‘Siguro sinisiraan lang’: Erwin Tulfo says Speaker has nothing to do with PI

ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN))

Some individuals may be trying to sully the name of House Speaker Martin Romualdez on the issue of the People’s Initiative (PI) for Charter change (Cha-cha).

Thus, said House Deputy Majority Leader for Communications ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, who addressed on Tuesday, Jan. 16 the accusations that the ongoing signature campaigns all over the country for PI were initiated by Romualdez.

“Mayroon namang movants talaga na (There are really movants for it)–well they were saying, they were accusing na it’s Speaker Romualdez doing this and that,” Tulfo said in an impromptu interview with House of Representatives reporters.

“May mga nagsasalita naman na (There are those saying that) it wasn’t the Speaker actually na, who initiated this,” he noted.

Tulfo continued: “Wherever they got that information, I don’t know. Siguro sinisiraan lang (Maybe it’s just slander).”

“But on my part, as communications head of Congress, wala namang instructions na ganun na (there are no instructions saying) ‘Let’s do this, let’s push this’…’may regalo sa SONA (this is a gift during the State of the Nation Address)’. There’s no such thing,” Tulfo explained.

A PI is one of three methods for Cha-cha. The other two are a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) and Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass).

Of the three methods, the PI is the one that is mostly hinged on public participation in order to launch off the ground. Thus, the need for carry out a signature drive.

Tulfo, also a popular broadcast journalist, said the PI wasn’t even mentioned during the last meeting of ranking congressmen that he was aware of.

“Last I heard, when the House leadership tsaka mga (and the) political party leaders [met], hindi naman napag-usapan yun eh na pipilitin na magkaroon ng PI, na kailangan ng signature campaign (PI or the need for a signature campaign wasn’t discussed),” he said.

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Meanwhile, former Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. in a separate interview Tuesday afternoon categorically identified the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)–Albay Chapter as the origin of the ongoing talks for PI.

“The LMP of Albay was the one who–ako’y inimbita at sila rin ang nagsulong doon sa Albay (They invited me and they were the ones who pursued it in Albay),” Garbin said.

“The rest, League of Cities and other civic organizations…and of course the local leaders, even chief executives, na kung saan mga barangay captains, mayors ang sumusulong (the barangay captains and mayors, they are the ones pursuing it). It snowballed from there,” said the former House Committee on Constitutional Amendments chairman.

Last Jan. 5, LMP President and Polangui Mayor Adrian Salceda announced during a meeting of the Albay chapter that a majority of the local mayors have expressed support for the ongoing signature drive for PI.

“We pledged to help gather as much signatures in support of charter amendments especially after learning from experts how the Constitution’s restrictive provisions hampered our progress as a nation,” Salceda said.

“We are at the forefront of understanding their needs, challenges, and hopes. This unique position has inspired us to take a proactive stance in the [PI], recognizing the urgent need for constitutional amendments that reflect the evolving dynamics of our society,” he added.