Villanueva: Many senators nixed Cha-cha as House leaders behind people's initiative

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Tuesday said many of his colleagues are no longer interested in amending the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution through the recently-filed Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 because the leaders of the House of Representatives are behind the people's initiative.

The lawmaker made the remark when asked in a press conference if they still trust the House leadership to honor the agreement that the Senate and the House leaders made in the presence of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and when asked point blank if the leaders of the lower chamber were behind the signature campaign for the people's initiative.

"It’s obviously the main reason why a lot of senators are not interested anymore in pushing for the joint resolution," Villanueva said.

The majority leader’s press conference came a day after senators held a caucus on RBH 6.

“Talagang nagkainitan ng ulo ng ating mga kasamahan sa Senado du’n sa nangyayaring pagpapapirma. Nakakalungkot man isipin, ngunit siguro, dapat sagutin ng aming supposedly ka-deal dito kung ano ang kanilang pakay tungkol dito,” Villanueva said.

“Sana ang panawagan natin sa ating mga kaibigan, itinuturing na kaibigan, itigil po natin ito,” he added.

Villanueva’s remarks also came a day after Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said that Speaker Martin Romualdez allegedly ordered his colleagues to facilitate the push for a people’s initiative—a statement which was denied by the House top leader.

“May ilan [friends in the House of Representatives], even before this happened, talked to me and told me about what their plans are because otherwise mayroong mga consequences. Obviously,  ‘yung mga consequences wala kang project... At the end of the day, you have to choose kung saan loyalty mo. kung sa institusyon ba, sa tao o sa dahilan kung bakit ka naririto,” he said.

As he called on his colleagues in the House of Representatives to completely stop the signature gathering for people’s initiative, Villanueva also called on the Commission on Elections to invalidate the signatures submitted to their offices and look into the intentions of those who are pushing for it.

“Pekeng initiative po ito e, hindi ito people’s initiative. Doon pa lang po may problema na tayo,” he said.

“You (House members) already know what is right and what is wrong. I think, you have to draw the line kung alam mo na niloloko mo ‘yung kapwa mo, niloloko mo ‘yung constituents mo na hindi nila naiintindihan ngunit ipo-force mo sila na mag-sign…at ida-dangle mo ‘yung AICS, ‘yung TUPAD, ‘yung medical assistance. Siguro kahit respeto na lang sa sarili.”

Asked if Romualdez should give a categorical statement against the people’s initiative amid the agreement for Senate to tackle RBH 6, Villanueva said, “That is the proper or perhaps, obviously needed in order for us to feel na mayroon kaming kausap dito.”

A day after Villanueva urged the public to report the alleged payoffs in the signature campaign, the majority leader disclosed that 90% of the thousands of complaints that they have received indicated that staff members of the congressmen were behind the efforts.

“Ninety percent ng complaints, itinuturo ‘yung mga staff ng kongresista. May mga pictures pa ng chiefs of staff na sila ang nagpapatakbo nitong pirma na ito,” he said.

With these overwhelming pieces of evidence, Villanueva said he proposed to Senator Imee Marcos to invite the congressional staffers who were named by the complainants in the planned Senate investigation on the alleged bribery in the ongoing people’s initiative.

Last week, Zubiri revealed that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. himself bucked the efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution through people's initiative.

The Senate chief said Marcos had asked the Senate to take the lead in reviewing the economic provisions of the Constitution-- a request which is contrary to Zubiri's earlier stand that Cha-cha is not a priority of the upper chamber.

This prompted Zubiri, together with the second highest officer in the chamber, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, and Senator Sonny Angara to file Resolution of Both Houses No. 6.

On Monday, RBH 6 was referred to the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes.

In a separate press conference, Senator JV Ejercito also said that “some senators are bothered” that the people’s initiative is still ongoing despite the agreement between the Congress leaders.

“There was already an agreement. So sana ‘yung people's initiatives or the process has to be stopped because may napagkasunduan na e. We are just averting a constitutional crisis. We don’t want both Houses to be in conflict because wala kami parehang maipapasa,” the senator said.

Ejercito also said there must be a categorical statement from Romualdez that the people’s initiative should be stopped .

This, he said, would douse cold water on this tensed situation.—AOL, GMA Integrated News