Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Set to Drastically Change Philippine Constitution

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Philippine government under Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to drastically change the country’s constitution, stripping the safeguards set for Filipino people after more than a decade of martial law.

The Philippine House of Representatives will do their final reading of “Resolution of Both Houses No. 6” on Monday, March 6 that would forward a bill to amend the Philippine Constitution of 1987, ratified after Filipinos ousted Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. If the House approves, the bill would then need to pass the Senate before the Constitutional Convention could meet to discuss and make the changes.

The meeting would not only cost Filipino people $9.5 billion pesos — or over $150 thousand U.S. dollars between November and June of this year, but the convention will also comprise of both elected and appointed delegates. As evidenced by presidential elections in May last year, elections were dominated by political dynasties and massive voter fraud, according to a report by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP). This convention would be no different. In fact, speaker of the House, Martin Romualdez — responsible for appointing those delegates — is Marcos Jr.’s first cousin.

A contingent grassroots Filipino movements are against the potential changes, such as GABRIELA USA and BAYANUSA, two of the biggest Filipino organizations with a legacy of being at the forefront of the anti-Marcos struggle, starting during the Marcos Sr. regime.