House leader dares Senate: Hasten passage of RBH 6 to end people's initiative

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe of Zamboanga City's Second District on Tuesday challenged the Senate to fast-track the passage of the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri to end the ongoing people's initiative.

Dalipe made the remark amid the Senate's repeated call for the House of Representatives to end its supposed support for the present people's initiative, which seeks to amend the 1987 Constitution to allow Congress to vote jointly on the proposed amendments to the charter.

"Actually, hindi naman hadlang ang people's initiative. Dapat unahan nila. 'Yung people's initiative will also pass a referendum. Magpe-plebesito po 'yan. Ngayon, kung sino ang unang mapasa, 'yun ang mauuna mag-plebisito," Dalipe said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(Actually, the people's initiative is not a hindrance. They should act first. The people's initiative will also pass a referendum. A plebiscite will be held. Now, whoever is the first to pass their version, that will be decided upon in a plebiscite.)

"Kung ako tatanungin, ano sasabihin ko sa Senado? Eh ipasa na natin ang Resolution of Both Houses ni Senator Zubiri para hindi na pwede magplebesito 'yung people's initiative because it is clear in our law, you cannot have two [plebiscites] in the span of five years. So, hindi na puwede 'yon. So unahan na para matapos na 'yung agam-agam nila kung ano man ang suspetya nila," he added.

(If you ask me, what will I tell the Senate? Let's pass the Resolution of Both Houses of Senator Zubiri so we would not need to have a plebiscite for the people's initiative because it is clear in our law, that you cannot have two [plebiscites] in the span of five years. So, hindi na puwede 'yon. It's better to take action before the completion of the people's initiative so they won't have any more reservations and suspicions.)

Should the Senate be the first to pass the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution, Dalipe said the House of Representatives is willing to adopt whatever their proposals are.

"Ipasa po natin 'yon (RBH 6), patay na po ang people's initiative... So anong strategy? Ipasa natin ang panukala ng Senado. So, what will happen to the people's initiative? It will be dead in the water," he said.

(If we pass RBH 6, the people's initiative will die... So what's the strategy? Let's pass the proposed Senate version. So, what will happen to the people's initiative? It will be dead in the water.)

Dalipe also reiterated that the House is only supportive of the ongoing people's initiative efforts and it is the organizations that facilitate the campaign.

He lamented anew that the House of Representatives has been consistently pushing for Charter change and they already adopted their own RBH 6 in March last year, which seeks to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution by electing delegates to a constitutional convention, whose members will draft the new Constitution.

Last week, all 24 senators released a manifesto strongly opposing the signature campaign for a people's initiative for Charter Change (Cha-cha), saying the House is out to abolish the Senate given that the document for signature asks voters if they are in favor of amending the Charter to allow members of Congress to jointly vote on constitutional amendments, a setup which would consider the vote of 24 senators and more than 300 House members.

On Monday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ordered the suspension of all proceedings related to people's initiative to allow time to review and enhance the related existing implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

'PI or nothing'

Also on Tuesday, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office continued to brief the House Committee on Ways and Means on its policies, but the opening statement of panel chair Joey Salceda of Albay’s Second District centered on people’s initiative.

Salceda said that he helped then-Camarines Sur Rep. Raul Roco craft the law on people's initiative as the latter's chief of staff.

Salceda stressed that the law allows all registered voters to initiate a people's initiative, and that includes even elected politicians as long as public funds are not used.

“Why impute malice on the House when it has been ideologically consistent about opening up the Constitution for more foreign investment for as long as this Constitution has been in effect?” Salceda asked.

The legislator believes that when proponents of the people's initiative succeed in gathering the required number of signatures, it will be questioned before the Supreme Court.

“It’s PI (people's initiative) or nothing,” Salceda said in an ambush interview before the hearing.

Call to 'abandon ship'

In a separate interview on Dobol B TV, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Tuesday said the House of Representatives must completely abandon the ongoing people's initiative.

"Itong partikular na people's initiative, ito na po yung hindi tunay na people's initiative. Ang nasa likod nito ay mga pulitiko. Ang suspetya namin, mga miyembro ng mga House of Representatives. Sana manggaling sa kanila ang panawagan na abandon ship. Itigil na kung ano man ang napag-usapan natin sa baba d'yan sa mga leaders nila or followers nila or mga people's organization. Itigil na po ang pagkuha ng signatures para diyan," Pimentel said.

(This particular people's initiative is not a true people's initiative. The ones behind this are politicians. We suspect members of the House of Representatives to be driving it. We hope the call to abandon ship will come from them. Whatever was discussed by their leaders, followers, or people's organizations. Stop the collection of signatures for the people's initiatives.)

Two weeks ago, Zubiri, Speaker Martin Romualdez, and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. reportedly agreed to halt the ongoing people's initiative and let the Senate lead the discussions on the proposed amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

Zubiri and two senior senators then filed RBH 6 to start the effort to amend the Charter. Romualdez expressed support for this.

However, the senators decided to sideline its deliberation on the resolution as they observed that the people's initiative was still pushing through.

Some senators, including Senator Imee Marcos, pointed to her cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, as the person behind the people's initiative.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader "JV" Ejercito mentioned in a press conference Monday that the Senate will push through with the deliberations of the RBH 6 filed by Zubiri and two other senior senators.

Congressmen 'hurt by Senate insinuations

Meanwhile, in a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon, several congressmen expressed they were ‘hurt’ by the Senate’s various accusations and judgements.

“The Senate should look themselves in the mirror, the past few weeks, the house has been quiet, we respected their opinions and decisions and some of their statements have been very hurtful for a lot of congressman,” said Quezon 2nd District Representative David ''Jay-jay'' Suarez.

“Pare-pareho lang kami wag niyo kaming sasabihan na national elected kami, distrito lang kayo, party-;ist lang kayo, mas maraming boto namin kesa kayo. Excuse me lang ha, kapag kampanyahan, sa amin naman kayo lumalapit at humihingi ng tulong kaso pag nanalo na kayo iba na levels natin,” he added.

(We are just the same, don't tell us that you are nationally elected and we’re just district or party-list, that you have more votes than us. Excuse me, during the campaign, you approached us and asked for help, but after winning, suddenly we’re on different levels.)

When Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman asked if the senators have the capacity to discuss RBH 6, Suarez responmde: “Sana they will see the light. If there’s a will, there’s a way.”

When Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman asked if the senators were willing to discuss RBH 6, Suarez responded: “Sana they will see the light. If there’s a will, there’s a way.”

— with a report from Tina Panganiban Perez/ VDV/RF, GMA Integrated News