Senator Imee Marcos on Monday denounced the alleged bribe schemes involving proponents of charter change to lure people and local government officials to sign the petition to amend the Constitution.

"Our Constitution is not for sale," said Marcos, who has repeatedly expressed her opposition to the House of Representatives-led proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution.

"We denounce those allegedly bribing districts, LGUs and potential signatories openly and shamelessly to agree to a people's initiative," she added.

Earlier, Albay Representative Edcel Lagman said members of the House of Representatives' supermajority coalition had launched a campaign for charter change via people's initiative.

Lagman alleged that local chief executives from his province received a notice for a general meeting last 5 January from the League of Mayors of the province with an undisclosed agenda.

"During the meeting, they were informed that people's initiative would be used as a mode of amending the Constitution and they were given mobilization funds and the forms to be signed by at least three per centum of the registered voters of the legislative district to which their municipalities belong," he said.

"Voters who would sign the petition for people's initiative will be given P100.00 each, 50 percent of which has already been advanced to the municipal mayors and respective coordinators," he added.

Citing information from his sources, Lagman said that the alleged movement is happening throughout the country. nationwide as "congressmen belonging to various political parties have been sent the necessary forms."

"Disturbing questions have to be answered like: (1) who is the mastermind of this campaign; (2) what are the proposed amendments to be pursued; (3) where do the funds come from; and (4) why buy the voters' initiative?" he asked.

Last month, Speaker Martin Romualdez bared the House of Representatives' plan to amend the Constitution this year without the involvement of the Senate.

Romualdez said the push for charter change will be focusing on removing the "restrictive" economic provisions in the current charter.