Senator Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV has rebutted allegations that the recent change in Senate leadership is tied to a clandestine agenda for Charter change or a "No Election" scenario in 2028.
Speaking on the Senate floor on Monday, Senator Aquino directly denied claims that the leadership shift was part of a secret plan to push for a Constituent Assembly or to postpone the 2028 elections. He made these remarks in response to a video shown by Senator Imee Marcos during her privilege speech, which alleged that the new majority bloc was created to advance Charter change. Senator Aquino asserted that these accusations are baseless.
He emphasized that no bill or motion related to Charter change has been filed in the current Congress. Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan supported this statement, confirming that the Committee on Constitutional Amendments has not discussed or conducted any hearings on Charter change.
Senator Aquino vowed to remain steadfast in defending the 1987 Constitution. He challenged that if any formal proposal were to be presented in the Senate, he believes there would be a clear consensus against Charter change. "Many of us here will fight for the 1987 Constitution. Many of us will not allow it to be amended this term... If we were asked now, if we were to count votes today, perhaps we would get 24 senators who would not agree to Charter change," he said.
Meanwhile, the minority bloc called for the removal of the said video from the official Senate records. Senator Aquino also stressed the importance of research and fact-checking amid the proliferation of fake news, especially on social media.
