DAGUPAN CITY—House Speaker said it would be good if those opposing the people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution will go to the Supreme Court so that the issue will be clarified once and for all.

De Venecia told local reporters in his Bonuan Binloc residence here the other day that,” I think they will go to the Supreme Court. And it would be good if they go to the Supreme Court”.
He added,” we encourage them to go to the Supreme Court so that this issue will be clarified once and for all”.

He said he doesn’t think this will delay their timetable for Charter
change where they hope that the country will have an interim parliament by July.

“How can the Supreme Court issue a TRO ( temporary restraining order) e yong TRO against the Filipino people? Against the powerful forces of public opinion? Of the citizens movements all over the Philippines?”, he said.

He said that “the sovereign will of the Filipino people is higher
than Malacañang, higher than Congress, higher than the Supreme Court to put together”.

He said the people’s initiative is sanctioned, mandated by the
Constitution.

“(It’s) a direct action of the people especially now that the people are seeing that the Senate and the House of Representatives are constantly quarrelling and are in a gridlock, especially now that the Filipino people and the Supreme Court are seeing that the Senate and Malacañang are always contending and fighting,” de Venecia said.

“So how can we put forward good strategic legislation if we keep
approving bills in the House and there is no movement in the Senate?,” he said.

He said the people’s initiative “is really an idea, a crusade whose
time has come and it’s therefore now unstoppable”.

“It’s enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.

De Venecia added that the signature gathering among the members of the House for a Constituent Assembly continues as they have now gathered 183 signatures as another means to push the amendments to the Constitution.

With only 12 signatures more to get to meet the required 192
signatures, de Venecia said they will continue with it as he doubts if the opposition’s claim that they have 50 to thumb down the move since the opposition forces are split with several factions.

He said that he prefers the route of a joint session of Congress
because they can approve the eight strategic amendments to the Constitution unlike in the people’s initiative where they can only have one major subject matter which is the shift from a bicameral presidential system to a unicameral parliamentary system.

He said that “overall, it’s looking very good” based on the results in various parts of the country showing tremendous support to the people’s initiative.

“Look, everybody thought we cannot get more than 12 percent, everybody thought that we would be stuck at three percent and therefore the whole process is nullified but now those pushing for the signature drive for the people’s initiative to push for the amendments to the Constitution are hitting very high approval rating,” he said.