The push for Charter Change in the House of Representatives was slammed by the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP), stating it is aimed at lowering the age requirement for president, vice president, and senators, calling the proposal “self-serving, baseless, and diversionary.”

In a statement, PDP deputy spokesman Ferdinand Topacio said the initiative, reportedly pushed by lawmakers allied with Speaker Martin Romualdez, was designed to distract the public from the “massive anomalies” in flood control projects now under investigation.

“Before they attempt to tinker with the Constitution, members of the House should first answer for their alleged involvement in the plunder of flood control funds,” Topacio said.

Topacio added that while the PDP has long supported Charter Change to replace outdated provisions with progressive reforms—such as shifting to a federal system of government—the current proposal was “insincere” and a ploy to entrench certain political figures in power.

The public was urged to resist what he described as a “selfish and politically motivated” assault on the Constitution, warning that it sought to divert attention from “the biggest public funds scam in Philippine history.”

Topacio said, “We call on the people not to lose focus on what truly matters today—the search for accountability in flood control anomalies worth hundreds of billions of pesos, possibly implicating key figures in the administration and relatives and allies of the President.”