE 1987 CONSTITUTION” 

Proponents of Charter change submitted a petition for a people's initiative to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).The petition was filed by lawyer Raul Lambino, spokesman for pro-Charter change group Sigaw ng Bayan (People's Cry), Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (Ulap) president and Bohol Governor Enrico Aumentado, and Charter Change Advocacy Commission (CCAC) chairman Lito Monico Lorenzana. 

Abalos says Comelec will abide by high court ruling that prohibits the agency from entertaining any people's initiative on constitutional amendments as there is no enabling law.    

Amid the mounting clamor against Charter change, Malacañang insisted any changes in the Constitution would not affect President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s stay in office.Comelec is about to determine the fate of the petition filed by the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) and the Sigaw ng Bayan to amend the Constitution through a people’s initiative. 

Comelec chairman Abalos said the Comelec en banc expects to reach a decision within the week on the petition filed by Sigaw ng Bayan seeking to amend the Constitution through a people’s initiative.  

Eight groups and individuals filed a barrage of lawsuits with the Comelec asking the poll body to throw out the petition filed by Sigaw ng Bayan and local government officials identified with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo  

The countersuits opposing the people’s initiative were filed by the citizens’ group OneVoice, three lawyers’ organizations, the Akbayan party-list group and three individuals. 

The House resolution calling for a constituent assembly (Con-Ass) to pave the way for a shift to a parliamentary system needs just two signatures for the “Magic 194” according to de Venecia.Senator Pimentel and Senator Edgardo Angara laughed off claims by Speaker Jose de Venecia that the House was close to approving a resolution turning Congress into a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution.

Three Comelec officials said the poll agency was likely to junk the people’s initiative petition to amend the Constitution filed by Sigaw ng Bayan (People’s Cry) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) last week. 

Comelec throws out people’s initiative bid 

All House Bills relating to people’s initiative to amend the constitution (Figueroa, Marcos, Cajes, Chatto) are pending in the Committee on Constitutional Amendments as of August 31, 2006. 

Committee on Constitutional Amendments tackles House Resolutions 1230 and 1285 (amending the 1987 constitution).   

House leaders yesterday slammed the Senate for its staunch refusal to sit down with the lower chamber to approve amendments to the 1987 Constitution through a constituent assembly. 

Rep. Prospero Pichay said he was planning to introduce his own resolution with his proposed changes to the Charter (HR 1285) even though the House committee on constitutional amendments has already approved House Resolution 1230 containing proposed amendments to the Constitution,  HR 1230 bore 173 signatures when it was introduced according to Pichay. 

Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo disclosed that 11 of 24 party-list members have signed a resolution on Charter change but on condition that the party-list representation would be retained under a new Constitution. 

The CBCP reiterated its preference for a constitutional convention as the best mode of effecting Charter change, criticizing the people’s initiative and questioning the wisdom of a constituent assembly.  

The Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) joined groups asking the Supreme Court to reject Sigaw ng Bayan’s bid for a people’s initiative to amend the Constitution, calling the charter change advocates’ petition “infected with the fatal virus of infirmity.”  

In its 30-page comment-in-intervention, Philconsa said Sigaw ng Bayan’s Raul Lambino and Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado, president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, were trying to mislead the Supreme Court when they included in their petition the phrase "together with 6,327,952 registered voters" who they claimed as co-petitioners.  

Ex-President Estrada and several opposition senators joined groups asking the Supreme Court to dismiss the bid of Sigaw ng Bayan and ULAP to allow a people's initiative to amend the Constitution.  

The petition filed by Senators Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Sergio Osmeña III, Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Alfredo Lim and Panfilo Lacson, said Sigaw ng Bayan’s Raul Lambino and Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado, ULAP president, had no basis to claim the high court's 1997 ruling in Santiago v. Comelec was merely a “separate opinion” because the justices’ was deadlocked at 6-6.

In a privilege speech, Senator Pimentel has called for an investigation into where the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) has been getting the money to bankroll its costly campaign in support of the people’s initiative to amend the Constitution.   

The Senate has urged the Supreme Court to throw out a petition to overhaul the country’s 19-year-old Constitution through a people’s initiative, saying it was a dangerous political maneuver that could lead to anarchy. 

Rep. Escudero said the move to amend the 1987 Constitution through a constituent assembly (con-as) is likely to fail because of an alleged “power play” among groups within the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats Party. 

Militant groups staged a protest action in front of the Supreme Court gate for the oral argument on charter change scheduled at 1 p.m.  Rep. Nograles said that the debates on Charter change in the plenary at the House of Representatives have been set next week. He said that  the committee on rules, which he heads, agreed to calendar floor debates on House Resolution 1230 containing a package of amendments to the 1987 Constitution. 

The leadership of the House of Representatives will stop the clock and, if needed, drag its members into the session hall on October 11 to ensure the quorum in plenary necessary to approve a resolution to convene Congress into a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution. 

House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles said the House would tackle two controversial resolutions—House resolutions 1230 and 1285—calling on Congress to hold a constituent assembly when it resumes session on November 6. In a statement, Senator Angara said that the Constitution must be done through a constituent assembly after the May 2007 elections. The senator insisted that the May 2007 elections cannot be postponed. He said the elections can only be suspended based on “strong and exceptional reasons” and the preparation for charter change does not merit the suspension of the scheduled polls.     

Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban admitted receiving pressure on a petition by Charter change proponents seeking a reversal of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ruling against amending the Constitution through a people's initiative. 

Speaker Jose de Venecia denied that congressional leaders had pressured the Supreme Court magistrates to support Charter change.  “One Voice” called attempt to influence the Supreme Court on a petition for a people’s initiative “highly improper” even as it thanked Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban for his “candor” in confirming pressure was being brought to bear on the high tribunal.  

PGMA told Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban and his foreign counterparts of her administration’s determination to make Charter change happen in order to build a modern Philippines during the dinner for the delegates to the Global Forum on Liberty and Prosperity held at Malacañang. 

The Supreme Court dismissed the petition of Charter change advocates seeking a reversal of the Commission on Elections ruling saying it would not allow itself to be a party to the “grand deception” of the Filipino people. The Supreme Court voted 8-7 to dismiss the petition. 

Calls for an audit of public funds used in the failed campaign for a people's initiative to amend the Constitution started after the SC dismissed the petition. Former president Estrada is set to file before the Office of the Ombudsman a criminal complaint against Charter change advocates for allegedly using public funds in its campaign for a people's initiative to amend the Constitution. 

PGMA’s election lawyer (Romeo Macalintal) said that Charter change proponent Sigaw ng Bayan's planned motion for reconsideration on the Supreme Court's decision dismissing its petition for a people's initiative to amend the Constitution was doomed to fail. A resolution at the House of Representatives for a referendum that will seek the people’s pulse on Charter change will be revived by its author, Negros Oriental Representative Herminio Teves, who said he would refile his proposal when Congress resumes sessions next week.  Teves said the referendum, which was the “best solution” to initiate changes in the 1987 Constitution, would be held simultaneous with the 2007 election.  

Mike Defensor confirmed that “all was not well in the Cabinet following the Supreme Court decision”.  ---The House majority already has more than the required three-fourths vote of Congress to amend the Constitution through a constituent assembly, a leading congressional ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said yesterday. Surigao del Sur Representative Prospero Pichay said that 194 congressmen -- one signature more than the 193 required to change the Charter -- had already signed his House Resolution 1285, which proposes to change the country’s presidential form of government to a parliamentary system by 2010.  

Malacañang has advised its allies in the House of Representatives to be careful about taking the constituent assembly (Con-Ass) route without the participation of the Senate. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the defeat of the people’s initiative in the Supreme Court should be a lesson to proponents of the so-called Plan B -- the constituent assembly -- which the House majority reportedly plans to pursue after the SC rejection of the people’s initiative petition. 

Charter change through a constituent assembly is “inevitable,” according to Surigao del Sur Representative Prospero whose resolution he claimed has been signed by 194 of his colleagues. 

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr has resigned amid a controversy stirred by his opposition to the administration's efforts to change the Constitution through a people's initiative. Cruz tendered his irrevocable resignation, effective November 30, to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at a meeting in Malacañang on Sunday, defense undersecretary Rodel Cruz said in a statement.

In lieu of a constituent assembly, the opposition bloc at the House of Representatives has presented three alternatives to amend the 1987 Constitution -- a constitutional convention, a referendum or an “informal” referendum.House Speaker Jose de Venecia vowed to push through with “Plan B,” which is to amend the Constitution through a constituent assembly. 

Enrile filed Senate Resolution 580, the first such Con-Ass resolution filed in the present Senate, because he wanted to “provoke a debate on this issue.” 

Malacanang has given its allies in Congress only until December 21 to convene a constituent assembly, draw up proposed Constitutional amendments, have a plebiscite on these amendments approved by the Commission on Elections, and ensure the Supreme Court does not block their moves again. If by that time efforts to amend the Constitution remain “in limbo,” then the administration will shift its focus to the 2007 elections. 

PGMA Okays ‘final push’ for CONASS. De Venecia made the announcement at a press conference following a caucus of parties belonging to the administration coalition. 

The President hosted lunch in Malacañang for 70 congressmen representing the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party and allied political parties. It was the first of planned caucuses aimed at mapping out plans on how to convene a constituent assembly in the face of a Senate determined to resist it. 

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz described as “desperate” President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s endorsement of Charter change through a constituent assembly in her administration’s bid to bring about the shift to a unicameral-parliamentary system. 

The  opposition bloc at the House of Representatives has vowed to make the administration's “final push” on Charter change more difficult by preventing a shortcut on a third resolution that the majority block was expected to file.At a joint press conference on Monday, Iloilo Representative Rolex Suplico and South Cotabato Representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio said the opposition would insist that a new resolution convening Congress to amend the 1987 Constitution should go through proper procedures before it could be tackled on the floor. 

67 percent of the Filipinos would vote “No” if a plebiscite on a new Constitution were held today, results of a Social Weather Stations third quarter survey released yesterday showed. 

PGMA’s allies in the House of Representatives are considering convening as early as next week a constituent assembly (Con-ass) that would deliberate on and approve proposals to amend the Constitution preparatory to a shift to a one-chamber parliamentary system of government.According to a source privy to the Palace-House campaign to push for Con-ass before Congress takes its holiday break on Dec. 23, the plan is to hold a plebiscite before the Feb. 12 deadline for the filing of senatorial candidacies for next year’s elections. 

Deputy majority floor leader Arthur Defensor moved to amend Section 105 of Rule XV of the 13th Congress to delete the sentence: “The adoption of the resolutions proposing amendments to or revision of the constitution shall follow the procedure for the enactment bills.”Pulse Asia’s November 2006 Ulat ng Bayan national survey on Charter Change, conducted from October 21 to November 8, showed that 42 percent are not in favor of changing the 1987 Constitution now, up from 38 percent in July. Thirty-nine percent were in favor, down from 40 percent in July. Nineteen percent were undecided. 

The MAKATI BUSINESS CLUB called for the shelving of Charter change (Cha-cha) until after next year’s midterm elections, saying the strong optimism on the economy had yet to result in “a significant and more dramatic” increase in investments and incomes. 

The House of Representatives ended its session without tackling the contentious issue of amending its own rules governing constitutional amendments to implement the administration’s “final push” to revise the 1987 Constitution. Instead, the House approved several bills and resolutions that have long been pending in the plenary.  

The House of Representatives resumed deliberations on a motion to amend its rules to allow speedy action on an administration-backed bid to amend the Constitution through a constituent assembly. 

The House of Representatives amended its own rules governing constitutional amendments to implement the administration’s plan to revise the Constitution. 

Voting 161-25, the House adopted in a plenary session a motion filed by Deputy Majority Floor Leader Arthur Defensor that would pave the way for a speedy approval of Charter change resolutions. 

The majority bloc plans to file two resolutions -- one seeking to convene Congress to propose constitutional amendments or revisions and the other containing proposed specific changes to the Charter. After more than two hours of debates, the House voted on the motion despite strong objections from members of the opposition.      

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on “people in the parishes” to “express their opposition” to administration-backed efforts to amend the Constitution through a constituent assembly.

Adminstration lawmakers in the House of Representatives have voted down the opposition bloc's move to have the resolution convening Congress into a constituent assembly approved by a three-fourths vote.This was followed by the sponsorship in the plenary of House resolution 1450 convening Congress into a constituent assembly to propose amendments to or revise the Constitution by a three-fourths vote of all its members. 

After the debates on Charter change ended, the House of Representatives on Thursday dawn approved through voice voting a resolution filed by the majority bloc to convene Congress into a constituent assembly.At 5:37 a.m. Thursday, the House adopted viva voce, or through voice voting, House Resolution 1450 calling on Congress to convene and propose amendments to or revision of the Constitution upon a three-fourths vote of all its members.  

The House of Representatives has decided to scrap a resolution calling for a constituent assembly and instead pushed for a constitutional convention as a means to amend the Constitution. 

Emerging from a three-hour majority caucus, Speaker Jose De Venecia announced that the majority bloc would file a resolution either later Monday or on Tuesday calling for the election of delegates to a constitutional convention on May 14, 2007, simultaneous with the holding of local and national elections.