DAGUPAN CITY—House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr said “the people’s initiative is now far advanced”.

Talking to local newsmen in his Bonuan Binloc residence the other night, de Venecia said when Congress reconvenes on May 15, “Maybe by that time, the people’s initiative would have gone even much farther”.

But he added he believes that maybe by May 15, there will be a challenge in the Supreme Court.

At the same time, he said at that time, they will finalize their signature gathering in the House.

De Venecia, who had been advocating Charter change (Chacha), said he thinks the people’s initiative and the other parallel track he is targeting in Congress as another mode of amending the Constitution through the Constituent Assembly, are “running neck and neck”.

The people’s initiative mode being spearheaded by Sigaw ng Bayan Movement had gathered already 8.5 million signatures nationwide, way beyond the requirement by the Supreme Court.

Based on reports reaching the speaker, the verification of signatures by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on the gathered signatures by Sigaw ng Bayan is already more than 70 percent complete.

On the other hand, the signature gathering in the House has so far gathered 184 signatures. De Venecia said their target is 196 to 200 signatures.

“Palagay ko maghahabulan yan kung alin ang mauuuna (I think the two will race against each other which comes first),” he said.

After the verification of signatures, the Comelec will set the date for the campaign period and the date for the plebiscite where there will be massive information interchange of the pros and cons of the Chacha, he said.

“The pros and the antis will now come to the fore, marshal their best arguments before the people so there will be full transparency and full debate,” de Venecia said.

He said their proposal is very clear-a unicameral, parliamentary government and an eventual movement towards strong autonomous provinces leading to federalization.

“Now let the antis present their vision. If they don’t like the parliamentary system, what is their defense of the presidential system? If they don’t like unicameral parliament, let them defend the bicameral system,” the speaker said.

“Has it worked for the Philippines? Has it worked for the Filipino people? Has it worked for Philippine democracy? If they don’t like the federal system, then they should say why they are for a strong central government at the expense of the regions, the provinces and the outer islands,” he said.

He added,” If they don’t like our proposal for a strong wave of major flow of foreign investments so that we can create thousands of factories and create millions of jobs, so that we can create our own economic miracle like China, like Singapore, like Malaysia, then they should say that they should ban foreign investments or they should limit foreign investments.”

He said those opposed to Chacha should refrain from vicious attacks like “ we’re doing this because President Arroyo wants to extend in power, Speaker Jose de Venecia wants to become prime minister”.

“These are not issues. They should present their alternative issues,” he added.

He lauded President Arroyo for her statesmanship by agreeing to share her political power with the prime minister and with the parliament once Chacha pushes through.

But de Venecia said he still prefers the Constituent assembly mode where they are targeting to put together the seven to eight strategic amendments together with the French modified model earlier approved by the national directorate of LAKAS-CMD spearheaded by him, former President Fidel Ramos as chairman emeritus and President Arroyo and the other major political parties like the Nationalist People’s Coalition led by its chairman emeritus Eduardo Cojuangco.

In the people’s initiative, only one comprehensive subject matter-the shift from a presidential system to a unicameral parliamentary system together with transitory provisions to implement them will be tackled, he said.