BY JOEL C. ESCOL, Managing Editor
SENATOR Imee Marcos on Friday, January 26, has accused his cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez as behind the alleged payouts during the signature campaigns for the People’s Initiative (PI) in many areas of the country.
In an interview with reporters, Senator Imee said his cousin’s office was definitely behind these reported signature campaign payout, alleging that each district allegedly received P20 million in exchange to the people’s favorable signature.
“Well, definitely, opisina niya ang nag-alok ng P20 million kada distrito. Definitely, nanggaling sa kanila ‘yung very attenuated timeline na July 9 tapos na ang lahat, at ibibigay na nang buong-buo itong economic provisions etc.
She said she is now gearing towards leading a senate inquiry as she is the current chair of the
Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation.
The senator personally believes that the current People’s Initiative (PI) process is flawed, primarily due to allegations of bribery involving various districts and the concern that individuals are being compelled to sign in exchange for financial aid from different government agencies.
In response to these concerns, Marcos is poised to lead a Senate inquiry into the effectiveness of Republic Act No. 6735, which establishes a system for initiative and referendum as a means to amend the existing Charter.
As the chair of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, Marcos filed Senate Resolution No. 903. She pointed out that while there are no issues with the adequacy of the provisions of RA No. 6735 regarding initiatives or referenda on national statutes, their effectiveness in implementing such initiatives or referenda is “questionable.” This is evident in the failures of various attempts to use the law to bring about changes in national statutes.
Marcos also highlighted the absence of records indicating the successful utilization of RA No. 6735 for People’s Initiatives or Referendums on local ordinances.
The Senate inquiry on the effectiveness of PI is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 30. Marcos emphasized that members of the House of Representatives (HOR) are always invited to any hearing but will not be compelled to attend.
