(January 11) "TV ad na nagsusulong ng Charter Change, inalmahan ng ilang mambabatas | UB" YT Channel for GMA Integrated News
(January 27) "Salceda: Investor confidence seen with Charter change" Philippine News Agency
(February 26) "19th Congress Committee of the Whole House (RBH7) Day 1 Part 2"
(March 6) "19th Congress Committee of the Whole House (RBH7) Day 6" Link
(March 20) "House passes RBH No. 7 on economic Charter change" SunStar
(March 21) "Economic charter change proposal breezes through the House. What’s next?" Rappler
(March 27) "Media Release by PulseAsia - March 2024 Nationwide Survey on Charter Change" on archive.org
(April 1) "Pulse Asia poll showing 8% of Pinoys favor Cha-cha proves need for plebiscite —House leader" GMA Integrated News
(April 3) "Poll: Majority of Filipinos see easing of foreign investment restrictions will boost job quality in PH". Poll conducted by PulseAsia. GMA Integrated News
(January 26) Hon. Rufus B. Rodriguez, Chairperson on Constitutional Amendments in the House of Representatives, holds the first deliberation for the House, under the administration of Marcos Jr., on charter change.
Present in the deliberations were many pro-reform advocates and critics of constitutional reform: Former Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna, Atty. Christian Monsod, Economist Gerardo Sicat, Atty. Neri Colmenares, and several others.
(February 6) The CoRRECT Movement, represented by Orion Perez D., attended a succeeding public hearing on constitutional reform for and inside the House of Representatives.
(February 10) In his home-turf of Cagayan de Oro, "LOOK: The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments successfully conducted today its Public Consultation on Constitutional Reform, the first public hearing outside the Batasan Pambansa.
In his opening speech, Committee Chairperson and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said that that the consultation aims to hear observations and comments of different sectors with regard to the proposals to amend the Constitution.
Currently, there are eight (6) [sic] legislative measures calling for the Constitutional Convention to propose amendments to the Constitution; and another two (2) resolutions seeking to introduce economic changes." (from the official Facebook page of Rep. Rodriguez)
(February 8) "Senator Robin Padilla on Wednesday filed Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No.3 seeking to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution through a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass).
Padilla, chairman of Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, wanted to amend Section 2, 3, 7, 10 and 11 of Article XII of the 1987 Constitution as well as Section 4(2) of Article XIV, and Section 11(1) and (2) of Article XVI." (from gmanetwork.com)
(Feb 12) On a return journey from Tokyo, President Marcos Jr. says charter change is not a priority because, "There are so many other things we need to do first." (from bworldonline.com)
(March 6) "BREAKING: With a historic vote of 201 affirmative; 6 negative; and 1 abstain, the Philippine House of Representatives approves on third and final reading Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 calling for a Constitutional Convention to propose amendments to, or revision of, the 1987 Constitution." (from the official Facebook page of Rep. Rodriguez)
(March 24) "Romualdez' statement came a day after Rep. Richard Gomez (Leyte) claimed Thursday in a press conference organized by PDP-Laban that the speaker has agreed to a constiuent assembly, stick to tweaking economic provisions only and for both houses to vote separately on proposed amendments to the Constitution. PDP-Laban - alongside Lakas-CMD, which Romualdez leads - is among the major parties in the administration coalition." (from philstar.com)
(April 4) "MANILA – Forty-one percent of Filipinos are now supportive of amending the 1987 Constitution, according to the new survey results released by Pulse Asia on Tuesday." (from pna.gov.ph about PulseAsia)
(April 22) "Sen. Robin Padilla, aminadong hindi papasa sa Senado ang isinusulung nitong Cha-Cha.
Ayon sa senador, hindi naman aniya nasayang ang pagsusulong nito sa Cha-Cha dahil mahalaga na naririnig at nalalaman ng taong bayan na mahalaga ang isinusulung nitong Constitutional amendments." (from the "Politiko" Facebook page)
(May 19) "Solon urges Senate to tackle Cha-cha before ‘time runs out’" Philipine News Agency
(May 24) From his official Facebook posts, "Cagayan de Oro second district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez was invited by the Ateneo de Davao College of Law to speak during its 'Cha-Cha? Sasayaw Ka Ba?' event...
"Rodriguez, chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, provided an in-depth presentation as regards the need for economic amendments to the 1987 Constitution to boost more foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the country thereby providing more job opportunities to the Filipinos."
"In a survey on Charter Change among the Participants the vote was: 45 in favor, 39 against, and 34 undecided."
(May 25) "Senator Robin Padilla admits that his proposed charter change on economic provisions bill is 'dead.'. Says, he distributed his penned committee report on chacha to his colleagues, but only four PDP-Laban senatros (sic), namely: Dela Rosa, Go, Tolentino, and him, signed the report." (from @sherieanntorres on Twitter)
(September 29) "PH shouldn't be 'prisoners of the past'; ditch economic restrictions in Charter--Romualdez" Manila Bulletin
(December 12) "House to push for charter change in 2024: Speaker" ABS-CBN News
(December 14) "Robin Padilla files reso amending political provisions in 1987 Constitution" GMA Integrated News
(June 30) Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s presidential term began.
(July 12) P.S. Res. No. 6 – RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND REVISION OF CODES TO REVIEW AND STUDY THE 1987 CONSTITUTION FOR POSSIBLE REVISION ON THE PROVISIONS PARTICULAR TO THE FORM, STRUCTURE, AND POWER OF GOVERNMENT, ECONOMY AND PATRIMONY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES by by Padilla, Robinhood C.
(August 24th, 9 AM) Senator Robin Padilla held the first public hearing for the Constitutional Amendments Committee of the Senate, under the administration of Marcos Jr.
CoRRECT Movement Principal Co-founder Mr. Orion Perez D. presented as a resource speaker at the Senate Hearing for Constitutional Reform.
(First Quarter) CoRRECT Movement Facebook Group Forum sees a significant boost in membership.
(January 21 and February 6) "Replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the BARMM was formed with the ratification of its basic law, the Bangsamoro Organic Law, following a two-part legally binding plebiscite in Western Mindanao held on January 21 and February 6, 2019." (from wikipedia.org)
(May 21) CoRRECTors attended a writing workshop held by the DILG IATF for Federalism and Constitutional Reform.
(Date Read: 2019-07-29) RBH0001 - RESOLUTION OF BOTH HOUSES CONSTITUTING THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INTO A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY TO PROPOSE REVISIONS OF THE 1987 CONSTITUTION BY ADOPTING A FEDERAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES - Principal Author/s: 1. RODRIGUEZ, RUFUS B.
(Date Read: 2019-07-29) RBH0002 – RESOLUTION OF BOTH HOUSES PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO CERTAIN ECONOMIC PROVISIONS OF THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES PARTICULARLY ON ARTICLES II, XIV & XVI - 1. VELASCO, LORD ALLAN JAY Q. 2. VELASCO, LORD ALLAN JAY Q. 3. GARBIN, ALFREDO JR. A. 4. SALCEDA, JOEY SARTE, et al.
(January 15 to 21) PulseAsia survey conducted on "WHETHER IT IS APPROPRIATE TO AMEND THE PRESENT PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION OR NOT"
18% said "YES, the Constitution SHOULD BE amended now". 30% said "NO, the Constitution SHOULD NOT BE amended now, but it may be amended sometime in the future". 37% answered "NO, the Constitution SHOULD NOT BE amended now nor any other time". 14% answered "Don't Know/Can't say". (link)
(July 9) President Rodrigo Duterte's Consultative Committee submitted its first draft of a federal constitution.
(December) Duterte convened a Consultative Committee to review the 1987 Constitution.
(June 30) Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential term began.
Throughout the year of 2015, Rodrigo Duterte visited many towns and cities in the Philippines, “epousing the benefits and advantages of federalism.” (from the official Facebook page of Rody Duterte)
(Filed on May 5) RESOLUTION FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORATE THE QUESTION OF CALLING A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS TO OR REVISIONS OF THE 1987 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION by Pimentel, Aquilino Koko III L., Guingona III, Teofisto "Tg"
(October 7) An article from ABS-CBN News mentions, “Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte believes that a federal form of government will mean faster delivery of basic services to people.“
(October 22) An article from mindanews.com reported from a joint foreign chambers meeting in Davao City where Rodrigo Roa Duterte was present.
"I am not a saint but how can one remain clean if you have a system where one needs billions of pesos to win and then you have to satisfy the insatiable greed of those whose support you need to be in power? If you don’t know this, then you are either naive or you don’t know what you’re talking about.
With due respects, but I do not wish or dream — nor am I even qualified — to be president of this country, the way some sectors are now suggesting. This system is shot. There is no way we can redeem it. Unless we radically change things."
CoRRECT trademarked
(June 30) Benigno Aquino III’s presidential term began.
"Sigaw ng Bayan" under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Jose V. Abueva, at the time of writing was U.P. Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Administration, Chairman of the CMFP Advisory Board, and President of Kalayaan College - during the Arroyo administration, wrote a paper called "Some Advantages of Federalism and Parliamentary Government"
> “I. With EDSA 1 we restored an outmoded form of democracy.
In the peaceful “people power” revolt from February 22 to 25, 1986, tens of thousands of unarmed Filipinos gathered to defend a small but swelling band of military rebels at the military and police headquarters along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue that cuts through Metro Manila from North to South. United in their cry for “Justice, Freedom and Democracy,” they peacefully immobilized the armed forces of the 13-year Marcos dictatorship. On the fourth day they banished the dictator into exile. Amazed at our extraordinary feat, the world applauded. Some oppressed peoples in Eastern Europe and Asia took heart and followed our example to liberate themselves from tyranny.
In January 2001, not only at EDSA in Metro Manila but also in many cities, citizens gathered and employed “people power” once more to bring down a president who was perceived to be abusive and corrupt. Aggrieved citizens felt good once again but “people power” alone could not bring us what we really need as a developing nation and democracy.
The restoration of free elections and formal democracy under the 1987 Constitution has not empowered citizens to check or mitigate our pervasive problems of mass poverty, unemployment, corruption, social inequality, injustice, rebellion, and the environment. Underdevelopment and population still force legions of Filipinos to migrate as our country lags farther behind our advanced neighbors in the region.
Despite its many positive features that are worth preserving, the 1987 Constitution has not enabled us to rebuild our various institutions for good governance. We continued with our counter-productive unitary system with its powers, authority and resources centralized in the national government at the expense of local governments, leaders, citizens, and entrepreneurs and country-wide development.
We restored our adversarial separation of powers in a presidential system that continually creates conflict and gridlock between the President and Congress, with a vengeance. Our outmoded form of government and dysfunctional political parties sustain our politics of personality, patronage, cronyism, and corruption and without transparency and public accountability.”
(January 17 – 20) EDSA Revolution of 2001 (“EDSA II”).
(January 20) Joseph Estrada resigns from office.
(June 30) Gloria Arroyo’s presidential term began.
Constitutional Correction for Development (CONCORD) led by Former SC Chief Justice Andres Narvasa, under the Estrada administration, pushed for the lifting of foreign ownership restrictions in order to help the economy.
(June 30) Joseph Estrada’s presidential term began.
Fidel Ramos, and his administration, created PIRMA ("People’s Initiative for Reform Modernization and Action")
(June 30) Fidel Ramos’ presidential term began.
(November 18) Lee Kuan Yew delivered a speech at the Philippine Business Conference @ EDSA Shangri-La Ballroom
> "One problem is the Philippines has an American-style constitution, one of the most difficult to operate in the world. There is a complete separation of powers between executive, legislature and judiciary.
They wrote the constitution in 1787 and ratified it in 1789. They wanted a weak executive president. Having suffered at the hands of King George III of England, they wanted the opposite of a strong monarch. But a developing country faced with disorder and underdevelopment needs a strong honest government.
A US-style constitution failed long before Marcos declared martial law. It was re-adopted in 1987 by President Aquino. The system worked in America because of a super-abundance of resources and riches in a vast under-populated continent.
I do not believe that Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Singapore could have succeeded as they have done if they had to work under such a constitution, where gridlock on every major issue is a way of life. And you will notice that since the Vietnam War and the Great Society for some 28 years ago, the US system has not functioned even for the United States."
Constitution (Unitary presidential constitutional republic)
Democracy was restored after a long journey under the Marcos dictatorship.
However, "although the new 1987 Constitution of the Philippines marked a complete legal break from the constitution under which fromer authoritarian regimed operated, it incorporated many of elements of the previous constitution, including the presidential system." ("Constitutional beginnings: Making and amending constitutions. PDF. Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. 2018")
Constitution (Unitary dominant-party republic under dictatorship)
(March) "It will be recalled that on March 16, 1967, Congress, acting as a Constituent Assembly pursuant to Art. XV of the Constitution, passed Resolution No. 2 which among others called for a Constitutional Convention to propose constitutional amendments to be composed of two delegates from each representative district who shall have the same qualifications as those of Congressmen, to be elected on the second Tuesday of November, 1970 in accordance with the Revised Election Code." (https://www.chanrobles.com/scdecisions/jurisprudence1970/sep1970/gr_32432_1970.php)
(July) Raul S. Mangalpus wrote "The State of Philippine Democracy" in the "Foreign Affairs". Vol. 38, No. 4 (Jul., 1960), pp. 613-624 (12 pages). Published By: Council on Foreign Relations.
> "Meanwhile, because of our over-centralization, our electoral system, the many faults of our constitutional structure, it could be said that in the Philippines we may not have a democracy as its best but we do have democracy at its hardest. Such a judgment, while critical of the system, is a tribute to the people. The important thing is that it is democracy and that it is working. And in the irrepressible optimism of the people and their deep--seated faith in the superiority of free enterprise lies a promise that here democracy will someday be at its best. Herein lies our claim to the understanding and support of free nations." ("The State of Democracy", 624)
(February 8) Claro M. Recto is mentioned in the newspaper with "A proposal that the Philippines switch from American fixed-term legislative system to British Parliamentary system came today..."
> "Our Constitution was frankly an imitation of the American charter. Many of the delegates were products of an American system of education and consequently were obsessed with the sincere belief that Democracy can be defined only in American terms. Necessarily, therefore, the Philippine presidency became a copy of the American presidency, with its vast concentration of powers and only periodical accountability to the people. Like the man in the White House, the man in Malacañang is now safe from immediate responsibility. And like the men on Capitol Hill, the men on Taft and Lepanto (the old Congress) do not have to render accounts for the fixed limits of their terms. A bad President and a bad Congress may not, in Lincoln's phrase, fool all the people all of the time. But they can make fools of the people – they can make fools of themselves – for at least four years..."
(July 4) The Treaty of Manila was signed, which granted Philippine independence from the United States of America.
Japanese-sponsored Constitution during World War II (affected Imperial Japanese-controlled areas of the Philippines).
The Commonwealth Constitution was amended and restored a bicameral legislature for the national government, called the Congress of the Philippines.
Commonwealth Constitution
During the Constitutional Convention for the 1935 Constitution,
Delegates Lim, Vinzons, and Paredes wanted to add to the constitution an amendment which was, "to make the Constitution flexible in order to make possible the development or the adoption in the fu-ture of a parliamentary government, should the country de-cide, without the necessity of amending the Constitution; or at least to permit the continuance of the practice evolved under the Jones Law of appointing members of the law-making body to serve as heads of some of the executive de-partments." ("The Framing Of The Philippine Constitution", 1936)
(March) The República de Zamboanga was disestablished.
(July 1) The Philippine Organic Act was enacted by the United States Congress.
(July 2) The Philippine War against the United States ends.
(January 21) Malolos Constitution
> "Calderon opted for legislative supremacy and incorporated strong parliamentary features into his design. He vested in a unicameral Assembly of the Representatives of the Nation, or National Assembly, the right to elect and impeach the president, to direct cabinet members, and to appoint the Supreme Court Chief Justice and the Procurador General." ("The Foundations of the Modern Philippine State", 2016, 165)
(February 4) The Philippine-American War began.
(May) The República de Zamboanga was established.
(August 1) General Ananias Diokno named the leaders of the Estado Federal de Bisayas
> "The policy of the government of this so-called Federal State, formed by the principal leaders of this Region. The principal leaders of this Region, Sres. Raymundo Melliza, Jovito Yusay, Ramon Avanceña, Julio Hernandez, Francisco Villanueva, Pablo Araneta, Francisco Soriano, Nicolas Jalandoni, Magdaleno Jovellano, Florencio Tarrosa, Fernando Salas, and an infinite number of other gentlemen, has for purpose, as was state at a meeting held in the month of February of this year." ("The Philippine Insurrection Against the United States A Compilation of Documents with Notes and Introduction by John R. M. Taylor", 1971)
(September 23 or October 5) The Estado Federal de Visayas underwent absorption by the First Philippine Republic
(June 12) The Philippine Revolution ends.
Constitution of the Provisional Philipine Republic (Biak-Na-Bato)
The Philippine Revolution began against the Spanish Empire.
(January 31) Jose Rizal writes an entry for “La Solidaridad”. He mentions that, “...by a law of reaction the Islands will probably declare themselves a federal Republic....”
> “The terrible lessons and harsh teachings that these struggles have given the Filipinos will have served to improve their morale and strengthen them. The Spain of the fifteenth century was not that of the eighth century. With severe experience, instead of entering into internecine quarrels between one island and another, as is generally feared, they will stretch out their arms to each other, like shipwrecked men who land on an island after a frightful night of storm. Don't go saying that what happened to the small American republics will happen to us. They easily won their independence, and their inhabitants are animated by a different spirit from that of the Filipinos. In addition, the danger of falling into other hands, English or German, for example, will force them to be sensible and prudent. The not great preponderance of any one race over the others will drive away from the imagination all mad ambition to dominate, and as the tendency of tyrannized countries, once they shake off the yoke, is to adopt the freest government, like a boy leaving school. , like the swing of the pendulum, by a law of reaction the Islands will probably declare themselves a federal Republic....”
Before the Conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi reached the archipelago, scattered about major areas there lived various polities, principalities, tribes, and other villages each with their own cultures, languages, and lives.