Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Monday, January 22, said that a member of Congress told him that House Speaker Martin Romualdez is the one behind the initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution through a People’s Initiative.
“Yun ang sabi sa akin ng congressman eh. Hindi ko na sasabihin kung sino baka mamaya magalit sa kanya, pagalitan siya (That was what a congressman told me. I won’t reveal who he is because he might be scolded),” Dela Rosa told reporters in an interview.
Dela Rosa is one of the senators who is opposed to the ongoing signature campaign that is asking voters if they are in favor of amending the 1987 Constitution to pave way for Congress to jointly vote on proposed constitutional assembly in a constituent assembly or Con-ass.
The senator said he cannot blame those pushing for the People’s Initiative, saying they were just taking orders from the House leadership.
“Following orders lang daw sila. So, mahirap din na sisihin sila pero kung tutuusin pwede talaga sisihin (They said they were just following orders. So it’s hard to blame them but in reality they really should be blamed),” Dela Rosa pointed out.
“Bakit ba por que orders, sunod ka lang ng sunod? Makikinabang ka rin siguro diyan sa order na yan bakit ka sumunod (Will you just follow just because it was ordered? I think it’s because you will also benefit from the order that’s why you are following it),” he surmised.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez, however, denied Dela Rosa’s allegations.
“No orders,” was Romualdez’s curt reply to reporters in an ambush interview.
https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/22/no-orders-from-romualdez-to-collect-signatures-for-people-s-initiative