Koko Pimentel: 'Reports' point to Romualdez as behind Cha-cha signature drive

For Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, reports on the signature drive for Charter change (Cha-cha) would point to Speaker Martin Romualdez as the one behind the people’s initiative efforts.

"From the reports that we have been getting, members of the House of Representatives. And sa House ba may kikilos ba diyan nang walang kumpas mula sa leader nila?" Pimentel said in an ANC interview when asked who was behind the ongoing people's initiative efforts to amend the Constitution.

"So, therefore, if the reports actually point to members of House of Representatives and our conclusions will point to the leader of the House of the Representatives, no less than the speaker," he added.

Pimentel tagged the people's initiative as an "abuse" and "mistaken" use of public participation because the House of Representatives "hijacked" this mode to amend the 1987 Constitution.

He pointed out that members of Congress can introduce amendments to the Constitution through the constituent assembly.

For Pimentel, the "hidden agenda" in the ongoing people's initiative was to empower the House of Representatives to decide on the amendments to be introduced to the Charter.

"Ito na 'yung danger, nakatago ang real agenda. Pati tayo mamaya mag-iintay. Ano ba ang nasa isip nitong House of Representatives eh ang House of Representatives alam naman natin na sumusunod sa kumpas ng either maliit na grupo ng leadership o puwedeng kumpas ng iisang tao. It's their leader," Pimentel said.  

"So pag itong people's initiative ay pumasa, lahat ng amyenda sa Constitution posibleng manggaling lang sa pag-iisip at utak ng isang tao tapos makukuha na niya ang 3/4s vote," he added.

GMA News Online has sought the comment of Romualdez through his office but they have yet to respond as of posting time. 

Apart from Pimentel, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa earlier said that he was informed that Romualdez was behind the people's initiative efforts -- a claim denied by Romualdez himself. 

"No orders," Romualdez had said. "I don't know what Senator Bato is talking about."

On Tuesday, Romualdez explained that the House of Representatives only facilitates the democratic process of a people's initiative, stressing that this excludes direct involvement in the signature collection. —KBK, GMA Integrated News