MANILA, Philippines — In what seems to be a gesture of compromise, Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda stressed on Wednesday that supporters of amending the 1987 Constitution via the people’s initiative (PI) will wait for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to finalize its revised rules on PI.
Speaking at Kapihan sa Manila Bay, the lawmaker disagreed with the Comelec’s choice to halt the collection of signatures for the initiative but said that he intends to wait for the commission to lift its suspension on PI proceedings “out of respect.”
READ: Comelec suspends proceedings for people’s initiative to amend Charter
“Aantayin namin yung Comelec. By the way, our democracy operates, it is an independent body. We have to respect (it)…that’s the only way,” he noted, explaining why he chose to take the back seat in contesting the Comelec’s suspension.
(We will wait for the Comelec.)
In a statement on Monday, Salceda revealed in detail that the Comelec cannot refrain from accepting signature forms for PI in its local election offices and can only halt the forms’ verification process.
This is because, according to the lawmaker, the commission cannot “unilaterally defeat or delay an act of the people, by simply refusing to implement the provisions of the Constitution, the law, and the rules and regulations Comelec itself issued under Resolution No 10650 s. 2020.”
“We’re just respecting them (Comelec) but when they go to the Supreme Court…no. They have no right to delay. You cannot infringe on the power of the people because the people are supreme,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English during Wednesday’s forum.
READ: Senate manifesto nixes people’s initiative, warns of no-el scenario
Despite this, Salceda still commended the commission for choosing to review its rules on PI, saying that the move from the Comelec will boost the initiative’s credibility.
The Bicolano lawmaker’s statement stemmed from Comelec Chair George Garcia’s announcement on Monday that the commission will suspend all proceedings related to the PI to make way for reviewing their rules and regulations regarding the initiative.
READ: New initiative push: Perilous, dangerous