Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Poll body 'more likely' to junk people's initiative: Execs
MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is likely seen to scrap the people's initiative petition filed by Charter change proponents due to lack of jurisdiction, three officials of the election agency said on Tuesday.
One of the Comelec officials said they could not entertain the petition because of a Supreme Court (SC) ruling that enjoined them from accepting any petition for a people's initiative.
Another official, who also asked not to be named, said they would be violating the SC ruling on the Santiago versus Comelec case once they act on the appeal.
He said the merits or demerits of the petition "are out of the question" since what the Comelec should resolve first is if they have the authority to deliberate on the petition.
"Our disposition would be if whether we have the jurisdiction or not because right now, the SC ruling is still in effect," said the official.
The third official, for his part, said the commissioners would have no choice but to junk the petition.
Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, in a separate interview, said they expect the petition as well as the opposition to it be discussed on Thursday or Friday.
"We will wait for the Comelec law department's report and after receiving it, we will act on it accordingly," he said.
Comelec Law Department Director Alioden Dalaig, meanwhile, said they have submitted the petition and opposition to the Comelec en banc for proper disposition.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the commission would not touch the opposition pleas because they need to deliberate first on the petition submitted by the Charter change advocates.
Various groups and individuals last Monday filed eight petitions opposing the people's initiative plea saying it is "illegal" due to the absence of an enabling law that would cover the system.
The government-backed people's initiative sought to amend Article VI and VII of the 1987 Constitution and change the government system from bicameral-presidential to unicameral-parliamentary.
The pro-Charter change groups, claimed to have been able to gather nearly 10 million signatures, which are over the required 12 percent signatures nationwide, and three percent per legislative district to effect Charter change. (MSN/Sunnex)
(August 30, 2006 issue)
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