Hontiveros: Don’t sign any initiative pretending to be from the people
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday urged Filipinos not to sign any document that masquerades to be from the people.
Hontiveros made the statement amid the ongoing issue of signatures being collected for the people’s initiative to amend the Constitution.
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“Ang message ko lamang ay para sa aking mga kababayan na huwag po tayong pipirma sa isang inisiyatibo na nagkukunwaring galing sa atin na mga mamamayan,” Hontiveros said in an ambush interview.
(My message is for my fellow countrymen to not sign any initiatives that pretend to come from the people.)
She also said not to be fooled that signatures can be exchanged for financial incentives and encouraged those who want to retract their signatures to do so.
“Huwag po tayong tumanggap ng insulto na bibilihin kuno ‘yung ating pirma, na idadaan nila sa TV ad lang, okay na. At kung mayroon man na pumirma at gustong bawiin, aksyunan po ninyo iyan. At marami po kaming laan para suportahan kayo dyan,” she added.
(Let us not accept the insult that our signatures can be bought, that they will just course it through a TV ad, and it’s all right. If anyone who signed wants to retract their signature, make an action. There are many of us to support you.)
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She concluded that the people’s initiative was about democracy and the system of checks and balances that are part of proper governance.
“Ito ay totoong tungkol sa ating demokrasya. Ito po ay totoong tungkol sa sistema ng checks and balances na kailangan ng ating sistemang panggo-gobyerno at hindi magsu-survive ang maayos na paggo-gobyerno kung walang ganitong checks and balances,” she concluded.
(This is about our democracy. This is about the system of checks and balances that is needed by our government system, and that proper governance will not survive without these checks and balances.)
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