Malacañang refuses to comment on recent LEDAC scrapped meeting

Malacañang on Friday remained mum regarding the canceled Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council meeting earlier this week.

The Presidential Communications Office declined to provide details on what was discussed during the meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and lawmakers.

Instead of the LEDAC meeting, the President held a separate meeting with senators and congressmen due to the conflict between the two houses of Congress regarding the issue of People's Initiatives for amending the Constitution.

“The meetings were held in executive session, so all matters tackled therein are treated confidential,” Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil told reporters in a Viber message.

The LEDAC meeting is a consultative body to the President, tasked with discussing government programs and crucial policies aimed at realizing the country's economic goals.

Tensions heightened between the two branches of Congress regarding attempts to amend the 1987 Constitution through a people's initiative.

This initiative involves collecting signatures to back the proposed changes.

Although members of the House have expressed their backing for the PI, all 24 senators have strongly criticized the lower chamber's purported indirect methods in pushing for Charter change.

If the People's Initiative proves successful, both branches of Congress would participate in a collective vote to amend the 1987 Constitution. This raises apprehension within the 24-member Senate, as it could potentially be outnumbered by the House, which consists of more than 300 members.