Senators Grace Poe, Ronald “Bato” De la Rosa and Francis “Chiz” Escudero issued separate press statements on Wednesday (January 31) assailing the PI signature campaign for various flaws.

The senators aired their misgivings over PI bid a day after personalities behind it admitted the participation of Speaker Martin Romualdez and other Lower House members in reaching the required signatures for Charter change campaign to succeed.

Poe decried the PI campaign for charter change as being “flawed at the onset” because it focused on the manner of voting that Congress must observe when the Charter undergoes scrutiny and revised.

"It is inherently wrong. Maling-mali ang sinasabi sa tinatawag nilang People's Initiative (PI) kasi method na ang pinag-uusapan, voting jointly, imbes na yung mga probisyon na kailangang palitan," Poe said.

She aired strong doubts if the PI bid is indeed aimed at pursuing economic amendments to the Charter, pointing out that the specific provisions have not been “spelled out in the petition.”

"Bakit hindi na lang inilagay na: 'Sa ating mga kababayan, payag ba kayo na baguhin natin ang mga probisyon na nakatutok sa ekonomiya?' Kaso ang pinapapirmahan sa mga tao ay 'yung tungkol sa Congress voting jointly. So, malinaw na malinaw na meron silang ibang pakay dito," said Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs.

The manner of voting on proposed amendments has always been the issue that starts disagreement between Senate and the Lower House.

The Senate is against joint voting by the two chambers.

In a separate statement issued during the Tuesday hearing of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reform and People’s Participation, Dela Rosa declared that people behind the “fake people’s initiative” must be held accountable for their actions.

"Kahit po suspendido ng Commission on Elections ang pagtanggap ng mga pirma, kailangan pa rin nating bigyang linaw kung paano at sino ang mga nanloko sa ating mga kababayan para makakalap ng pirma para sa Politician's Initiative...Papanagutin natin ang mga mapagsamantala at manloloko," Dela Rosa said.

He stated: ”Nais po natin na hindi na maulit ang ganitong mga insidente kung saan animo'y itinulak sa bangin ang ating mga kababayan. Pinupuwersa nila at ginigipit ang ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mga naghihirap na ipagbili ang kanilang mga dangal kapalit ng kakarampot na salapi.”

Calling the PI a “politician’s initiative”, Escudero said the P12-billion fund earmarked by the Commission on Elections for the Charter change plebiscite must now be used for other purposes.

"It was neither in the President's proposed budget nor in the Comelec's original submission," Escudero said, adding that the fund was put there waiting for the about to be launched people's initiative (PI) to succeed, "the budgetary version of putting the cart before the horse."

"But now that the horse is dead; there is no more use for the cart," Escudero stressed. "Ang importante dapat 'no touch' na 'yang pondo na 'yan. Kasi kung nandiyan pa 'yan, baka bumangon pa sa libingan itong pekeng initiative.” he said.

Originally under 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the funding for this particular line item was P2,229,617,000. It was eventually increased by P12 billion to P14,229,617,000.

"Now that the President has taken a position against the people's initiative, and you (Comelec) are reviewing your rules, this is also an opportune time to revisit the P14 billion in your budget, realign it for the purpose of what you really need for example on capital outlays and personnel services such as the creation of positions which is well within your power to do so," Escudero told Comelec Chairman George Garcia who attended the Tuesday hearing.