By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
SENATORS ON Wednesday rejected the proposal of House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez for people’s initiative to amend the Constitution, calling the idea “self-serving,” a “lengthy process,” and even a “waste of resources.”
Senator Aquilino Martin L. Pimentel III, Mr. Alvarez’s ally in the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), appealed to the House Speaker to reconsider the idea, noting the “time-consuming” prospect of the proposal. However, he said Mr. Alvarez was the proper person to lead such efforts.
“He has to carefully think about it. That is too cumbersome a procedure, hence time-consuming, plus the question if a law is in place which sufficiently implements people’s initiative. But he is the proper person to lead such an initiative because the procedure involves all the legislative districts of the country,” he said in a mobile phone message to reporters.
For his part, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto said the idea would not be a “real people’s initiative.”
“He can. But then it’s not a real people’s initiative but a Speaker’s initiative or political elite initiative….,The people will want to have elections scheduled,” he said in a text message to reporters.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon said the people’s initiative should not be used to change the terms of office among government officials.
“The people’s initiative is for minor amendments to the Constitution. Changing the term of office, for me, requires major amendments that cannot be done through people’s initiative…,Let’s bring the matter to the Supreme Court. We will question it,” he told reporters.
For his part, Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said resorting to people’s initiative does not remove the Senate’s participation in charter change. He said the provisions of the Constitution provide Congress to implement this alternative mode of Charter change.
“It goes without saying, majority of the senators, even those running for reelection will fight tooth and nail any attempt to cancel the 2019 midterm elections simply because it is wrong and self-serving,” he said in a text message to reporters.
Mr. Alvarez floated the idea on Monday, in response to the senators’ refusal to postpone the 2019 midterm elections. He said deferring the polls would allow Congress as a constituent assembly to focus on charter change.
The House leader then reiterated his statement on Wednesday, saying in an interview with DZMM that he wanted to have the people’s initiative to be conducted before the October deadline on the certificates of candidacies for the midterm polls next year.
“We are not making shortcuts. If the Senate disagrees (with the postponement of elections), the public may decide if they believe that it (the Constitution) must be changed,” Mr. Alvarez said in the radio interview.
Senators have also said the Constitution needed amendments to allow a “no election” scenario in 2019.
Aside from Congress convening into a constituent assembly and the holding of a constitutional convention to propose amendments or revisions to the Charter, the 1987 Constitution allows the public to directly propose amendments through a petition of at least 12% of the country’s total registered voters. Every legislative district must be represented by at least 3% of the registered voters.
For his part, Senator Francis G. Escudero was skeptical with the proposal, noting his confusion with Mr. Alvarez’s intent to postpone elections when the public and Malacañang were against it.
“That’s totally up to him. But I don’t think it can be done before the 2019 elections because they need the signatures of at least 12% of total registered voters with each congressional district represented by at least 3% of the registered voters therein,” he said.
“Quite frankly, I don’t know why he seems so obsessed with postponing the election when neither the people nor the Palace supports such postponement,” he added.
Senator Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares warned Mr. Alvarez not to commit “shortcuts and tricks” to pursue Charter change.
“This was tried in the past under GMA (former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) but it was unsuccessful. It is a lengthy and tedious process. The Speaker should not try any shortcuts and tricks if he believes the proposed Charter is judicious and a true solution to the needs of our people,” she said.
Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian called the idea a “waste of resources” and divisive while Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito believed the proposal might be a “futile effort” as the public expects for the midterm polls to push through.
“The people’s initiative to postpone the 2019 elections will just be a waste of resources and it will also further divide the country into deeper political abyss,” Mr. Gatchalian said in text message to reporters.
“People expect elections already to push through in 2019. That might be a futile effort,” Mr. Ejercito said in a phone message to reporters.
Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, chair of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, said the government funds that would be spent for people’s initiative could be used to “better use” instead.

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