Poe hits people’s initiative: Pekeng initiative

Sen. Grace Poe (File photo / Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — “Pekeng initiative.” (Fake initiative)

That was how Senator Grace Poe, on Sunday, referred to the ongoing signature collection drive to amend the 1987 Constitution via people’s initiative. 

Poe claimed that the signature campaign only seeks to further political interests, not address issues that matter to the Filipino.

“Sa bangayan dito sa pekeng initiative, inuuna na naman ng ibang tao ang politika kaysa problema ng bayan,” the senator said in a statement on Sunday.

(In the skirmish over this fake initiative, some people are once again prioritizing politics over the country’s issues.)

She, however, did not name who she was referring to.

According to Poe, amending the Constitution is the last thing on Filipinos’ minds as other issues continue to prevail such as increased hunger and inflation.

“Why do we say that this is a fake initiative being pushed by politicians? Let’s look at the surveys. According to one survey regarding the issues that concern our people, only 1% of our countrymen said they are concerned about Cha-cha [Charter change],” the senator said in Filipino and English.

Rising inflation, hunger

She was referring to OCTA’s Tugon ng Masa survey last January 22 which showed that most Filipinos are concerned about controlling the high prices of goods and not Charter change.

“This is clear from our surveys: our people have more important things on their mind. The high prices of goods. Jobs. Higher salaries. Food. They are struggling, they are hungry,” Poe said in Filipino.

Further, the senator called on the public to shun the “fake initiative.”

“We, in the Senate, are ready to work and focus on the things that matter––and we hope the House is ready to set aside this PI and do the same,” she pointed out,

Deceit?

Poe is far from being the only senator who alleged that the people’s initiative is a front to further political interests.

Earlier, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva also called the initiative “fake” and claimed that his office has proof that some members of the House of Representatives have been pushing for it.

He likewise claimed that some signatories did not even know what they were signing up for.

Senate-House conflict

The two chambers of congress – the Senate and House of Representatives – have been clashing over the people’s initiative as a means of amending the Constitution since the signature drive pushed by a private pro-Cha-cha group gained traction in early January.

Also on Sunday, members of the House criticized Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s warning of a constitutional crisis slowly unfolding as the two chambers clash, saying that Zubiri should instead focus on collaborating with the lower house rather than make “doomsday predictions.”