House committed to people’s initiative – Speaker

MANILA, Philippines — While distancing himself from the signature drive under the latest Charter change push, Speaker Martin Romualdez declared yesterday that the House of Representatives is committed to protecting the people’s initiative as a mode of amending the 1987 Constitution.

“I wish to restate the House of Representatives’ commitment to this essential democratic process. The PI (people’s initiative) stands as a direct expression of the people’s will, providing a means for citizens to propose constitutional amendments,” he said in a statement.

“House does not endorse or sanction direct participation by its members in signature-gathering, ensuring the process’ integrity and independence remain intact,” he said.

“I vehemently denounce any allegations of bribery or unethical practices in persuading citizens to sign the petition for the PI. Such actions, if true, would violate the initiative’s spirit of honest and voluntary participation and erode our democratic foundations,” he maintained.

The Speaker reiterated that people’s initiative mode of Cha-cha is an “independent, citizen-driven process” and that the House’s “role is to facilitate and encourage democratic participation without direct involvement in signature collection.”

“We are committed to ensuring that proposals are processed in accordance with legal and constitutional guidelines, maintaining the integrity of our Constitution in subsequent legislative actions,” the Leyte congressman added, noting that the signatures are now with the Comelec.

“The House stands committed to providing a transparent and accountable framework to support the people’s initiative, ensuring that it remains a true representation of the people’s collective will,” Romualdez added.

“We are here to support and respect the outcomes of this process, affirming the people’s initiative as the purest form of democracy,” he pointed out.

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, for his part, expressed his “profound disappointment” with his Senate counterpart Joel Villanueva for claiming that senators are no longer interested in pushing for the Resolution of Both Houses 6 limiting to economic provisions any amendments in the Charter.

“His assertion raises serious concerns. These claims, grounded in allegations linking the House leadership to the people’s initiative, are not only baseless but also regrettably cast a shadow over the collaborative efforts required for constitutional reforms,” he said.

The Zamboanga City congressman noted that if Villanueva’s assertion “holds true, it is disheartening that certain senators perceive ghosts without substantial evidence.”

He said “unjustly implicating Speaker in relation to the PI only serves to foster unwarranted doubts and distractions.”