Comelec: No one pressured us to suspend people's initiative proceedings

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday defended its move to suspend all proceedings related to the people’s initiative to push for Charter change, saying that no one forced them to do so.

“Walang naman pong tumawag sa amin o nag-pressure o ‘di kaya humiling na itigil namin ang proseso. Alam naman natin ‘yan na kailangang manatiling independent ang Comelec,” Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said at a public briefing.

(No one called, pressured, or asked us to stop the process. We all know that the Comelec must remain an independent body.)

The Comelec en banc on Monday unanimously voted for the “indefinite” suspension of Comelec Resolution No. 10650 that covers the guidelines for the people’s initiative. With this, local Comelec offices were tasked to stop receiving signature sheets pending the review and revision of the guidelines.

Laudiangco said that it was only coincidence that the poll body announced the suspension on the same day that Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. would appeal to the House of Representatives and individuals behind the people's initiative to stop the ongoing efforts as it is "getting out of hand.”

“Siguro po nagkataon lamang na ganon ang mga pangyayari dahil simula nung naglabasan isa isa ang mga isyu, kami na rin naman mismo ang nagsabi na kailangan naming i-review ang aming resolution,” he added.

(Maybe it's just a coincidence that things turned out that way. Since the issue erupted, the Comelec itself knew that we needed to review our resolution.)

As of 1 p.m. on Monday, Laudiangco said the Comelec received signature sheets from 1,129 cities and municipalities, comprising 210 legislative districts.

Despite the Comelec now halting its acceptance of signature forms, Laudiangco said the poll body would not force anyone to also stop looking for signatories for the people’s initiative.

“Hindi naman pinipigilan ‘yung pangangalap na ex parte ng mga proponents nito. ‘Yun lang po, ang pipigilan namin, hindi namin tatanggapin, hindi namin bibilangin anuman ang i-submit sa kanila,” he said.

(We’re not preventing anyone to seek for signatures ex parte to the proponents of the people’s initiative. However, we will no longer accept and count anything submitted to us.)

“Doon sa natanggap na namin at nabilang, in the meantime, under custody naman namin ito at ise-safekeep lang namin. Kung ninanais nilang bawiin ay sumulat lang sila at mag-request sa amin dito,” he added.

(Everything that we have received so far will remain under our custody for safekeeping. If anyone wants to withdraw his/her signature, just write and request it to Comelec)

Several senators have welcomed the Comelec’s suspension of all people’s initiative proceedings and they also urged the public to remain vigilant. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News