• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The campaign to withdraw signatures from the people’s initiative (PI) will continue amid orders of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to indefinitely suspend the acceptance of signature sheets in connection to the move to amend the 1987 Constitution.
This was declared yesterday by Bacolod-based lawyer Cesar Beloria Jr. as he pointed out that while they gathered a minimal number of withdrawal signatures, “it is very clear, we were able to establish evidences of irregularity in Bacolod City”.
Beloria and his father, Atty. Cesar Beloria Sr., are spearheading the campaign to withdraw signatures in Negros Occidental and highly-urbanized Bacolod City.
“We have evidences that political leaders of local government units are going around. They cannot deny it,” he added.
Beloria said those who have the courage or willing to execute affidavits maybe requested to attend the committee hearing in the Senate, if it will continue.
About 15 mayors in Negros Occidental are supporting the Charter Change as confirmed earlier by Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, president of the Association of Chief Executives of Negros Occidental.
Meanwhile, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that local chief executives in Negros Occidental have not met to discuss the people’s initiative.
“One thing I can say, with all honesty, that we never sat down with local chief executives, and talked about it. We never met, discussed about the PI,” he added.
While the issue of Cha-cha through people’s initiative is constitutional, “it seems PI is not a viable process”, Lacson said.
“Because every time you go to a people’s initiative, there can always be a counter, saying that money was involved,” he said.
“We might as well take that option out. It’s either Constitutional Convention, or Constitutional Assembly. I think we should limit it to that,” the governor said.
Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said that they have stopped accepting signatures for the people’s initiative since Jan. 30.
“The instruction from the national office to us, is just to preserve, seal and secure the signatures that have been submitted to us, pending review,” Ananoria said.
Some 248,398 signatures have been submitted to the Comelec Provincial Office in Negros Occidental. | GB
