NANAWAGAN ang pangulo ng National Unity Party (NUP) sa mga senador na igalang ang panawagang people’s initiative para amyendahan ang economic provisions ng Konstitusyon.

Ayon kay Camarines Sur Rep. Lray Villafuerte dapat irespeto ng mga senador ang mga nagsusulong ng people’s initiative at sundin ang magiging desisyon ng mga Pilipino na siyang boboto kung sila ay pabor o hindi sa gagawing pagbabago sa Saligang Batas.

Gaya ni Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, sinabi ni Villafuerte na suportado nito ang ginawang paghahain ng Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri na naglalayong amyendahan ang Konstitusyon sa pamamagitan ng Constituent Assembly.

Umaasa si Villafuerte na tutuparin ni Zubiri ang naunang pangako nito na isusulong ang RBH 6 sa halip na gamiting dahilan ang people’s initiative upang huwag itong ituloy.

“Constitutional reform via the PI route, as preserved in the 1987 Charter, is a two-step process that empowers our people to directly propose amendments, first through a petition backed by 12% of all our registered voters, with at least 3% of every legislative district represented therein,” paliwanag ni Villafuerte.

“After this first step is completed and validated, the second and final one for the proposed reform of the people to become part of the fundamental law of the land is for this amendment to be ratified by a majority of our voters in a plebiscite,” saad pa nito.

“The breadth by which the current PI being pursued by our people has prospered across the country over the past weeks underscore that public support for the long-sought makeover of the Constitution is both broad and deep. Hence, it behooves us legislators in both chambers of the Congress to give recognition and respect to this revelation of vox populi by allowing the process of the People’s Initiative as set in the 1987 Charter to take its due course,” giit ni Villafuerte.

Ayon sa kongresista dapat igalang ng mga senador ang magiging desisyon ng publiko na siya ring nagluklok sa kanila sa puwesto.

“It is incumbent on us lawmakers in both legislative chambers and all other law-abiding citizens as well to respect, accept and uphold whatever the outcome of a plebiscite would be, should the present PI initiative hurdle the two-step constitutional process of amending our Charter,” sabi pa nito.

Ayon kay Albay Rep. Joey Salceda ang nalikom na pirma ay mahigit na sa 12 porsyento ng mga botante, sapat upang magsagawa ng referendum ang Commission on Elections (Comelec) at pagbotohan kung pabor ang nakararaming botante sa nais na pagbabago.