DILG-7 asked to clarify orders on brgy. assembly

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Gwendolyn Garcia wants the Department of Interior and Local Government regional office to clarify if there were orders from Manila to hold a barangay assembly or initiate a people's initiative.

This as reports had it that DILG has been actively involved in getting the required number of signatures to directly amend the 1987 Constitution through people's initiative, or at least as what had been admittedly said by DILG city director Patricio Gabuya that their office will submit results of the signature campaign to the election body for verification.

"So I think the regional director here also needs to clarify what memorandum was he ordered to follow, to call for the barangay assembly or to introduce or initiate the people's initiative?" she said in a press conference yesterday afternoon.

Despite reports that came out indicating that DILG personnel have been in fact involved in the distribution of people's initiative reforms, Garcia said she just hopes "it is not the DILG that started the people's initiative."

"I heard the secretary himself on national television completely disowning any involvement in the so-called people's initiative. He was only talking about the barangay assembly, which is mandated under the law," she said.

"So ngano, nag-apil-apil ba atong DILG dire? Aning people's initiative? They seem to be confused," she added.

The governor said DILG here should go back to the order of DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno and find out what was the context of such directive because it appeared that the barangay assemblies conducted last Saturday in various barangays all over the city and province was a vehicle to initiate a people's initiative.

"And I supposed the very reason why this people's initiative has generated so much suspicion is the fact that there are suspicions that politicians are behind this. And that is why I, for one, will choose not to be involved in this people's initiative. Let the process take it from its course without any meddling from politicians," she said.

She further dared those who have initiated the people's initiative to also be able to face its serious legal challenges.

While her father, former Cebu governor Pablo Garcia, who is also a constitutionalist and co-chairman of the presidential Consultative Commission (con-com) for the Visayas also raised legal questions surrounding the move for a people's initiative, the governor said his stand "is just to allow the process to take its course if indeed this is an initiative of the people."