To maximize resources and efficiency, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is contemplating the idea of holding a plebiscite on the proposed changes to the 1987 Constitution simultaneously with the 2025 local elections.

Before departing for Canberra, Australia, on Wednesday for a two-day state visit, Marcos said it would be expensive for the government to hold the elections and a plebiscite separately.

“We are really studying that because if we separate the election and the plebiscite, it’s like having two elections, which is very costly,” he said in a media interview.

He highlighted the savings in holding both events together instead of separately, which would entail separate preparations. However, he acknowledged the legal complexities of such a move, as the nature of a plebiscite differs from an election.

“There is some legal consequence there ... but if we are able to incorporate the two exercises together, as a practical matter, I think that would be helpful,” he said.

The suggestion comes amid the House of Representatives pressure to hold the Charter change plebiscite before July this year.

He stressed that the House’s proposed July timeframe for the plebiscite wouldn’t necessarily dictate the actual date.

“It doesn’t mean that once the House or the Senate finishes, we have to hold the plebiscite immediately,” he said.

The government, he added, is exploring options and mechanisms for the plebiscite, and that a final decision will prioritize practicality and cost effectiveness.

“We’re studying it, and I think there’s a potential there that we could possibly explore. So, we’ll see. It really comes down to a practical thing.”

3 deals up in Australia visit

Meanwhile, the President is expected to bring home three deals from Canberra. He will be back in the country on 29 February and return to Australia on 4 March for the ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit in Melbourne.

Marcos said his trip is a chance for both countries to work together in many areas, such as trade and security.

“I will also have the opportunity to expand our wide-ranging cooperation with Australia through the formalization and signing of three agreements,” Marcos said, without specifying the agreements up for formalization and signing.

“Collaboration in these additional fields is a clear indication that the strategic partnership which we have embarked upon provides greater energy and optimism for closer cooperation that is mutually beneficial to both Filipinos and Australians,” he added.