People’s initiative has reached required number of signatures — Salceda

Proponents of the people’s initiative have already reached the 12 percent requirement for signatures to amend the 1987 Constitution, Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said on Wednesday.

In a radio interview, Salceda claimed that the controversial people’s initiative for charter change gathered enough support from the public despite the Senate’s strong opposition against it.

“As of last night, we’ve reached the 12.1 percent threshold; we have already reached the mandate of the people. So the Constitution should operate as provided,” he said.

“It is easy to do name-calling but the 12.1 percent of the population have signed on. I think they (senators) think lowly of the people. They won’t sign documents without fully understanding it,” he added.

The 1987 Constitution provides three ways to change the Charter: through a constitutional convention, a constituent assembly, or a people’s initiative.

To amend the constitution through people’s initiative, those who advocate for it should gather at least 12 percent of voters nationwide, or 3 percent of voters in each district across the country.

There are 254 legislative districts in the Philippines.

Salceda made the remarks after the Senate issued a strongly worded manifesto to express opposition to the ongoing people’s initiative purportedly carried out by members of the House of Representatives.

All 24 members of the Senate signed the manifesto against the people’s initiative which they said claimed proposes only one change in the charter—to “eliminate the Senate from the equation.”

Speaker Martin Romualdez earlier denied a hand in the signature campaign for a people’s initiative that allegedly involves vote buying.

“I vehemently denounce any allegations of bribery or unethical practices in persuading citizens to sign the petition for the People’s Initiative. Such actions, if true, would violate the initiative's spirit of honest and voluntary participation and erode our democratic foundations,” Romualdez said in a statement.

“The House does not endorse or sanction direct participation by its members in signature gathering, ensuring the process's integrity and independence remains intact,” he added.

He, however, noted that the lower chamber remains committed to supporting the people’s initiative, saying it is an “essential democratic process” that stands as a direct expression of the people’s will, and provides a means for citizens to propose constitutional amendments.