Cash for Cha-cha signatures offered in communities, solons say

Amid calls for the changing of the 1987 Constitution, some lawmakers on Wednesday said they received reports of an alleged signature campaign for a people's initiative (PI) petition for Charter change (Cha-cha).

In Jonathan Andal’s “24 Oras” report Wednesday, a video shared by the Quezon City Urban Poor Coordinating Council (QCPCC) showed a woman allegedly offering residents of Barangay Old Capitol Site to sign a petition in exchange for financial assistance last Saturday, January 6.

“Ang bangit po ng mga taga-Barangay Old Capitol Site, itong Pebrero daw po ang payout ng AICS [Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation],” said QCPCC Convenor Carmelita Collado. 

(Barangay residents said the payout for the AICS will be in February.)

“P2,000 daw po yun,” Collado said.  (That's P2,000.)

Some of the individuals who participated in the campaign said the woman did not explain Charter change (Cha-cha) and they only signed because of the promised cash aid. 

“Siyempre ayuda yun eh. Walang pambiling bigas…Kung alam lang sana namin na may paliwanag na tama hindi sana kami pipirma diyan,” said a woman who signed the petition. She and others who also signed said there were no explanations about the petition.

(We signed because of the financial aid. We need money for basic commodities. If we only knew, we would not have signed.)

"Hindi pinaliwanag kung ano yun. Basta pirma na lang. Nilagay na lang pangalan ko tapos pirma na lang ako doon tapos kinuha yun precinct number ko," said another woman.

(No explanations were provided. We were just told to sign. They put down my name and I provided my signature then they asked for my precinct number.)

Others declined to sign the petition.

“‘'Di ako aware sa gusto nila sa gusto nilang mangyari…Gusto ko mas pinapaliwanag ng mas maayos bago ako pumirma sa ganyan,” said a resident.

(I am not aware of what they want to happen. I want them to explain it thoroughly first before I sign.)

According to the Bayan Muna party-list it received a report from San Mateo, Rizal where individuals were offered five kilos of rice for a signature supporting cha-cha.

In Bicol, 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman claimed each signatory is paid P100.

Davao City congressman Paolo Duterte warned his constituents against the signature campaign.

“To all Dabawenyos, do not sell your soul for a mere P100 or 10,000 in exchange for your signature. If you want to follow the minions of the person dreaming to be great in Congress to perdition that is your choice,” he said.

Senator Imee Marcos expressed anger at the alleged use of government financial aid for the signature campaign.

“Anong kawalanghiyaan ito? Maliwanag na nag-aalok sila ng DSWD , ng AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation), may TUPAD (Tulong Panghanap-Buhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers) pa at may MAIP (Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients) na DOH,” said Marcos, a sister of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos. Jr..

(What shamelessness is this? It is clear they were offering financial assistance from different government programs.)

GMA Integrated News reached out to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for comments.

The DOH and DOLE, for their part, said they are now investigating the allegations. 

People's Initiative

At the House of Representatives, Ako Bicol party-list lawmaker Jill Bongalon has identified a certain lawyer Anthony Abad as behind the push for people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution.

In a people’s initiative, constitutional amendments are proposed upon a petition of at least 12% of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least 3% of the registered voters therein. 

“The signature campaign for Charter Change is happening in the country, not just in the Bicol region. Ang nasa likod nito ay isang Atty. Anthony Abad who will serve as the main petitioner for people’s initiative. Of course, there are members of Congress supportive of it,” Bongalon said in a DZBB Super Radyo interview.

“There are also other private organizations who are supportive,” he added.

Quizzed on who is funding the resources for the people’s initiative led by Abad, Bongalon said he has no idea.

“I cannot give an answer on where he gets his resources. All I know is that he will be the main petitioner in amending the Constitution wherein Constitutional amendments will be initiated by the people,” he said.

Bongalon said Abad’s initiative was similar to that of lawyer Raul Lambino in 2006, although Lambino’s signature campaign for Charter Change was shut down by the Supreme Court amid questions on the authenticity of signatures of support.

Call to Senate

House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales II on Wednesday called on senators to heed the call for Charter Change, saying amending the 1987 Constitution will enable the country to address the country's unemployment problems.

Gonzales, in a statement, said that economic and investment reforms in the Constitution are urgent given that there are still 1.83 million Filipinos who are jobless as of November 2021, even though the said number is lower than 2.09  million jobless Filipinos in October.

“There were an additional 260,000 of our labor force who got themselves employed in jobs created in the economy through investments. We could create more job and income opportunities for our people if we could attract more investments, especially funds from foreign investors,” he said.

“We are urging the Senate, which has consistently resisted any form of Charter change, to heed the clamor of the business sector. We can accelerate capital formation and hasten our economic growth for the benefit of our people if we can introduce constitutional reform,” he added.

Attracting more foreign investors is the House of Representatives’ goal in pushing for amending the economic provisions of the Constitution which restricts the flow of foreign capital into the country, the lawmaker said.

”The consistent refusal of senators to consider House initiatives for Charter reform has prompted many congressmen to push for the people’s initiative mode of proposing constitutional amendments, a mechanism that will bypass the Senate,” Gonzales said.

No truth

Meanwhile, Leyte Representative Richard Gomez denied allegations that House lawmakers were offered P20 million to deliver the required signatures for the PI petition. 

“There is no truth to this statement. Nobody has to pay or bribe me or any other lawmakers when it comes to pushing for constitutional reforms, which I believe will truly help our economy and improve the lives of our Filipino people,” said Gomez in a statement. 

“Who are the people afraid of constitutional reforms? These are the politicians who think their term limits will be changed, shortened or scrapped, a reason which is totally self-serving and selfish,” Gomez said. 

In March 2023, the Lower House approved on third and final reading Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6, which calls for a constitutional convention (con-Con) to amend the 1987 Constitution.

RBH No. 6 states that a con-con with elected delegates would draft the new constitution - "the most transparent, exhaustive, democratic, and least divisive means of implementing constitutional reforms."

Under the 1987 Constitution, any amendment to or revision of the Constitution may be proposed by:

1. Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members (Constituent Assembly).
    
2. A constitutional convention during which Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of all its members, call a constitutional convention, or by a majority vote of all its members, submit to the electorate the question of calling such a convention.
3. A People’s Initiative upon a petition of at least 12% of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least 3% of the registered voters therein.

Meanwhile, the pro-Charter change (Cha-cha) group People’s Initiative for Modernization and Reform Action (PIRMA) has started to air a TV ad questioning the 1987 Constitution and calling for changes to its provisions.—With Llanesca Panti/Sundy Locus/RF/LDF, GMA Integrated News