Dela Rosa on efforts to push for people’s initiative: Para kaming iniisahan

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 24) — Senator Bato dela Rosa on Wednesday said members of the upper house felt like they were fooled when efforts to push for charter change via people’s initiative started without their knowledge.

“Right from the start, parang kasi feeling namin para kaming iniisahan. Yung paggawa pa lang nila ng people’s initiative na ginawa nila during the break, Christmas vacation na nagulantang na lang tayo,” he told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

[Translation: Right from the start we felt like we were being excluded. Their creation of the people's initiative during the break, Christmas vacation, we were just surprised.]

The People's Initiative for Modernization and Reform Action (PIRMA) earlier admitted that it began the signature campaign to push for Cha-cha via people's initiative. The petition is proposing to modify a constitutional provision that would order the House and Senate to vote jointly, instead of separately, in amending the Constitution.

PIRMA lead convenor Noel Oñate said he spoke to House Speaker Martin Romualdez about the move. The group said it is also coordinating with congressmen, and their initiative has been receiving support from the public.

Lawmakers in the upper chamber did not look at this favorably as all 24 of them signed a manifesto. They said that they respect and recognize the people’s right to demand changes in the 1987 Constitution, but warned against "any sinister and underhanded attempt to change the Constitution by exploiting our democratic process under the guise of a people's initiative.”

Dela Rosa said senators should have been informed about this move.

“Para bang there is treachery in that effort, in that move dahil unang-una makita mo talaga na mayroong bad faith yung wordings pa lang ng kanilang gustong i-amend sa Constitution yung section 1 of Article 3 that Congress will be voting jointly ay very clear na yan na right from the very start may intention talaga sila na i-neutralize kami,” he added.

[Translation: It's like there is treachery in that effort, in that move because first of all you can see there is bad faith in the wordings of their proposed amendments in the Constitution's section 1 of Article 3 that Congress will be voting jointly which shows that it’s very clear from the start they have an intention to neutralize us.]

Dela Rosa said allowing the move is already considered a revision of the charter by changing from a bicameral to a unicameral legislature.

The senator said the upper chamber is preparing all available options for them just to make sure their power to vote separately will not be surrendered.

Asked about the relationship between the House and the Senate, Dela Rosa said: “If everything will be settled, then siguro (maybe) we’ll go back to normal.”

He said there will be a “prevailing distrust” between houses until the issue is resolved.