Senator Imee Marcos presides the committee hearing on people’s initiative on Friday (Feb. 2, 2024). Screen grab from the YouTube video of the Senate of the Philippines.
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 03 February) – Voters in the city were deceived into signing documents purportedly in exchange for money and other benefits but were actually meant to gather signatures for a people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution, barangay officials from Davao City claimed during a Senate hearing on Friday.
The witnesses alleged staff members of Puwersa ng Bayang Atleta (PBA) partylist were the ones who spearheaded the signature drive that gave out claim stubs indicating the signatories would receive government assistance.
Barangay chairs from Barangays 76-A, Bunawan, Centro San Juan-Agdao, Marilog Proper, Paradise Embac, and Communal attended the Senate hearing.
Rene Estorpe, barangay chair of Centro San Juan-Agdao District presented a 30-page triplicated paper bundle of allegedly signed documents for a people’s initiative.
He said he confiscated those documents from his staff members namely Julieta Agan, Mary Joy Bisayno, and Erie Monteposo, as the signature drive never underwent barangay public hearings.
He added those who distributed the forms were promised to be compensated.
Upon cross-examination by Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on electoral reforms, Estorpe confirmed that the “going rate” was P4,000 for every 250 signatures.
He said after his constituents knew through a live video of his staff that they were signing for a people’s initiative they went to the barangay hall to have their signatures crossed out.
He said his staffers were just victims, adding they were unable to get the compensation promised them because he confiscated the triplicate forms allegedly coming from Pirma (People’s Initiative for Reform, Modernization and Action), the group behind the move for Charter change via a people’s initiative.
Estorpe named a certain Benzar Yap, a “trusted political coordinator of the PBA partylist,” as having spearheaded the signature drive in Centro San Juan.
Marilog Proper barangay chair Jeanette Suam said her mother Erlinda, who was a kagawad in their barangay, handed her an envelope containing documents from the Department and Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad), and P5,000 from a certain Gregorio Pantig, said to be a PBA partylist staffer.
The younger Suan said that upon inspection the documents turned out to be for a people’s initiative.
She said she tried to contact Pantig but a certain Ching Solomon answered her call.
She said she and Solomon argued after the latter told her to not prevent the signature drive “kasi para ‘yan sa mga tao (because it’s for the people).”
Suan said she retorted that it’s not a people’s initiative but a political initiative.
She said her mother did not heed her warning to stop distributing the forms, and proceeded to gather signatures through two persons she identified as Leticia Alingalan and Lanilyn Da-Ilig, who went house-to-house.
Davao City-based Margarita Ignacia “Migs” Nograles, the current PBA partylist representative in Congress, earlier denied allegations by Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte that she was behind the signature drive for a people’s initiative.
“I was informed that PBA Partylist Rep. Margarita ‘Migs’ Nograles is spearheading the PI movement in Davao City. I am against this people’s initiative as this is not the people’s voice but the voice of a few who wanted to perpetuate themselves in power,” Duterte posted on his Facebook page on Jan. 10.
In an interview with local radio station dxGM Super Radyo Davao on Jan. 26, Nograles said: “Wala po ako dito no’n (I wasn’t here at the time), and no comment po ako do’n sa allegations because I don’t know saan nanggaling ‘yon (where it came from), but he (Duterte) is free to talk, anyone is free to talk.”
She added that while the people’s will should be respected as it is part of the democratic process, no such initiative has taken place.
“It really depends kasi People’s Initiative nga siya, depende ‘yan sa tao if gusto nila. I have not seen, I have not been here, it really depends on kung makuha po ‘yung number and if gusto ng mga tao, it’s the right of the people,” she said.
(It really depends because it is a People’s Initiative, it depends on the people if they want it. I have not seen it, I have not been there, it really depends on whether the number can be obtained and if the people want it, it’s the right of the people).
PI attempts in Tagum City
Meanwhile, Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib, who testified during the Senate hearing via Zoom said several people in Tagum City were urged to sign forms in exchange for AICS and Tupad.
The governor said a certain Vilma Clarabal, a casual employee at the Tagum City Hall, was the one who distributed the forms.
“They didn’t know what they signed for, the people signed without being informed that they were signing to change the Constitution and to abolish the Senate),” Jubahib said in Filipino.
However, Wellie Arcayna, chair of Barangay Nueva Fuerza, Tagum City said he was told by “a certain politician in Davao del Norte” that they needed support in pushing for amendments to economic provisions through a people’s initiative. He did not name the politician.
He admitted that he even signed the petition and urged his friends in his barangay to sign too, but they were not forced into it.
Tagum City Vice Mayor Allan Rellon said he received information from his administrative officer that a signature campaign spearheaded by the City Mayor’s Office would be launched in their barangays to amend Article 17 (Amendments Or Revisions) of the Philippine Constitution.
The proposed revision to Article 17, Section 1 as contained in the signatory forms read: “Any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may be proposed by (1) The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members, VOTING JOINTLY AT THE CALL OF THE SENATE PRESIDENT OR THE HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES”.
Currently, Section 1 provides: Any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may be proposed by (1) The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members; or (2) A constitutional convention. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
