Dela Rosa attributes potential Marcos-Duterte discord to Romualdez

Sen. Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa answers questions from reporters during a brief stopover in San Francisco town of Agusan del Sur on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, as his team took part in the Mindanao leg of the Boss Ironman Motorcycle Challenge 2024. (Video captured photo RICHARD GRANDE)

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur, Philippines  — Even as he expressed concern over the growing rift between the Dutertes and the Marcoses, Sen. Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa blamed House Speaker Martin Romualdez for moves to “fabricate” peoples’ initiatives to change the Constitution that have strained the relationship between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.

Hours before former President Rodrigo Duterte lambasted President Marcos in a speech during a prayer rally in Davao City on Sunday, dela Rosa told reporters here on Sunday that “the president’s cousin is persistently fueling discord.”

De la Rosa and his team of riders were making a stopover here for the Boss Ironman Motorcycle Challenge 2024 on Sunday.

He had said several times during Senate deliberations that Romualdez had been orchestrating efforts to launch a nationwide signature campaign as part of the moves to change the Constitution through a people’s initiative.

But de la Rosa said the 24 senators remained unified and had signed a manifesto opposing the people’s initiative to change the Constitution.

“Voting as one in Congress is deceptive to the Filipino people. They claim to want to amend only the economic provisions [of the Constitution], but their real intention includes changes in its political provisions,” de la Rosa said.

He likened the attempts of Congress to change the Constitution to castration, as the proposed changes would remove the bicameral nature of the legislative body.

According to de la Rosa, the proposed amendments would undermine the checks and balances in the legislature. He said the move to change the Constitution through people’s initiatives would not succeed if people remained informed.

De la Rosa urged those who had already signed the people’s initiative petition to reconsider and encouraged them to go to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to withdraw their signatures of support.