MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III on Sunday, May 24, flatly denied Senator Imee Marcos' claim that the 11-member minority bloc had been plotting a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution, extend President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s term until 2031, and block Vice President Sara Duterte from seeking the presidency in 2028.
"Never namin pinag-usapan ang con-ass. (We never talked about con-ass)," Sotto said in a message to reporters, according to the Manila Bulletin. His denial came days after Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson called Imee Marcos' allegations "flat lies" and "kasinungalingan" (falsehoods).
The exchange is the most public falling-out yet between members of the Senate's Duterte-aligned minority and the Marcos family's own senator, and it illuminates the escalating paranoia and factional maneuver inside the chamber as it simultaneously prepares for the July 6 impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
What Imee Marcos Alleged
In statements made on May 21, Senator Imee Marcos — the President's sister — claimed that political groups were scheming to reclaim the Senate leadership specifically in order to push Charter change through a constituent assembly. According to Marcos, the plan would add three years to the terms of sitting lawmakers and extend the President's term to 2031, effectively canceling the 2028 elections and stripping Sara Duterte of her best path back to power even if the Senate acquitted her in the impeachment trial.
Marcos also alleged an alternative plan: raising the constitutional minimum age for the presidency from 40 to 50, which would disqualify the 47-year-old Sara Duterte from running in 2028. "There's so much at stake," Marcos told reporters, according to the Manila Bulletin and Tribune.
Marcos did not name specific individuals behind the alleged plot but said meetings were held at a hotel where constituent-assembly proposals were discussed.
The Denials
Sotto, a former Senate president and now minority leader, said he did attend a dinner with House Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III and some associates — but characterized it as a social gathering, not a political strategy session. "In one dinner with some golf friends and Speaker Bojie, he mentioned an idea of suggesting a regional Senate representation. I never said it's okay," Sotto said, as quoted by the Manila Bulletin.
"Ang sabi ko pa (I even said), 'If ever there is an amendment to the (Constitution), I prefer we lower the age for President and senators.' It's simply friendly talk. The eavesdropper had a misconception," he added.
Lacson, who also serves in the minority, dismissed the claims as outright fabrications. "Kasinungalingan," Lacson said on May 22, according to Politiko.com.ph — the Tagalog word for lies. He said the minority bloc had never discussed any Charter change proposal, even during internal caucuses.
Rappler analysis published on May 22 noted that the charter change narrative attributed to Alan Peter Cayetano and Imee Marcos "defies political logic," given that the new Senate leadership has little incentive to risk its fragile coalition on a constitutionally contested maneuver.
Why It Matters
The allegations, even if denied, signal how deeply 2028 presidential politics has already infected Senate deliberations in 2026 — nearly two years before the next election. The charter change alarm is the latest iteration of a claim Vice President Sara Duterte and her allies have been making since at least early 2026: that the Marcos administration is prepared to use constitutional mechanisms to entrench its hold on power and neutralize political threats.
In a separate interview from The Hague on May 14, VP Sara Duterte herself warned that "pag pinagusapan na 'yan [charter change], di na 'yan bababa sa pwesto" — meaning, once it is discussed, Marcos will not step down. She pointed to the President's acknowledgment in a Bloomberg interview that Charter change "needs to be discussed," according to GMA News.
Malacañang denied the claims. Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed Duterte's remarks as "intriga at fake news," saying the administration has no plans to pursue term extension or Charter change for political purposes.
Context
The 1987 Philippine Constitution limits the President to a single six-year term. Any effort to amend or replace it requires either a constituent assembly (both houses of Congress voting jointly), a constitutional convention, or a people's initiative — all of which face high legal thresholds and have historically failed in the Philippines.
Charter change attempts have been floated under every administration since Corazon Aquino, and each has collapsed under public opposition or congressional deadlock. Nonetheless, the mere suggestion that one is being planned carries explosive political weight in a country where memories of Marcos-era authoritarian rule remain vivid.
The current political moment — an impeachment trial against the vice president, a fugitive senator wanted by the ICC, and a Senate leadership recently upended by a coup — provides fertile ground for such rumors to take hold, regardless of their factual basis.
Sources:
- Manila Bulletin, Hannah L. Torregoza, "'No talks on Con-Ass': Sotto denies Imee's claim of bid to block VP Sara's presidential run," May 24, 2026 — mb.com.ph
- Manila Bulletin, "Imee Marcos claims con-ass plan aims to extend PBBM's term, stop 2028 polls," May 21, 2026 — mb.com.ph
- Philippine Daily Inquirer, "Sotto refutes Imee Marcos: No talks on con-ass," May 24, 2026 — inquirer.net
- Philippine Daily Inquirer, "Ping Lacson: Imee Marcos' 'con-ass' claims are 'flat lies'," May 22, 2026 — inquirer.net
- Tribune, "Imee bares plot to extend BBM rule," May 21, 2026 — tribune.net.ph
- Rappler, "Why Alan Cayetano, Imee Marcos charter change narrative defies political logic," May 22, 2026 — rappler.com
- GMA News Online, Sophia Balod-Lorenzo, "Sara Duterte warns Charter change push may keep Marcos in power longer," May 14, 2026 — gmanetwork.com