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Sunday, April 02, 2006
Exec doubts People's Initiative
By Barbara Carla R. Quiero
DAVAO City Councilor Diosdado A. Mahipus said Saturday he might favor the principle of parliamentary system in the country, but he is doubtful on the method used by its advocates to amend the Philippine Constitution.
Mahipus said the People's Initiative applies only to mere amendments under Article 17, section 2 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
"The shift to parliamentary form, to my mind will involve revision not mere amendment. The latter cannot be done or effected through an initiative," he said.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently expressed her support to People's Initiative.
Arroyo said the true power of the people is being felt with the signature campaign to change the country's form of government.
Meanwhile, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Southern Mindanao Region Secretary General Ariel Casilao said the People's Initiative is a great deception to the Filipinos.
"If that is genuine, sectoral organization would have been the ones pushing it and not the National Government," Casilao said.
Casilao said some barangay officials are reportedly being forced and threatened to carry out the People's Initiative.
He said the signature gathered in the campaign is also questionable.
"There are reports that the barangay officials won't be given their salaries or allowance if they would not abide with the instruction. The signature is allegedly equivalent to P200 or canned goods or kilos of rice," he said.
As of the moment, Casilao said, they are also gathering signatures against Charter change and would submit it to the Supreme Court on April.
Bayan held a forum Saturday inviting different sectors of the society to tackle Charter change.
A healthy discussion, he said, is very important since not everybody understands the issue.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 2, 2006 issue)
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