Senators on Monday, January 29 lauded the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) move to come up with an en banc resolution to suspend all proceedings on the People’s Initiative (PI) to amend the 1987 Constitution.

Wearing a maroon armband, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, in a privilege speech, commended and applauded the poll body for its decision.

“At 1 p.m. today, the Comelec came up with an en banc decision to suspend all proceedings on the People’s Initiative. I think that deserves a loud applause,” Zubiri said as senators clapped in unison after him.

“Mabuhay po ang Senado! Finally, we appeal to the House of Representatives to adhere to the Constitution, and abide by the intents of the framers (of the Constitution),” he said.

“We remind the House of Representatives, the Constitution is not there to expand our powers as elected officials. Quite the opposite, it serves as a limit of the exercise of these powers,” he pointed out.

According to Zubiri, he has already met President Marcos early morning together with former Senate president and now chief legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile and now Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to discuss the ongoing issue regarding the signature campaign drive.

“As such, the President is set to appeal to the House of Representatives and the other People's Initiatives initiators to stop this dreaded PI or their version of the people's initiative. In his words, madame president, my dear colleagues, ‘it is getting out of hand’,” Zubiri stressed.

“It’s a victory for the people, not just the Senate, but a victory for the people,” Zubiri said also during a press conference with other senators.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda and Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva also hailed the poll body’s decision declaring it a victory for the people.

“Sa wakas! Tagumpay po ito ng sambayanan! Tumugon ang pamahalaan sa totoong damdamin ng taumbayan. Hindi pa po tapos ang laban, patuloy po tayong manalangin at magbantay para siguruhing maprotektahan ang Konstitusyon na siyang kaluluwa ng ating bayan (Finally! The people is victorious. The government has responded to the true sentiments of the people. But the war is far from over, we will continue to pray and be vigilant to ensure we can protect the Constitution which is the soul of our nation),” Villanueva stressed.

"Sa simula pa lang, alam na natin na ‘yung People’s Initiative, sa salitang “joint” ay hindi dapat gawin dahil ito ay makakabuwag sa Senado at mawawala ang Senado; magiging unicameral (from the start, we know that in this PI, the word joint should not be entertained as this will remove the Senate; we will become unicameral)," Legarda pointed out.

Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay also welcomed the position taken by the Comelec but also echoed Villanueva’s belief there is a necessity to make sure that no attempt to railroad Charter change initiatives will succeed.

“Sa nakalipas na ilang linggo, saksi po ang ating mga kababayan kung paano sinubukang ilusot ang pekeng people's initiative.

Maging mapanuri pa rin—at huwag po tayong magpaloko (In the past few weeks, our people witnessed how some sectors tried hard to push this fake People’s Initiative illegally. Let us be critical—and let’s not allow ourselves to be fooled),” Binay said.

Deputy Minority Leader Sen. Risa Hontiveros also echoed the need to be vigilant against similar efforts: “We continue to be vigilant. Babantayan natin ang (We will guard the) Comelec every step of the way.”

“Sa dulo, ako ay naninindigan na ang panukala on the table ay isang revision at hindi amendment (In the end, I stand firm in my belief that the proposal on the table is a revision and not an amendment),” Hontiveros said.

“Kaya kahit paano pa pabalibaliktarin (That’s why, no matter how you look at it), this sham House-led initiative should be buried,” the senator stressed.

Sen. Grace Poe also commended the Comelec for halting the signature drive: “The Comelec has taken the correct path when it stopped the questionable Cha-cha signature campaign.”

“A 'people's initiative' that started on the wrong foot and tainted with controversy would not do the country and the people good. What we have before us is 'pekeng initiative' or fake initiative pushed by politicians and allegedly greased by money to deceive the public to support Cha-cha,” Poe stressed.

“Kung gusto ng ating mga kababayan ng Cha-cha, sila dapat ang nasa sentro ng tunay na people's initiative, hindi politiko (If our people want Charter change, they should be the ones in the center of a true People’s Initiative, not politicians),” she pointed out.

“We expect the Comelec order will put to rest this signature drive, so we can all train our sights to the urgent needs of the Filipinos,” the senator said.

Zubiri said the Senate hopes that the Comelec will soon issue a ruling declaring the People’s Initiative (PI) campaign an unconstitutional exercise with finality.

“Ang prayer po namin diyan ay maglabas na po ng decision ang COmelec na itong particular initiative na ito ay (Our prayer here is that the Comelec will finally issue a decision stating that this particular inititative is) flawed, unconstitutional and therefore, should be dismissed with finality,” Zubiri also said during the press briefing.