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Senators to Comelec: Why ask PI signatories reason for withdrawal?
By LLANESCA T. PANTI,GMA Integrated NewsSenate leaders on Friday called out the Commission on Elections (Comelec) over the poll body's decision to issue a withdrawal form for those who want to take back their signatures from the people's initiative document for Charter change (Cha-cha).
Senators believe this will just complicate the process and will only be a burden for the signatories.
"Hindi naman po ito relasyon pero bakit parang it's complicated ang withdrawal form na ito? Bagamat welcome development po ang mga aksyon ng Comelec kaugnay nitong pekeng People’s Initiative, panawagan po natin na huwag nang pahirapan ang ating mga kababayan sa pagbawi ng kanilang pirma," said Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva in a statement.
"Hindi po dapat hingan pa ng paliwanag ang ating mga kababayan na nais bawiin ang kanilang mga pirma dahil karapatan po nila ito," added Villanueva.
(People need not be asked for their reasons for withdrawing their signature because that is their right.)
Senate suffrage and electoral reforms panel chairperson Imee Marcos backed Villanueva's statement.
"Requiring an explanation certainly makes it more difficult for people to withdraw their signatures en masse. They were not asked for an explanation when they signed the PI sheets, [so] why would they be asked to explain themselves if they decided to withdraw their signatures?" Marcos added.
Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, on the other hand, commended Comelec for heeding his advice not to deprive the public of their right to withdraw their signatures.
Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares, meanwhile, said that the withdrawal of signature requirements is a right and, as such, must not be subjected to explanation.
"While a signatory is free to state the reason if he wants to, he is also free not to explain the reason for his withdrawal. The signing or withdrawal of signatures in people's initiative or recall is a right that does not require justification," Colmenares, a lawyer, said.
'With or without' reasons
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Sought for comment, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that, “with or without the reason/s, we will accept the withdrawal forms.”
Meanwhile, House ways and means panel chairperson Joey Salceda, who is supportive of people's initiative, said the Comelec's decision should enable lawmakers to focus on pushing for the approval of Resolution of Both Houses 6 which seeks to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, mainly foreign ownership of vital industries.
"Hopefully, we can focus on a discussion of Charter change based on the merits alone. At least now, questions of motive or origin of the People’s Initiative can no longer be used as an excuse or distraction from the simple truth that we need to open up," Salceda said in a separate statement.
Earlier this week, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri agreed to work together professionally and stop the word war between the two houses of Congress over the controversial people's initiative.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have traded barbs over to the people's initiative efforts, which senators believed was backed by House leaders, particularly Romualdez.
These efforts to amend the Constitution via people’s initiative have become controversial after several lawmakers disclosed that the public was allegedly bribed or promised government aids in exchange for their signatures. —VAL/ VDV, GMA Integrated News