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NewsTranscript
00:00 "The signature required for the People's Initiative is clear,"
00:04 said Albay Second District Representative Joey Salceda.
00:08 The Senate plans to bring the suspension of the signature to the Supreme Court
00:13 which is far from being in the law.
00:15 We have first news from Sandra Ginaldo, Tina Panganiban Perez, and Mav Gonzalez.
00:25 The Senate is in the Supreme Court to prevent the People's Initiative from being suspended
00:30 for the Constitutional Amendment.
00:32 According to Senator Coco Pimentel,
00:34 the Senate will arrange the cases for the weekend planning session.
00:38 The Comelec's base in Kawalan, Umano, will be the focus
00:41 to receive the signatures for the People's Initiative.
00:45 What is your business receiving all these papers with signatures?
00:51 They say they have a ministerial role to play as of the moment.
00:56 Based on what?
00:58 On a law already characterized by the Supreme Court
01:06 as insufficient to support a People's Initiative.
01:11 The People's Initiative cannot be suspended because of revision
01:15 and not just a simple amendment.
01:18 The Constitutional Amendment is considered a joint voting.
01:21 The basic structure of the legislative branch is being changed or opposed.
01:28 Your experience in law and being a part-time not sure will help us.
01:33 We will be finding this together.
01:34 The Senate has also suspended the resolution of both Houses 6 or RBH 6
01:40 which is a far-reaching amendment of the economic provisions of the Constitution
01:43 because the People's Initiative is still in force.
01:46 And in the midst of the protests, congressmen are behind this.
01:50 They ask, why are two ways of a charter change being allowed?
01:54 While the People's Initiative is not being suspended,
01:59 the ones behind this are really politicians.
02:01 Another senator thinks that the President should be in the middle of the issue.
02:05 The President's sentiment is very important here.
02:10 It is also important to avoid a potential political crisis.
02:16 The important laws are the ones who will be sacrificed.
02:20 We are still asking for Malacanang's opinion on this.
02:23 But in an exclusive interview with GMA Integrated News,
02:26 President Marcos said that it is more important to prioritize
02:29 the revision of the economic provisions of the Constitution
02:32 which was first opposed by the leaders of the House of Representatives
02:35 who are behind the People's Initiative.
02:37 Why won't they admit that they're behind this?
02:41 It means that there's a hidden agenda.
02:44 They're embarrassing the People's Initiative.
02:48 Why won't they admit it?
02:49 To everyone, whoever is behind this,
02:53 admit who you are.
02:54 In the presence of the camera,
02:56 the one who gave the update on the suspension of the People's Initiative
02:59 is Albay Second District Representative Joey Salceda.
03:03 He said that they have already obtained the 12% signature of registered voters nationwide
03:09 and 3% of registered voters in each legislative district.
03:11 We have already reached the mandate of the people.
03:15 He did not clarify why he knows the information of the questions we asked.
03:19 It is also unclear who they are referring to,
03:23 especially since the congressmen are distancing themselves from the campaign of the opposition.
03:27 But he has an answer to the accusation of buying the signatures.
03:30 It's easy to sell.
03:33 I think Filipinos are not that shallow to just sign.
03:39 Salceda also advocated the signing of a manifesto by all senators to support the People's Initiative.
03:45 We should listen to the people, not to the 24 people.
03:48 The issue now is what is good for the future of the Philippines.
03:52 But sir, the P.I. Gang is not Tito's initiative but a politician's initiative.
03:57 It's easy to name-call, right?
04:02 But the 12.1% of the population that signed on.
04:08 We will still go to the plebiscite.
04:10 Why don't people want to listen to the people?
04:13 In the plebiscite, they're free to campaign against the petition.
04:18 House Speaker Martin Romualde said he doesn't want the Senate's votes against the Camera.
04:24 Petty differences in the peliscide.
04:28 Foul words or unnecessary invectives.
04:33 Those who don't speak well, they have no place here.
04:36 We don't give them a place.
04:38 What we do, we try to look at the good in everything that everyone does, even the Senate.
04:42 So if they're doing something positive, we embrace it.
04:46 If they say or do something that is not necessarily to our liking,
04:49 we respect their freedom and their right to express as such.
04:54 But I don't want to compare them.
04:56 In a media forum, the group PIRMA, or People's Initiative for Modernization and Reform, said
05:03 that they haven't received more than P8 million to meet the 12% requirement of registered voters in the country
05:12 and 3% in each congressional district.
05:15 But they believe they can get it within a few months.
05:19 So far we have gathered about 30% of P8 million.
05:24 So that's about 2.5 million signatures already.
05:27 I think within the next two to three months, we will get it.
05:31 This is contrary to what Congressman Joey Salceda said, that they have received the required number of votes.
05:38 PIRMA said they are not included among the congressmen in the signature drive.
05:42 But they are coordinating with them for the distribution of signatures in their districts.
05:49 The signatures are being submitted and received in the common and local offices.
05:54 More than half of the 254 congressional districts have received certification after submitting their signatures.
06:03 More than 1,000 of the 1,634 cities and municipalities in the Philippines have submitted their signatures and received certification.
06:13 But some groups are asking why the Comelec is doing this now that there are no petitions filed against them for the People's Initiative.
06:23 Garcia said this will be a question to the Supreme Court to clarify the alleged violations of the law and the Comelec guidelines.
06:33 It would be great if they can question us so we can have a president so we can guide the next ones.
06:40 The Comelec's job is not to stop us until we are stopped because we are tied to the law.
06:49 If there are sudden changes in their guidelines or if there are questions to the People's Initiative that PIRMA is doing, we are there to confront these legal challenges.
07:00 According to Comelec, the process of passing the signature campaign for the charter change is still long before it reaches the plebiscite.
07:10 According to Comelec, the time for the entire process of the People's Initiative is limited, including the amendment to the plebiscite.
07:19 As long as it's October, November, December, we cannot do the plebiscite. The entire year of 2025, we cannot do the plebiscite.
07:28 This is the first news. Sandra Aguinaldo, Tina Pangaliban Perez.
07:34 Mav Gonzales for GMA Integrated News.
07:38 Igan, you are the first in the news. Subscribe to GMA Integrated News on YouTube.
07:43 To all the listeners abroad, follow us on GMA Pinoy TV and www.gmanews.tv.
07:52 [Music]