Election lawyer lauds Comelec for suspending PI proceedings for Cha-cha

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal. (File photo from INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — The decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to suspend accepting signatures from a supposed people’s initiative to amend the Constitution indicated that it is “sensitive to people’s position,” election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said on Monday.

“It is indeed a very commendable action of the Comelec. It serves as a notice to all concerned that the poll body is sensitive to people’s position on this equally sensitive and serious issue,” Macalintal said in a statement.

He reiterated a previous statement he made that accepting signature sheets even without a formal petition was “premature” and would simply be a “waste of paper.”

“Since Comelec admitted that no petition has yet been filed for any initiative, then it is very clear that the act of receiving these signature sheets is premature and will not serve any useful purpose,” he said.

“It will only be a waste of time of the Comelec and waste of paper since the poll body cannot acquire jurisdiction thereof in the absence of any formal petition.”

Comelec made its decision a week after it defended accepting signature sheets supporting Charter change in its regional offices, even without a formal petition.

Comelec chair George Garcia explained that the poll body was only acting in accordance with Comelec Resolution No. 10650.

But now he asserted that the resolution must first be updated and enhanced to further expound on how the Comelec would exercise jurisdiction over any people’s initiative petitions.