Marcos cool to people’s initiative, voting jointly

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is unlikely to back the House-endorsed people’s initiative (PI) campaign to amend the Charter, saying that he prefers to preserve the "bicameral nature" of Congress in any attempt to alter the fundamental law.

In an interview with reports on Tuesday, the president said he could not say if the People's Initiative campaign is "still one of the options that remains for us."

“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 according to a state news agency.

The petition being distributed for the PI campaign aims to allow Congress to vote on changes to the 1987 Constitution in a joint manner. This essentially gives the House an upper hand in the Charter change process as they outnumber the 24-member Senate.

For the president — who has expressed his support to amend the 1987 Constitution — both the House and the Senate must vote separately.

“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,” Marcos added.

Allegations of vote-buying and misuse of government aid have marred the process in which signatures have been collected for the PI. And while the mechanism is seen as a way for Filipinos to directly propose amendments to the Constitution independent of lawmakers, House Speaker Martin Romualdez has been accused of orchestrating the signature drive. 

RELATED: PIRMA confirms coordinating with Romualdez for People's Initiative signatures 

On Tuesday’s Senate probe of the PI signature drive, the lead convenor of the pro-Chacha People’s Initiative for Modernization and Reform Action (PIRMA), said that his team met with Romualdez in his residence to seek “help” in clinching 3% of voters’ signatures per legislative district.

The president’s sister and Romualdez’ cousin — Sen. Imee Marcos — has accused the House speaker of offering a P20 million reward for districts that will gather enough signatures for the PI campaign.

Romualdez has denied all allegations but maintained that his role in the PI drive is of an “advisory” nature.

The Commission on Elections on Monday halted all PI proceedings indefinitely until the poll body can “review, enhance” Comelec Resolution No. 10650, which lays out the rules for the people’s initiative. — Cristina Chi