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Garin: No Plan B, but People's Initiative needed if Senate fails to deliver on Cha-cha
Garin: No Plan B, but People's Initiative needed if Senate fails to deliver on Cha-cha
At A Glance
- Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin insisted that there's no "Plan B" for the economic Charter change (Cha-cha) effort, but said that she would personally want the People's Initiative (PI) to remain an option.
Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin insisted that there's no "Plan B" for the economic Charter change (Cha-cha) effort, but said that she would personally want the People’s Initiative (PI) to remain an option.
Garin have these remarks during a press conference with House of Representatives reporters on Tuesday, March 19.
The lady lawmaker was asked if the House had a Plan B in case the Senate fails to approve its economic Cha-cha measure--Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No.6--on time. This, even as the House is expected pass its counterpart measure, RBH No.7, on third and final reading tomorrow.
"Plan B? As of now, wala kaming alam na Plan B kasi sa pagkakaintindi namin, naniniwala pa rin kami na sinsero ang Senado sa kanila tungkulin sa taumbayan," answered Garin.
(As of now we don't know of any Plan B because we continue to believe that the Senate is sincere in its duty to the people.)
"What is best to discuss now is kung ayaw nilang talakayin ang RBH No.6, bakit? (If they don't want to tackle RBH No.6, why?) And i believe it's best to call a spade, a spade," she added.
These notwithstanding, Garin said she personally would want PI to remain an option for Cha-cha.
"Personally, alam ko walang Plan B. Pero kung ako tatanungin niyo, we really need the [PI] kung ang ginagawa natin ay hindi totoong Cha-cha. Atras-abante kasi eh," she said.
(Personally, I know there's no Plan B. But of you ask me, we really need the PI if what we’re going to do is not real Cha-cha. We're moving backward and forward.)
The PI is a constitutional mode of Charter revision that entails the gathering of a certain number of signatures. PI proponents attained this requirement in late January, but the Commission on Elections (Comelec) suddenly decided to suspend all activities linked to it.
It was then that the House and Senate both committed to pursue and pass Cha-cha via their RBH measures. Of the two chambers, it's the House that's likely to fulfill their end of the bargain in a timely manner.
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"It's really best that the Senate sticks to its commitment of tackling RBH No.6 within the month of March," said the Iloilo solon.
Garin, speaking for herself, added: "Kung talagang ayaw ng Senado [na] gumalaw, let's give it to the people. Ibalik natin sa [PI] dahil kami, at ang mga senator, pareho kaming mga dito kapag wala ang boses ng taumbayan."
(If the Senate really doesn't want to act, let's give it to the people. Let's bring it back to a PI because without the voice of the people, we House members and senators wouldn't be here.)
The PI is a purely civilian endeavor.