IGINIIT ni Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers na dapat hayaan ng mga senador ang taumbayan na magdesisyon kaugnay ng pag-amyenda sa Konstitusyon.

Kasabay nito ay sinabi ni Barbers na walang basehan at wala sa katwiran ang mga dahilan ng Senado sa inilabas nitong manifesto upang tutulan ang hakbang na people’s initiative para amyendahan ang Konstitusyon.

Para sa kay Barbers ginagamit lamang na dahilan ng Senado ang Kamara de Representantes upang tutulan ang pag-amyenda sa Saligang Batas.

“The manifesto is apparently portraying a demonized image on the supporters of the PI,” sabi ng mambabatas mula sa Mindanao.

Ayon kay Barbers, chairman House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, ang alegasyon ng mga senador ay isa lamang haka-haka at walang basehan lalo’t malinaw na sinasaad na ang pagboto ng lahat ng miyembro ng Kongreso na walang pagtukoy sa pagitan ng Senado at Kamara sa pagsusulong ng pagbabago ng Saligang Batas.

“The plain language of the Constitution needs no interpretation, but some quarters tried to create a confusion that the term “all” members of Congress should be understood to mean separate votes of the Senate and of the House of Representatives,” paliwanag ni Barbers.

Binigyan diin pa ni Barbers na ang mga mambabatas na sumusuporta sa PI na may pagkakaiba sa interpretasyon ng “voting separately”, na dapat irespeto ng Senado.

“It is thus a matter of differing opinion on the matter which has been lingering for several decades and for the past several administrations. The Senate should also respect with dignity the proponents of opposite interpretation, and not demonizing them to a level that is tantamount to hindering democratic freedom of expression,” giit pa ng mambabatas.

Paliwanag ni Barbers malinaw na kasama ang PI sa pinapayagang paraan ng pag-amyenda sa Konstitusyon at bukas ito sa sinuman kabilang na ang bawat miyembro ng Senado at Mababang Kapulungan, executive branch at ang karaniwang mamamayang Pilipino.

“The proponents of the “voting separately” idea may have pursued the PI or any other means to address the unresolved issue between voting separately or voting jointly. Over the years, no concrete steps had been done to address this issue. What had happened in the past is that the proponents simply go out to the public and express their respective positions or interpretations. That is all, and the divisive issue remains and has become a stumbling block to perceive progress and development of the country. In the meantime, the Filipino people are left to suffer in quandary,” paliwanag pa ni Barbers.

Giit pa ni Barbers na ang mga taong nagsusulong ng PI ay matapang na hinarap ang hamon sa kabila ng kritisismo, hindi para sa kanilang sariling interes kundi upang itaguyod ang interes ng mamamayang Filipino. “At umaasang hindi maging sagabal ang Senado sa layuning ito. Sa huli, anuman ang magiging resulta ng People’s Initiative, ang tinig ng mamamayang Filipino ang magpapasya sa plebisito”.

“Some Senators feign support for Cha-Cha but exploit every opportunity to halt it. They don’t want to carry it out via ConCon, via ConAss and now with the People’s Initiative. And everybody can clearly see what this means. They don’t want to get out of their “comfort zones.” This has been their modus operandi since 1987,” ayon kay Barbers.

“If the Senators would not want to adopt any mode to change the Charter, we have no recourse but to exercise our right as Filipino citizens and support our people’s clamor to amend the Constitution. And so, I urge Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to grant us the option to support the People’s Initiative,” dagdag pa mambabatas.

Giit pa ni Barbers; “The real reason (in opposing Charter change) is to perpetuate a Constitution that favors only the oligarchs, and most importantly for the senators, one that grants them undue political longevity.”

Sa ilalim ng 1987 Constitution, ang mga Senador ang tanging mga halal na opisyal ang pinapayagang ipagpatuloy ang termino na 12-taon at manatili sa posisyon kahit matalo sa presidential o vice-presidential race.