'Sigaw' still sees victory in SC ruling on people's initiative

In spite of the Supreme Court’s junking with finality of the people’s initiative petition, the Sigaw ng Bayan saw victory in the high tribunal’s position that the law allows for minor amendments, but not a major revision, of the Constitution through the same mode. "The fight for reform is not yet over. We live today and fight another day. But with 10 justices saying Republic Act 6735 is sufficient enough to implement people’s initiative is a big victory for us," Sigawn ng Bayan spokesman Raul Lambino told GMANews.TV in phone interview on Tuesday evening. SC spokesman Ismael Khan Jr pointed out when the ruling came out on Tuesday afternoon that while the high court found RA 6735, or the Initiative and Referendum Act, sufficient to amend the Constitution through a people's initiative, the petition of the Sigaw ng Bayan and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) went beyond amendments and proposed a revision of the Charter. Lambino said the Supreme Court’s ruling meant that people’s initiative was dismissed not because of the lack of an enabling law as stated in the high court’s ruling in 1997 but because they proposed a shift of the form of government from the present presidential system with bicameral Congress into parliamentary system. "We respect the Supreme Court decision. We will take a rest for the meantime but rest assured that we will not abandon our cause to initiate needed reform in the system of government," Lambino added. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula, chair of the House of Representatives committee on constitutional amendments, and Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, both majority solons, also said the House leadership will push for a constituent assembly (con-ass). "It is not true that we don’t have enough time for con-ass, we have all the time. Even the campaign period starts December, we can still continue our Constitutional function to amend the charter," Villafuerte said. -Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV