Charter change is not what the Filipinos need, Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Wednesday, January 24.
The statement was made after all the members of the Senate signed the manifesto tumbling down the People's Initiative (PI) for charter change on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
According to Hontiveros, the senators united to oppose the PI, as it is not what the public needs.
"Excuse me, hindi naman po 'yan ang kailangan natin. Eh kahit sa lahat po ng survey ng ating mga kababayan ngayon, wala naman hong nabasa doon na sinasabi ng Pilipino, 'ang kailangan ko para sa aking pamilya ay charter change'," Hontiveros said during an exlusive interview in Damdaming Bayan.
"Ang kailangan ay ibaba ang presyo ng bilihin, itaas ang sweldo, ang sahod, i-check talaga ang China sa pang-aabuso sa ating mga mangingisda sa West Philippine Sea, solusyonan ang maraming latak at kalat ng nakaraang administrasyon," she added.
Aside from this, Hontiveros said PI is a mockery of the proper amendment of the current 1987 Constitution.
"Itong di umanong People's Initiative ay hindi po inisyatibo ng taong bayan, ito po ay pambabastos doon sa isang mode ng pag-amyenda ng konstitusyon na nakalagay sa mismong konstitusyon natin," the Senator said.
Hontiveros added that the PI's signature campaign is also disrespectful to Filipinos since people are paid to sign.
"Ito po'y pambabastos sa tao dahil akala nila sa pagbayad di umano ng isang daang piso bawat pipirma ay okay na at makukuha ang totoong informed consent ng mamayaan. Akala nila sa paglabas lamang ng TV commercial ay okay na," she said.
Meanwhile, Hontivers assured that the Senate will always be firm in making sure that the charter change will not be imposed, noting that it is one with the Filipino people.
It can be recalled that on January 16, Senate President Juan Miguel 'Migz' Zubiri, Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda, and Senator Sonny Angara filed a Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 seeking to amend certain economic provisions under the current constitution.
Senator Joel Villanueva, however, told reporters that "a lot of senators are not interested anymore" in pushing for the aforementioned resolution.
