PIRMA laments Senate manifesto vs people's initiative

The People’s Initiative for Modernization and Reform Action (PIRMA) on Wednesday expressed its disappointment over the Senate's manifesto against the ongoing people's initiative seeking Charter change.

At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum, PIRMA head Noel Onate said the Senate was restraining the direct participation of the people to amend the 1987 Constitution.

“Nakakalungkot dahil parang pinipigilan ng Senado ang direct participation ng ating taumbayan. Ang people's initiative po ay direct participation po ng taumbayan because sila mismo ang nagtataguyod na baguhin at pagandahin ang ating Saligang Batas,” he said.

(It’s saddening because the Senate seems to be preventing the direct participation of our people. The people's initiative is the direct participation of the people because they themselves are advocating to change and improve our Constitution.)

Onate also noted there have been no resolutions for constitutional amendments that passed the Senate.

“What I know is that all resolutions about Charter change or constitutional amendments, wala miski isa ang pumasa sa Senado. Mahigit 100 resolusyon na po ata...300,” Onate said.

(What I know is that of all resolutions on Charter Change or constitutional amendments, not a single one has passed the Senate. There have been more than 100 resolutions...300.)

On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously issued a manifesto condemning the ongoing people's initiative.

The ongoing people’s initiative seeks to amend the Constitution by allowing all members of Congress to "jointly" vote on proposed constitutional amendments in a constituent assembly.

"We must, however, guard against any sinister and underhanded attempt to change the Constitution by exploiting our democratic process under the guise of a people's initiative," the manifesto read.

The senators warned that voting jointly in a constituent assembly would not allow the senators to "cast any meaningful vote against the 316 members of the House of Representatives."

"This so-called 'people's' initiative (PI) proposes only one change: in acting as a constituent assembly, the Senate and the House shall vote jointly. While it seems simple, the goal is apparent to make it easier to revise the Constitution by eliminating the Senate from the equation. It is an obvious prelude to further amendments, revisions, or even an overhaul of our entire Constitution," it read.—RF, GMA Integrated News