Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa lambasted the People’s Initiative rooted from “deception and fraudulent” attempts to amend the 1987 Constitution for politicians’ interests.

In revealing that some people were deceived to sign for the P.I. petition, Dela Rosa slammed what he described as “ill-intention” to destroy the very spirit of a democratic cry for change.

“I call on the persons behind this deceptive and fraudulent people’s initiative: Make amends. Not to our Constitution, but to the people, our people, whom you have maliciously enticed to unknowingly sell their future,” Dela Rosa said in a privileged speech during a plenary session in the Senate.

“The Senate will not allow and will therefore condemn any form of threat, coercion, or bribery that compromises the future of our country and our people,” he added.

Expressing support for Filipinos’ right to be heard, Dela Rosa said P.I. should not be “bastardized by enterprising politicians.”

“If the ill-intentioned have done their part in attempting to distort and destroy the very spirit of initiative, I implore this Senate: let us not allow such distortion to succeed. Let us take the initiative, so to speak, to protect our people from sinister motives. Protect, most, especially, the ones who are unable to do it for themselves,” he said.

Without naming anyone, the senator claimed that some lawmakers pushing for the P.I. intentionally disregarded the other methods for Constitutional Reforms—the Constituent Assembly and the Constitutional Convention—requiring concurrence from the Congress.

“Bakit po kaya hindi gamitin ng mga politician na nagsusulong ng Politician’s Initiative ang dalawang pamamaraan na nasa Konstitusyon kung gusto nilang baguhin ang ating Saligang Batas? Bakit hindi pa sapat sa ilang mga mambabatas na mapagkalooban ng dalawang pagpipilian para baguhin ang Konstitusyon? Kailangan ba na pati ang direktang inilaan para sa ating mga mamamayan ay kukunin at gagamitin ng mga gahamang politiko,” he said.

Dela Rosa urged those who were forced to sign the P.I. petition to appear before the Senate so that full accountability will be taken duly by those who took advantage of the “vulnerable sector.”

“Nakagagalit na silang mga bulnerable ang palaging target ng panlilinlang ng mga pulitikong may mga pansariling motibo. Nakakapanlumong isipin kung paano sinamantala ang kahirapan sa buhay ng mga mamamayan, para lamang sa pansariling kapakanan ng mga nasa kapangyarihan,” he said.

“This is an insult and outright affront to the space, duly afforded to us by the Constitution, a space intended to accommodate our people’s capacity to introduce reforms,” he added.