The people鈥檚 initiative signature sheets that were submitted to the Commission on Elections office in Arroceros, Manila. (File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Those who signed in support of the initiative fully understood the content of the signature sheet before agreeing to its terms, according to former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., one of the petitioners for the people鈥檚 initiative (PI) to amend the Constitution.
Garbin was addressing allegations that the people鈥檚 initiative (PI) signature sheets used highly technical language that made it challenging for ordinary individuals to comprehend.
But on Monday, in an interview over ABS-CBN 黑料社 Channel, he clarified that proponents of the initiative had explained the content of the sheet in the signatories鈥� native language.
鈥淵ou know, the signature sheets distributed, which contained the one-line proposed amendment to our Constitution, was explained to our countrymen at the barangay level. And it was translated into Tagalog. In our case in the Bicol Region, we translated it to Bicolano,鈥� Garbin said, speaking partly in Filipino.
READ: Comelec OKs 鈥榳ithdrawal form鈥� to void Cha-cha petition signatures
The signature sheet asks voters explicitly whether they are in favor of amending Article 17 Section 1 of the Constitution, which, if amended via a people鈥檚 initiative, would entail all members of Congress voting jointly on proposed amendments.
鈥淲hat we are saying is quite simple: Are you in favor of joint voting in Congress when there is a proposed amendment or revision to our Constitution? This means they will vote together and be counted as one assembly. They understand it. So I think there鈥檚 no technicality. They didn鈥檛 have a hard time understanding joint voting,鈥� Garbin said.
Meanwhile, on February 14, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved the 鈥渨ithdrawal form鈥� for individuals wishing to retract their signatures to support amending the Constitution through a people鈥檚 initiative.
However, Comelec emphasized that its acceptance of withdrawal forms is solely for 鈥渞ecording purposes鈥� and should not be interpreted as a formal action by the commission on the petition.
READ: Comelec: No reason needed for people鈥檚 initiative signature withdrawal
In late January, Comelec suspended the acceptance of signature sheets for a people鈥檚 initiative in its local offices indefinitely to allow for a review of its regulations on the matter.
Despite this, Garbin said in the same interview that he and other people鈥檚 initiative proponents would continue their advocacy, remaining hopeful that the commission would 鈥済ive PI a chance.鈥�