No.

Longtime pollster Pulse Asia wanted to find out what Filipinos think or feel about Charter change (Cha-Cha). It asked 1,200 respondents last March 6-10, 2024. The 1,200 were a cross-section of adult Filipinos.

Should the 1987 Constitution be amended now?

The answer was a big NO. No yesterday. No today. No tomorrow. And perhaps no for a long, long time to come. It seems that when it comes to amending the Constitution, in whole or in small parts, No is forever.

To the question, “Should the 1987 Constitution be amended or not amended at this time” (underlined at this time), 88 percent of respondents said NO, SHOULD NOT BE AMENDED NOW. In capital letters.  Only 8 percent said “YES, the Constitution SHOULD BE amended now.” Unaided, 4 percent of respondents said “don’t know.”

That 88 of every 100 adult Filipinos don’t want the present Charter amended is as definite, declarative and assertive as our people can be. No ifs, no buts.

The NO sentiment is overwhelming nationwide – in all regions – 81 percent in the National Capital Region (NCR), 89 percent in the rest of Luzon main island, 85 percent in the Visayas and a whopping 91 percent in Mindanao; and across all income classes – 82 percent No in high and middle income ABC, 87 percent among the D and a startling 93 percent among the poorest of families, the E income bracket.

To the question “No, the Constitution should not be amended now, nor any other time, the response was also overwhelmingly negative – 74 percent No nationwide to any amendments at “any other time;” 72 percent in NCR, 73 percent in Balance of Luzon, 69 percent in the Visayas and 82 percent in Mindanao; 58 percent among the ABC classes, 75 percent among the D and 80 among the E.

Filipinos think our Constitution should be immutable, impervious to the vagaries of time, political temper and technology.

It is as if Filipinos are mired in a constitutional quicksand and are just happy with it, munching their favorite Jollibee burger or Mang Inasal chicken, or lining up for the ayuda for the poor and near-poor.

Why the massive objection to constitutional amendments when those are supposed to open up the economy further and generate more investments which in