Comelec says proponents can do better safekeeping
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday called on proponents of the people’s initiative (PI) to amend the 1987 Constitution to consider withdrawing the signature sheets they have submitted in city/municipal Offices of Election Officers (OEOs) now that the entire process has been indefinitely suspended.
In an interview, Comelec chairman George Garcia said it would be better if the proponents will just withdraw the documents instead of relying on the poll body for their safekeeping.
“If the proponents will opt to, they can withdraw it and the Comelec will wholeheartedly give it back to them because it is really harder for them to be in our possession,” said Garcia, adding: “If I were the proponent, it would be better if you will withdraw the signature sheets. In that case, you can take better care of them since local Comelec offices have limited space.”
In doing so, the poll chief said the proponents will be required to return the certifications earlier issued by the Comelec.
“They simply need to return the certification we issued since it states the number of signatures that were received by the Comelec,” he said.
Nevertheless, Garcia assured those who choose not to withdraw the signature sheets that local Comelec offices will adequately safeguard the documents.
“If they opt not to withdraw them, we will not process it but they can stay in our offices…
We will safekeep them until the proponents decide to pull them out,” he said.
Sen. Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, said the Comelec should disregard and throw out all the PI signature forms as these are “clearly not the true sentiments of the people.”
In a press conference, Marcos said the PI signature drive was tainted with the hands of congressmen, as proven by the admission of People’s Initiative for Modernization and Reform Action (PIRMA) lead convenor Noel Oñate during last Tuesday’s hearing that the campaign was “coordinated” with Speaker Martin Romualdez and other House leaders.
“It’s clear that the campaign was misleading, there was even bribery. Ang liwanag naman na talagang binola ang tao. Wala namang kaduda-duda at maraming nagsalita. Bakit sila tanggap nang tanggap ng scrap paper. Itapon na lahat ng forms (It’s clear that the campaign was misleading, there was even bribery. It’s very clear that the people were duped. It cannot be denied because a lot of witnesses have come out and spoken. Why did the Comelec accept scrap papers? It should just throw them in the garbage),” Marcos said.
Marcos said she will only agree to sit down with her cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, if the latter will withdraw the PI campaign and throw all the signed forms.
“Kailangan tapusin na ang PI na ito. It’s a ‘pekeng initiative’. Itapon na ang pirma at mag-umpisa ng tama, tamang pamamaraan. Derecho ikonsulta sa taumbayan, alamin ang isyu (This PI should be totally stopped. This is a fake initiative. Throw the signed forms and let us start right, with the right process),” she added.
She made the statements as she noted the Comelec testimony during the hearing that the signed forms have no “expiry dates” and “can still be used.”
“So, hindi pa patay. Hindi pa inililibing (So, it’s not totally dead because they have not yet been buried). Habang nakatambak ‘yan at nandiyan sa Comelec ay gagamitin at gagamitin ‘yan. Sabi nila hindi puwede sa 2024, malabo sa 2025. May 2026 pa, malay natin kung sino ang gagamit niyan (While those signed forms are with the Comelec, there will be a chance that they will be used again. They said it has no use for 2024 and 2025, but we have 2026, and who knows who will use them),” Marcos said.
But Garcia thumbed down Marcos’ proposal.
“We cannot throw these documents since we have a liability on the documents we have received,” he said.
Last Monday, the Comelec announced the suspension of all its PI processes, including the acceptance and certification of signature sheets by the Offices of Election Officers to give way to an in-depth review of its current guidelines regarding people’s initiatives.
At the time of suspension, 1,129 city and municipal OEOs in 210 legislative districts have already received signature sheets.
‘CEMETERY’
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda yesterday said the House was constrained to support the PI campaign because the Senate has long become the “cemetery” for Charter change because of its constant opposition to constitutional reforms.
“The Senate is a cemetery (for) Charter change. The House has seen that going directly to the people is the way to go,” Salceda, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, told a news forum in Manila.
He said, though, that the House will wait for the Comelec to resume proceedings on the PI campaign because “it is an independent body” and “we have to respect it.”
Salceda assured senators that he would vote against any proposal to amend the political provisions of the Constitution, stressing that he is only backing calls for economic amendments to attract more foreign investments.
He said there is still hope for the House and the Senate to agree on the issue and that is if the upper chamber will adopt Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s Resolution of Both Houses No. 6.
If that happens, Salceda said it will be a victory for the House even if the parallel controversial PI campaign does not take off eventually.
Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the House Committee on Constitutional, said records would show that the Senate has “consistently been an obstructionist when it came to Charter reform in the past three decades for a total of 12 Congresses or for 34-35 years – from the 8th Congress to the present 19th Congress.”
He said the Senate’s opposition to constitutional amendment efforts from the House has prompted some congressmen to support people’s organizations in launching a people’s initiative, the mode the Constitution itself provides for a direct popular proposition for Charter change.
“That process will bypass the Senate. I personally do not want that to happen, but I think majority of us will support it out of frustration over the Senate’s obstructionism,” added the Mindanao lawmaker.
He pointed out that senators have not acted even on House proposals to limit proposed amendments to the Constitution’s “restrictive economic provisions that hinder investments.”
SENATE PROBE
Marcos said the Senate will continue its investigation on the controversies surrounding the PI signature campaign even if discussions on RBH No. 6 starts next week.
“Hindi kasi maliwanag na wala nang PI dahil sabi ni Pangulo doon sa interview sa Vietnam, pinag-aaralan pa. Hindi pa raw maliwanag na patay na ‘yung PI. So, tuloy lang ang investigation (Because it is not clear that the PI is gone. The President, in an interview in Vietnam, said it is still being studied. It is not clear if the PI is dead. So, the committee investigation will continue),” she said.
She said that the President has mentioned in the same interview that the PI campaign is “continuing.”
“Walang katigil-tigil. Anong isi-ceasefire namin? Kailangan itigil muna ‘yan di ba? Ganoon naman ang totoong ceasefire (It has not stopped. So, what are we to cease? It needs to stop first. That is what a true ceasefire is),” she added.
She said the committee investigation is well organized and is not hiding anything from the public.
Sen. Francis Escudero said the admission of Oñate that congressmen helped in the PI signature campaign “bastardizes the constitutional provision on people’s initiative.”
“It is a ‘politician’s initiative and is therefore illegal and unconstitutional,” Escudero said.
He said that history has taught the people that anything “that starts with a lie is never good for anyone.” — With Raymond Africa and Wendell Vigilia
