PBA party-list Rep. Margarita “Migs” Nograles. PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE
MANILA, Philippines — PBA party-list Rep. Margarita “Migs” Nograles has maintained that she is not involved in the people’s initiative (PI) push, saying that she had been abroad when proponents were doing signature campaigns and that forms can be easily fabricated.
In a post on her Instagram page, Nograles said that somebody made a “fairytale” about her where she is portrayed as the villain, giving people money in exchange for their signatures for the PI.
But Nograles said it was impossible for her to mobilize people as she was out of the country when the PI gained traction.
“May gumawa nga ng fairytale at kasama ako. Pero ‘yun lang, according to their script, hindi po ako ung Disney princess ako na bigla ang wicked queen of the south. Sakit,” she said.
(Someone made a fairytale, and I was included. But according to their script, I am not the Disney princess; I am the wicked queen of the south. It hurts.)
“Once upon a time at habang bumabaha sa kanilang mga paligid, biglang ako na daw ang wicked queen of the south at mastermind. Namigay pa daw ako ng pera kapalit ng pirma. Pano ako makakapagbigay ng pera, paano ako makakapag mobilize ng mga tao eh I was out of the country,” she added.
(Once upon a time, while floods were ongoing in their area, I was tagged as the wicked queen of the south and the mastermind. They claimed I gave money for signatures. How would I give money? How would I mobilize people when I was out of the country.)
Nograles also showed in the video that it is very easy to reproduce forms that do not indicate the truth.
“If totoo nga ang sinasabi nila na ako nga ay nagbigay daw ng pera pano ko nagawa yun. Parang magic lang na i-teleported myself. Nakakaloka ‘di ba. Girl, hindi po tayo pinanganak kahapon. Ang dali rin naman ngayon mag print ng kung anu-ano at ibintang na iba ang gumawa. Gaya nito print pakalat pakita pagbintang pero peke naman, hindi pwede yung ganito,” she noted.
(If what they say that I gave money was true, how would I do that? Is that magic that I teleported myself? It’s outrageous, right? Girl, we were not born yesterday. It’s so easy to print whatever materials and blame it on other people. Like this one, it is being distributed, but it’s fake. We cannot allow this.)
“Always open din po ang office ng PBA para mamigay ng tulong kahit konti at limited lamang ang budget natin patuloy pa rin ang ating serbisyo at pamimigay ng free legal advise At kahit na andaming intriga kasiraan at pambubully na ibabato po sa atin we will continue to serve the people,” she added.
(The PBA office is always open to give help despite a limited budget; we continue our service and give legal advice. And even if there are so many rumors, attacks, and attempts to bully me, we will continue to serve the people.)
When the PI was being discussed at the community level, there were many social media posts claiming that Nograles was handing out some money to people in exchange for their signatures.
No less than Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte accused Nograles in a Facebook post of buying votes in the city.
“I was informed that PBA Partylist Rep. Margarita ‘Migs’ Nograles is spearheading the PI movement in Davao City. I am against this people’s initiative as this is not the people’s voice but the voice of a few who wanted to perpetuate themselves in power,” Duterte said in a post on his verified Facebook page.
“I also would like to inform all Dabawenyos, most especially in my district, that the House leadership has taken out P2 billion from your NEP budget for the district and left only a measly P500 million for Dabawenyos this year,” he added.
The House and the Senate have been at odds over proposals to amend the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions. Last January 23, all 24 senators signed a manifesto rejecting the PI, as it supposedly seeks to abolish the Senate.
House lawmakers denied being behind the PI, adding that they do not intend to abolish the Senate. Instead, they asked senators to focus on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 — a proposal to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution which was approved by the House last March 2023.
READ: House not rushing Senate on RBH 6, Cha-cha