MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday that he is working with allies on the best mode to amend the Constitution by particularly asking the views of legal luminaries.

“That’s why we are asking mga former Justices, si Chief Luke (Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin)… our legal counsel and our soon to be centenarian na legal counsel na si Mang [JFPE] at ‘yung mga constitutionalist ay tinatanong natin. Ano sa palagay ninyo ang pinakatamang gawin?” President Marcos said.

The President made the remarks during an interview with the Malacañang Press Corps on the sidelines of his state visit to Viet Nam when asked how he intends to resolve the issues regarding the People’s Initiative .

“So the details have not yet been decided upon. That is precisely what we will be working on,” President Marcos added.

As to the People’s Initiative, the President said they haven’t made those decisions yet, but he does not know “if that is still one of the options that remains for us,” he added.

And to resolve the clash of the two Houses of Congress over People’s Initiative, President Marcos said they have been in continuous discussion with lawmakers in recent days.

“In fact, before I left, I met with our legal luminaries and tried to find a way dahil ‘yan naman talaga ang aabutin nila are the economic provisions that I have been this talking for many, many years already,” he said.

Marcos said he asked congressional leaders and some of the best constitutional minds to come up with simpler solution that does not cause so much controversy.

The usual conflict between the House of Representatives and the Senate is whether to vote together or separately, he said.

“Now there’s advice that we are getting: the best analysis and interpretation that we have is that the legislature is of bicameral nature and therefore that implies that they will vote separately,” Marcos said.

“So, how that will be done now is what we are trying to figure out, how will it be done so that both Houses’ role is in this bicameral system is preserved and that is what we are working right now,” he stressed. (PND)