Eight groups oppose ‘initiative’

Three party-list congressmen, four lawyers’ groups, one citizen’s group and three private individuals filed a petition yesterday before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) opposing the proposal to amend the Constitution through people’s initiative.

In eight separate oppositions, the parties sought the dismissal of the petition to amend the Charter through people’s initiative, citing a 1997 Supreme Court ruling that outlined the initiative’s inadequacy to introduce Charter revisions.

The oppositions also cited the alleged defective signature gathering and verifica tion process used by the proponents of the people’s initiative.

Two of the petitions were filed by Anakbayan and citizens group One Voice. The two lawyers groups — the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism Inc. and Alternative Law Groups Inc. — have also each filed their opposition while the Integrated Bar of the Philippines filed one petition.

Three more oppositions were filed each by election lawyer Sixto Brillantes, lawyer Pete Cuadra of B.F. Homes, Almanza, Las Piñas and Rey Antonio Jose Altavaz of Capiz, Roxas City.

The parties in opposition asked the Comelec to verify the 10 million

signatures in the petition earlier filed by Sigaw ng Bayan Movement and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) to shift the form of government to parliamentary system.

They also said the Comelec has no jurisdiction to entertain the petition in the absence of an enabling law to cover people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution.

On the other hand, ULAP said its petition for a people’s initiative submitted to the Comelec last Saturday is "sufficient in form and substance."

Ateneo de Manila University professor said the petition signed by registered voters "refers to articles of the 1987 Charter sought to be amended and incorporates the proposed amendments and reasons therefore." — Sheila Crisostomo, Cecille Suerte Felipe