Zubiri: Marcos feels PI getting out of hand, to tell House to stop

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri during one of the Senate proceedings. Senate PRIB file photo / Bibo Nueva España

[Updated]

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will appeal to the House of Representatives and other initiators to stop the “dreaded” people’s initiative scheme, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri disclosed in Monday’s plenary session.

Zubiri, in his speech, said Marcos believed that the move was now “getting out of hand.”

READ: Senate, House clash over people’s initiative for Charter change

The “dreaded” scheme he was referring to is the ongoing people’s initiative push for Charter change, which senators believe is being stirred by their counterparts in the House of Representatives.

“From the start, it has been the Senate’s position that the so-called people’s initiative would be divisive to the nation and it will cause our nation our economic gains,” said the Senate chief.

Zubiri said he met with Marcos at the latter’s home in Bahay Pangulo on Monday.

With him was former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

“We in the Senate thank the President for his commitment, and we remain firm in our vigilance against any attempts to destabilize our democracy. We maintain that the ongoing people’s initiative is flawed and unconstitutional, and offers no solution to the problems most urgently affecting our people,” Zubiri said.

According to Zubiri, Marcos himself expressed the need to “protect the bicameral nature of Congress,” stressing that if the Senate’s approval would be needed to change the name of a street, then the chamber could not have a “dispensable role” in Charter change.

With this, the Senate – through Zubiri – called on the House of Representatives to abide by the Constitution.

The Senate chief said they are hoping that Marcos’ clear stance and directive on the issue would “reinforce the relationship” between the Senate and the House of Representatives as co-equal branches of the Philippine government.

“We remind the House — the Constitution is not there to expand our powers as elected officials. Quite the opposite — it serves as a limit on the exercise of these powers,” Zubiri said.