SENATOR Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa asked Davaoeños to avoid selling their signatures for charter change, emphasizing that “the future of the Philippines is not tradable for a mere amount of three thousand pesos.”
In an interview with Dela Rosa on Jan. 15, he said, “The senate, as a whole, was strongly against the amendment of the 1987 Constitution.”
“Buong senado ay ayaw na ayaw na mangyari yan. Because there will be no more checks and balances, just imagine the subject of the people’s initiatives is amendment of the Article 17 of the Philippine Constitution, which siniguro nila na the Congress will be voting as one, and if ito mag prosper, wala nang checks and balances, kahit umayaw kaming bente-kuwatrong senador sa amendment na gusto nila i-fastbreak, tatalunin kami sa botohan ng 320 congressmen,” he said.
Several members of the House of Representatives called out the alleged payoffs in many districts around the country last week in exchange for the public’s signatures on a People’s Initiative to amend the Constitution.
Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte also warned his constituents against certain groups advocating for people’s initiative in exchange for money.
“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 said in a Facebook post.
Duterte also cautioned all Davaoeños to “not sell souls for a mere P100 or 10,000 in exchange for signature.”
Dela Rosa also said the senate leadership is currently taking the necessary measures with the said matter.
“Kamong nagapirma, ayaw mo’g sugot kung bayaran ramo’g one hundred. Kung bayaran mo’g three thousand, ayaw gihapon og pirmahi, kay dili lang three thousand pesos ang kantidad sa kaugmaon sa Pilipinas,” Dela Rosa added.
Advocates of the revised 1987 Constitution insisted that to make the Philippines more attractive to international investors, the economic provisions of the document must be changed or amended.
