People's Initiative threatens legislative checks and balances: Carpio

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (right) discusses with Senate President Migz Zubiri during a luncheon meeting with ambassadors and diplomats of APPF-member countries at the Shangri-la Hotel in Global City, Taguig on March 21, 2023. House Media Affairs handout" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/05/31/20230321-zubiri-romualdez-ho-3.jpg"/><figcaption>Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (right) discusses with Senate President Migz Zubiri during a luncheon meeting with ambassadors and diplomats of APPF-member countries at the Shangri-la Hotel in Global City, Taguig on March 21, 2023. House Media Affairs handout</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio sees a red flag in the People&#x27;s Initiative campaign to change the 1987 Constitution, saying it threatens legislative checks and balances, a cornerstone of the Philippine democratic system.</p><p>He warned that the proposal to change the charter to make Congress vote jointly on revisions or amendments would give the numerically superior House of Representatives a free hand on constitutional change.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/20/24/rights-group-wary-of-charter-changes-impact-on-workers">Labor rights group wary of charter change&#x27;s impact on workers</a></li></ul><p>&quot;What they&#x27;re asking [for] is a blank check for the House. The House will get a blank check to change anything, including revision,&quot; he said.</p><p>Changes to the 1987 Constitution will need to be ratified in a national plebiscite.</p><div><strong>&#x27;PEOPLE&#x27;S INITIATIVE PROPOSAL NOT A SIMPLE AMENDMENT&#x27;</strong></div><p>Carpio said that he sees the proposal as a revision — which would require a constituent assembly or a constitutional convention — and not an amendment of the 1987 Constitution.<br/> <br/>&quot;Since this is only people&#x27;s initiative, it can only amend but not revise the Constitution and that&#x27;s fundamental because that&#x27;s how the framers of the Constitution said (it),&quot; he said.</p><p>He said that there is a need to settle whether the proposal in the People&#x27;s Initiative is a simple amendment.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/11/24/pirma-heads-admits-goal-to-dilute-senate-vote-in-cha-cha">PIRMA head admits goal to dilute Senate vote in &#x27;Cha-cha&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Kasi ang proposal nila, when Congress convenes the constituent assemby they shall vote jointly, the House and the Senate,&quot; Carpio said.</p><p>The Philippines has a bicameral legislature under the 1987 Constitution.</p><p>&quot;If Congress wants to change it, there should be a higher majority. Say two thirds vote of each chamber — of the House, of the Senate to approve it,&quot; he added.</p><p>Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has publicly opposed the People&#x27;s Initiative campaign, saying it would lead to a clash between the chambers of Congress.</p><p>He has filed a resolution to review the Constitution and to propose changes to economic provisions in it. </p><p>House Speaker Martin Romualdez has said the House will support and adopt Zubiri&#x27;s Resolution of Both Houses No. 6.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2933416" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;PROCESS MUST BE TRANSPARENT&#x27;</strong></div><p>Carpio emphasized the necessity for transparency in the charter change process, saying &quot;there is no law that can stop it but you can go to previous rulings of the Supreme Court.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/14/24/1997-sc-decision-could-delay-peoples-initiative-push-retired-justice">1997 court decision could delay people&#x27;s initiative push: retired SC justice</a></li></ul><p>He outlined two pivotal requirements: transparency in the gathering of signatures and a clear disclosure of the exact provision intended for insertion.</p><p>A previous People&#x27;s Initiative attempt was thrown out by the Supreme Court in 2006, with the court saying it was not clear that signatories knew what they were agreeing to.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/01/08/24/charter-change-through-peoples-initiative-what-is-it">Charter change through People&#x27;s Initiative: What is it?</a></li></ul><p>Proponents of the current campaign say they have addressed that issue by including the proposed amendment on the signature sheets and by campaigners giving short lectures on it. <strong>— from a report by Izzy Lee, ABS-CBN News</strong></p>

'What they're asking [for] is a blank check for the House. The House will get a blank check to change anything, including revision,' retired justice Antonio Carpio said.

People's Initiative threatens legislative checks and balances: Carpio | ABS-CBN

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People's Initiative threatens legislative checks and balances: Carpio

People's Initiative threatens legislative checks and balances: Carpio

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 20, 2024 04:33 PM PHT

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