The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said its local poll offices received forms from about 400 cities and towns bearing thousands of signatures for the People’s Initiative (PI) campaign to amend the 1987 Constitution.
These areas include Quezon City, Manila, Mandaue in Cebu, Quezon Province, Laguna, and Iloilo.
Comelec chairman George Garcia confirmed that their field offices in the Visayas region received signature pages supporting Charter change but not petitions to amend the current Constitution.
Poll spokesman Rex Laudiangco said they are now in the process of identifying municipalities and cities wherein the signature pages were presented for counting.
Once Comelec offices verify the validity of the signatures and forms, its main office in Manila will conduct a plebiscite to reconfirm the public’s choice to amend the Constitution.
The People’s Initiative refers to either a mode for constitutional amendment provided by the 1987 Philippine Constitution or to the act of pushing an initiative (national or local) allowed by the Philippine Initiative and Referendum Act of 1987, gathered through public votes via a mass signature campaign.
The campaign should gather the signatures of at least 12 percent of the country’s total voting population, which translates to three percent signatories per legislative district. Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Rio Araja, Maricel Cruz
Senator Francis Tolentino said he is upbeat that Resolution of Both House (RBH) No. 6 filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri will be approved.
He noted that the Senate and the House had agreed to limit amendments to specific economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe on Wednesday said the Senate’s move to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution is a vindication for the House of Representatives, which has fought long and hard to push for economic reforms through charter change.
The House majority leader said the House leadership will closely monitor Senate developments. As per Speaker Romualdez’s instructions, congressmen will support RBH No. 6.
RBH 6 proposes amendments to Articles XII, XIV, and XVI of the 1987 Constitution, allowing Congress to legislate laws removing equity restrictions on certain industries.
This move aims to address the alleged constitutional infirmity of Republic Act 11659, amending the Public Services Act to permit 100 percent foreign ownership in certain public services.
The Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa meanwhile said
the country needs a “government of the people, and not a Charter-change of a few.”
The Philippines does not need Cha-cha but an urgent need to seriously develop an agro-industrial policy, it cited.