Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia announced on Monday, Jan. 29, that the Commission En Banc has decided unanimously to suspend indefinitely all proceedings concerning the People's Initiative (PI) as a means to amend the 1987 Constitution.

In a press briefing, Garcia said that this includes the acceptance of signature sheets by its election officers from various cities and municipalities.

Garcia said that they would issue a formal resolution on its pronouncement but stated that the suspension is effective immediately.

"We honestly believe, base po sa aming initial assessment na kinakailangan namin na i-review, enhance, dagdagan yung aming existing Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) concerning PI dahil sa ating palagay may mga bagay po doon na kulang at wala sa ating guidelines (We honestly believe, based on our initial assessment that we have to review, enhance, or add to the existing IRR concerning PI because we think that there are something that is lacking in the guidelines)," Garcia explained.

"Katulad halimbawa yung rules sa mga withdrawal, yung rules sa mga opposition, and yung rules sa mga notice na sa bandang huli kailangan po ito upang maiwasan ang problema, kaguluhan, at di pagkakaunawaan doon sa interpretasyon sa mga probisyon ng ating rules (Like for example our rules on withdrawal, our rules on opposition, and the rules on notices that we need in the end to avoid problems, confusion, and misunderstandings when it comes to the interpretation of the provisions of our rules)," he added.

He stated that the lack of clear directives regarding these concerns is what pushed Comelec to suspend its PI proceedings.

Garcia is pertaining to Comelec Resolution No. 10650 which contains the revised rules and regulations governing the conduct of initiative on the Constitution; and initiative and referendum on national and local legislation.

The poll chief said that they will create a panel that will review the rules headed by its executive director together with the director of the law department. He added that they will consult everybody on this to clarify what is covered when it concerns amendments and when it is related to revisions to the existing Charter.

Signature sheets that have been accepted by Comelec, according to Garcia, will be kept by the poll body in the meantime since it's not covered by the suspension.

The poll chief reiterated that their acceptance of the signatures is only part of their duty under Resolution No. 10650 but does not mean that it is an "imprimatur" or an official license or guarantee to PI.

Garcia is hopeful that they will not be rushed to revise their existing policies since it took the poll body to come up with the resolution. The said resolution was created in 2020, whereas Garcia said that the Lambino vs Comelec case came out 14 years prior.

Political implications

Garcia is hoping that this move will not be painted as a direction towards favoring one side over the other.

"Sana po ay huwag maconsider na pinapanigan namin ang isang grupo as against another group...so wala po ito sa pamumulitika. Sana po wag iconsider ng kahit sinong kampo o grupo na may pinaboran kami as against the other (I hope this will not be taken as favoring one group against another group...there's no politics involved. I hope whoever camp or group will not consider this that we favored one against the other)," he said.

"The Comelec is accepting the fact that we have to enhance the rules. Walang dapat sisihin, walang dapat i-blame (No one needs to be accused, no one has to be blamed), the Comelec is saying we have to amend and enhance the rules," he added.

The House of Representatives (HOR) and the Senate have differing stands when amending the 37-year-old Constitution. Reports have been reaching senators that the HOR is behind the ongoing signature drive for People's Initiative (PI) asking voters if they favor amending the 1987 Constitution to pave the way for Congress to jointly vote on the proposed constitutional assembly in a constituent assembly or Con-ass.

The Senate recently issued a manifesto strongly expressing opposition to the ongoing attempts to change the 1987 Constitution through a PI. In the manifesto, the Senate strongly objected to eliminating the Upper Chamber’s role in introducing amendments or even overhauling the Constitution.

The PI, Con-Ass (Constituent Assembly), and Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) comprise the three ways that the 1987 Constitution can be amended.