Colmenares to senators: Join us in fighting people's initiative at the local level

Former Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares is calling on the Senate to help them fight the people’s initiative for Charter change at the local level.

In an interview on Monday, Colmenares asked the senators not to push through yet with their plan to question the ongoing signature campaign to amend the 1987 Constitution before the Supreme Court.

“We want to coordinate and cooperate with the Senate kasi importante ang Senado sa laban na ito [the Senate is important in this fight],” Colmenares said.

“Ang isang advise namin sa Senado, tumulong sana dito sa laban sa distrito. Huwag muna tayong umakyat sana sa Korte Suprema kasi may laban pa sa RTC sa baba,” he added.

[Our advise to the Senate is help us in the fight at the district (level). Don't go up yet to the Supreme Court because we still have a fight at the RTC (regional trial courts).]

In previous attempts at people’s initiative, Colmenares had aided government officials in filing petitions at various regional trial courts. He said they were able to secure three temporary restraining orders.

Right now, Bayan Muna is also disseminating online samples of an affidavit for the withdrawal of signatures.

“Ang affidavit of withdrawal na ito ay nagsimula [sa] mga member ng Bayan Muna. Maraming nagtanong sa ground at may mga nagsabi sa kanila na hindi nila alam ang pinipirmahan nila o naloko sila, may mga pangakong ayuda o anupaman kaya gusto nilang mag-withdraw,” Colmenares explained.

[The affidavits of withdrawal started with members of Bayan Muna. Many from the ground are questioning ... some are saying they didn't know what they were signing up for, some say they were duped, some say they were promised aid or whatsoever so they want to withdraw (their signatures).]

Colmenares is hoping groups and human rights lawyers will reproduce copies of the affidavit and help ordinary voters in filing this with the Commission on Elections.

“Maganda sana kung maramihan sila. 10 o 20 diyan ang pupunta sa Comelec at sana mas marami pa. Pero ang filing talaga nito, maging individual kasi titingnan ng Comelec bawat isa kung naga-attest nga ba siya na iwi-withdraw niya yung pirma niya,” Colmenares said.

[It will be good if they go in 10s, 20s to the Comelec or even more. But the filing will be individual because the Comelec will be verifying if they are really withdrawing their signatures.]

Colmenares is also asking Comelec to allow anti-Cha-cha groups or individuals to observe the process of verification of signatures.

“Yun ang hiningi namin sa Comelec. Later on during the verification stage, hayaan ang mga tutol sa Cha-cha na mag-appear doon sa verification process at mag-object sa mga pirma na tingin nila hindi karapat-dapat na isama,” he said.

[We are asking the Comelec that later on during the verification stage, they'll let those opposed to Cha-cha to appear and object to signatures they deem as not qualified to be included there.]

Atty Alfredo Garbin, Jr, one of the proponents of PI earlier said that they have studied the problems encountered in previous PI attempts and have already resolved these.

But Colmenares says otherwise.

“Hindi nila na-solve ang mga dating problema niyan. For example, bawal sa people’s initiative ang revision. Ang tingin namin, revision pa rin yung voting jointly. Kasi sabi nga ng Korte Suprema sa Lambino, ‘pag pinapalitan mo ang essential o fundamental prinsipyo ng Constitution o yung checks and balance, revision yan. Hindi ibig sabihin isang word lang yan ay amendment lang yan,” Colmenares explained.

[The problems have not been solved. For example, revision is prohibited in a people's initiative. We deem that [the House and Senate] voting jointly is a revision. What the Supreme Court in the Lambino case is that we you seek to change an essential or fundamental principle in the Constitution, or the check and balance, it is already a revision.] — RSJ, GMA Integrated News