League of Provinces proposes people’s initiative for Cha-cha

Amid continued stalemate on how the 1987 Constitution should be amended, the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) has proposed the third mode of amending the Charter— the people’s initiative.

At the resumption of the Senate hearing on the Charter change issue on Thursday, Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas of the LPP urged Congress to “open the door” for the people’s initiative.

“Ang amin pong local governments, ang mga provinces, gusto po namin buksan din ang pinapayagan ng ating Saligang Batas. Yung people’s initiative. Para po tunay na participatory, ‘yun pong inclusive,” Mandanas said.

(Our local governments, the provinces, we want to open what is allowed in the Constitution. The people’s initiative. In order for it to be truly participatory and inclusive.)

“’Yun po ang diwa ng ating Saligang Batas. Kailangan bukas sa tao. Pagka po hindi po natin binuksan ang pinto sa people’s initiative, hindi po buo,” he said.

(That is the essence of the Constitution. It needs to be open to people. If we don’t open the door to the people’s initiative, it won’t be complete.)

The governor said he had already sent a letter to Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez about the LPP’s stand on the issue.

Besides, he said, there is already an enabling law for the holding of the people’s initiative.

“Meron nang enabling law na pwede natalaga hong ang taumbayan, ayon sa Kontitusyon, ay talagang magsusog, magpasa na, mag propose ng amendments,” said Mandanas, who was a congressman.

(There is an enabling law that allows the public, according to the Constitution, to amend, to pass, to propose amendments.)

Aside from the people’s initiative, the two other modes of changing the Constitution are via a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) and thru a Constitutional Convention.

The House of Representatives had already approved a concurrent resolution constituting Congress into a Con-Ass while the issue remains pending in the Senate.

But because of the conflict on the manner of voting, the Senate and the House leaderships have decided to set aside the issue on the Cha-cha mode and instead focus on what specific amendments should be made in the Constitution. /je

READ: Pimentel: Senate, House ‘momentarily set aside’ disputes on Cha-cha