Comelec: Over 900 cities, towns submit people’s initiative signature pages

MANILA, Philippines —  More than 900 cities and municipalities have so far submitted signature pages for a people’s initiative seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Tuesday.

Garcia reported that as of 4:30 p.m., 993 cities and municipalities have submitted signature forms to the poll body.

This represents 184 districts from across the country, he added.

Garcia also clarified that no formal petition has been filed for a people’s initiative.

“Hanggang sa mga oras na ito, wala pa pong pormal na petisyon na pina-file sa atin dito sa Comelec Main Office patungkol sa people’s initiative,” Garcia said over a Radyo 630 interview.

(Until now, no formal petition has been filed with us here at the Comelec Main Office regarding the people’s initiative.)

READ: Comelec explains move to receive Cha-cha drive signatures

He explained that Comelec’s acceptance of the signature pages was only a part of its ministerial duty under Resolution No. 10650.

On Monday, Garcia defended Comelec local offices’ move to receive signature pages for a people’s initiative to amend the current constitution.

Earlier, lawyer Romulo Macalintal, in a separate statement, asked the commission to stop receiving the signature sheets.

READ: Lawyer to Comelec: Stop receiving signature sheets, they’ve no value

According to Macalintal, the action is only a “waste of time and paper” and gives the wrong impression that the initiative has already been initiated.

However, the Comelec chief stressed that accepting the forms at the local level only prevents the 6 million or 10 million signatures from reaching the main office.

He noted that it would be costly to send the signature papers from cities and municipalities across the country to the commission’s headquarters in Manila.