MANILA – Some leaders of the House of Representatives scoffed at the claim of former president Rodrigo Duterte that the people’s initiative would be used to introduce the parliamentary system to the country, saying the move has no constitutional basis.
Duterte had earlier claimed that the signature campaign for the people’s initiative may convert the current presidential system into a federal parliamentary form, with Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez becoming prime minister while being replaced by his nephew, Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.
In a press conference on Wednesday night, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe called on former president Duterte to “stop making stories,” noting that the House of Representatives is “happy” that the Senate is about to deliberate Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6, which would convert Congress into a constituent assembly that will take up revisions of economic provisions.
“Let’s stick to the facts of what we transmitted to the Senate, and we welcome the development from the Senate telling everyone in this country that they are going to discuss their RBH No. 6 proposing amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution,” Dalipe said.
He challenged those who are accusing the House of trying to push political amendments to back their claim with “documents or proof.”
“We never added anything political, so I do not know where the political provisions came from, as it is clear on what we transmitted at the House of Representatives that that is for economic provisions,” Dalipe said.
House Committee on Constitutional Amendments chairman and Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez added that the former leader’s claims of using the initiative as a way to change some political provisions have “no constitutional and legal basis.”
“People’s initiative cannot change the form or system of government. We are unitary; we cannot change it to federal through people’s initiative … we cannot also change a bicameral form of government into a unicameral form, because the [people’s initiative] will only be for amendments,” Rodriguez said.
Rizal 1st District Rep. Michael John Duavit, president of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, said the people’s initiative and even a constituent assembly cannot change the country’s system of government.
“That can only be done by way of a constitutional convention of representatives elected by the people in a separate election. Hindi na kami ang gagawa ‘nun (We won’t do that). It’s very clear that it is not on the table,” Duavit said.
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