In the Philippines, a constitutional convention is one of the three ways to amend the Constitution of the Philippines. Others include a People's Initiative and the Constituent Assembly. Article XVII, Section 3 of the Constitution says, "The Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of all its Members, call a constitutional convention, or by a majority vote of all its Members, submit to the electorate the question of calling such a convention."[1][2]
The 1987 constitution does not specify how delegates to a Constitutional Convention should be chosen.[1] For past conventions, this has been specified in the legislation calling for the convention. In 1971, under an earlier constitution, Republic Act No. 6132 provided that delegates to a constitutional convention would be elected by the national legislative district, in a special election.[3] The 1987 constitution specifies that any proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution must be ratified by a majority of voters in a plebiscite.[1]
The process of amending or revising the 1987 Constitution has become known as charter change.
There have been five constitutional conventions in Philippine history:
| Election | Convention | Constitution | Plebiscite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | Malolos Congress | Malolos Constitution | Approved by assembly |
| 1934 | Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1934 | 1935 Constitution of the Philippines | 1935; 96.43% in favor |
| None | Preparatory Committee for Philippine Independence | 1943 Constitution of the Philippines | Approved by assembly |
| 1970 | Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1971 | 1973 Constitution of the Philippines | 1973; 90.67% in favor |
| None | Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986 | 1987 Constitution of the Philippines | 1987; 77.04% in favor |