Pulse Asia poll showing 8% of Pinoys favor Cha-cha proves need for plebiscite —House leader

The Pulse Asia survey showing only 8% of Filipinos favor Charter change (Cha-cha) only highlights the need for a plebiscite, a leader of the House of Representatives said Monday.

In a press conference, House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin said she believes a referendum would prompt voters to study what Cha-cha is about.

"If we hold a plebiscite next year, we will have eight months na lahat ng mga tao mapag-uusapan ito. It will now be a discussion in the table were [the] family is, in the house for family get-together, sa mga reunion, sa mga okasyon, maski sa school," she said.

"At kapag pinag-usapan 'yan at nagkakaroon ng mga awareness, people will be able to decide intelligently. Before bumoto, aalamin [na] nila," Garin added.

(If we hold a plebiscite next year, people will talk about it... it will be a staple discussion before the dining table, during reunions, occasions, in schools... awareness will increase. People will know about the subject before they vote.)

The plebiscite, Garin further said, would also make voters learn more about the limits of the Constitution and their authority to approve or reject amendments.

A latest Pulse Asia showed that 88% of Filipinos are against amending the 1987 Constitution "right now," a 43% increase from the 45% who were not in favor of such move last year. 

House Deputy Speaker Jayjay Suarez and House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe earlier argued that the survey was misleading due to supposed wrong questions that included amendments not approved by the House.

In response, Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes said "the questions were arranged so we asked respondents general to specific questions."

"Specifically, they were asked whether they were in favor of changing the Constitution before their opinion was elicited on specific current and prior amendments," Holmes said. 

Garin, during the press conference, appealed against "influencing" the public against Charter change.

"Let us not influence the decision of our people by poorly crafted questionnaires na mag-aakala sila ay masama iyan (that will put Charter change in bad light)," she said.
 
The Pulse Asia survey came after the House of Representatives approved Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, which seeks to amend the 1987 Constitution by lifting the 40% limit on foreign ownership of public utlities, education and advertising sectors, on third and final reading last March 6. 

RBH 7's Senate version, RBH 6, has yet to be approved at the sub-committee level.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has not certified Cha-cha resolutions as urgent, a certification that would allow the Senate to approve the resolution on second and third reading on the same day. —KBK, GMA Integrated News