House official on Comelec's stoppage of PI proceedings: 'We welcome that, no problem'
At A Glance
- For House Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe, the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) directive to stop all proceedings related to the People's initiative (PI) movement is a welcome development.
- While the House supports PI as a way to lift the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, it has denied direct involvement with it.
House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
For House Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe, the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) directive to stop all proceedings related to the People’s initiative (PI) movement is a welcome development.
"We welcome that move from the [Comelec]. Anyway, if there is a need for them to review any of the rules, we will welcome that," Dalipe said in a press briefing on Monday afternoon, Jan. 29.
Dalipe, the right-hand man of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, said he sees "no problem" with the poll body's decision.
He said the House would just carry on with its legislative tasks.
"But while the Comelec reviews it, there are also other very important House or legislative matters that we are also pushing for. So wala pong problema (there's no problem), we welcome the act of Comelec," noted the Mindanaoan.
Comelec announced the suspension of PI proceedings in connection with Charter change (Cha-cha) in a press conference earlier the same day.
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Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda had earlier said that PI proponents had already collected the required number of signatures for the filing for a petition to amend the Constitution.
The duty to validate the signatures--which should be at least 12 percent of the total of registered voters nationwide--falls on Comelec's shoulders.
While the House supports PI as a way to lift the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, it has denied direct involvement with it.