Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday, February 1 urged her brother President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to abandon the push for a People’s Initiative (PI) that he and his allies in the House of Representatives had started.

Marcos said she cannot understand why the President has to consider consulting legal luminaries and Constitution experts on how to amend the 1987 Constitution.

“I’ve said it time and again, to stand firm and put an end to this PI that they started. Until now, he says that we need to study it and consult legal luminaries,” Marcos said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.

The chairperson of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation also noted that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) itself has not fully put a stop to the signature drive, noting that the poll body has not given any deadline, thus, the documents can still be reused and recycled for future effort.

“Wag naman, isantabi na iyan (I hope not please, set it aside now). It’s illegally and unconstitutionally obtained. Wag tayo papayag (Let’s oppose this). So perhaps, he can make a very firm and clearcut stand. Put an end to the PI and let’s do this properly together and there will be no controversy,” she said.

Marcos earlier led the Senate’s inquiry into the allegations of bribery and deception and other illegal activities with regards to the People’s Initiative (PI).

During the hearing, witnesses and evidence emerged implicating House Speaker Martin Romualdez and some members of the House of Representatives as the ones pushing for the PI signature drive.

Last week, on January 23, all 24 senators signed a Senate manifesto denouncing the House’s attempt to railroad Charter change through a People’s Initiative, stating that such exercise undermines the power of the Senate as the campaign calls for a joint voting in a constituent assembly or con-ass.