Pimentel: Marcos should tell Romualdez to stop ‘foolish’ people’s initiative

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Thursday urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to "step in" and talk to his younger cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, who he claims is behind the people's initiative for Charter change. 

Pimentel said he wants Marcos to order his cousin to stop what he described as “wrong, incorrect, and immoral” people’s initiative.

“I hope that the President will now step in, exercise the powers and the prerogative of his office, plus the fact that the leader of the House of Representatives is his younger cousin na meron s’yang influence over," Pimentel said in an interview on ANC.

"Ang message dapat do’n is stop this foolishness,” added Pimentel. 

He also emphasized that the controversy is now causing "disruption in legislative work."

"The people’s initiative, as a third mode of amending the constitution, has been hijacked by the HOR (House of Representatives) which is wrong, incorrect, and immoral because the House of Representatives has the second mode,” he added.

He also believes that Marcos' intervention can stop a "legislative crisis."

“He should now intervene so that the harmony between the House of Representatives and the Senate will be restored, so that he can pursue his legislative priorities," explained Pimentel. 

Pimentel further pointed out that Romualdez is “not only a relative but also a political ally” who has been elected as speaker because he got the endorsement of Marcos from the very start.

GMA News Online sought Palace's comment on Pimentel's remarks but they have yet to respond as of posting time. 

'No orders'

Pimentel and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa believe that it is Romualdez who has been pushing for the people’s initiative. 

Romualdez, however, denied having a hand in the people's initiative. 

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

Under a people's initiative, voters are asked if they are in favor of amending Article 17 Section 1 of the Constitution by allowing all members of Congress to jointly vote on proposed constitutional amendments.

These efforts became controversial amid reports that people were offered social aids in exchange for their signature.

The Senate on Tuesday issued a manifesto expressing their strong opposition to the people’s initiative. Pimentel also said that they will go to the Supreme Court to file a petition against it.

Romualdez, responding to the senators’ moves, explained that the House of Representatives facilitates the democratic process of a people's initiative, but noted that this role excludes direct involvement in the signature collection.

"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," said Romualdez. 

Marcos, meanwhile, said that he already talked to concerned officials regarding speculations that people are being paid to sign the forms in the people's initiative.

Marcos firmly believed that the poll body would not accept the signatures if people were indeed paid or promised with benefits. —VAL, GMA Integrated News