Naglabas ng manifesto ang Mataas na Kapulungan na pirmado ng 24 na senador para tutulan at kondenahin ang people's initiative bilang paraan ng pag-amyenda sa 1987 Constitution. Iginiit naman ni Speaker Martin Romualdez na lider ng Mababang Kapulungan na wala siyang kinalaman sa pangangalap ng pirma para sa PI.

Nitong Martes, binasa ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri sa sesyon ng Senado ang manifesto ng kanilang pagtutol sa PI. Ginawa ito isang araw makaraang mapulong ng mga senador para talakayin ang hakbang patungkol sa Charter change o cha-cha.

"We respect and recognize the people as our sovereign, with the right to call for Constitutional amendments. We must, however, guard against any sinister and underhanded attempt to change the Constitution by exploiting our democratic process under the guise of a people's initiative," saad sa manifesto.

"This so-called 'people's' initiative (PI) proposes only one change: in acting as a constituent assembly, the Senate and the House shall vote jointly. While it seems simple, the goal is apparent to make it easier to revise the Constitution by eliminating the Senate from the equation. It is an obvious prelude to further amendments, revisions, or even an overhaul of our entire Constitution," dagdag nito.

Nababahala ang mga senador na maisagawa ang cha-cha nang walang pagsang-ayon ng Senado sa paraan ng PI.

Wala rin umanong laban ang boto ng 24 na senador kontra sa 316 na kongresista kung gagawing magkasama ang pagboto ng Kamara at Senado.

"This singular and seemingly innocuous change in the Constitution will open the floodgates to a wave of amendments and revisions that will erode the nation as we know it. To allow joint voting will destroy the delicate balance on which our hard-won democracy rests," ayon sa manifesto.

"It will destabilize the principle of bicameralism and our system of checks and balances. With this change, the Senate is left powerless to stop even the most radical proposals: We cannot protect our lands from foreign ownership; We cannot stop the removal of term limits or a no election scenario in 2025, or worse, in 2028," dagdag nito.

Tinawag din sa manifesto na "ridiculous" na aalisan ng papel ang Senado, na co-equal chamber ng Kamara at nagpapasa maging ng mga lokal na panukalang batas, pagdating sa Charter change na "most monumental act of policymaking concerning the highest law in the land."

"Today, the Senate once again stands as a bastion of democracy, as it rejects this brazen attempt to violate the Constitution, the country, and our people," ayon pa sa manifesto.

Demokratikong proseso

Sa isang pahayag, iginiit naman ni Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez na walang kinalaman ang Kamara sa pangangalap ng mga pirma para sa PI.

''I vehemently denounce any allegations of bribery or unethical practices in persuading citizens to sign the petition for the People’s Initiative. Such actions, if true, would violate the initiative's spirit of honest and voluntary participation and erode our democratic foundations,'' ayon kay Romualdez.

''While the House respects and supports the People’s Initiative as an independent, citizen-driven process, our role is to facilitate and encourage democratic participation without direct involvement in signature collection,'' patuloy niya.

Tiniyak ng lider ng Kamara na naaayon sa batas ang anumang hakbang na gagawin kaugnay sa mga mungkahing amyendahan ang Saligang Batas.

''The House of Representatives 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. We are here to support and respect the outcomes of this process, affirming the People’s Initiative as the purest form of democracy,'' sabi ni Romualdez.

Inihayag naman ni Pangulong Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. na dapat hayaan ang Commission on Elections (Comelec) na gawin nito ang trabaho patungkol sa pagberipika ng mga pirma para sa PI.

''Well, pagka binayaran ‘yung signature, hindi tatanggapin ng Comelec ‘yun. So walang magandang mangyayari,'' ayon kay Marcos patungkol sa mga alegasyon ng nagkaroon ng pagsuhol sa mga tao para pumirma sa PI.--may ulat sina Hana Bordey, Anna Anna Felicia Bajo/FRJ, GMA Integrated News