Bayan Muna launches call for Cha-cha petition withdrawal

The Bayan Muna party list group on Sunday started distributing withdrawal forms or an “Affidavit and Manifestation of Withdrawal” to Filipinos who believe they were “duped” into signing the people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution.

“I previously signed the signing sheet as part of a People’s Initiative to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution and the signing sheet of this People’s Initiative has been submitted to the Comelec District/City/Provincial/National Office,” a section of the affidavit reads.

“It is my intention, by the filing of this Affidavit of Withdrawal, to WITHDRAW my signature therefrom, and hereby inform the Comelec to consider my signature withdrawn from the same,” it continued.

According to lawyer Neri Colmenares, the Bayan Muna chair, “these forms will help right a wrong and prove that there is deceit involved in the fake people’s initiative drive.”

Colmenares has been a staunch defender of the Constitution and has repeatedly emphasized that amending the Charter will not address poverty and corruption.

COLMENARES ATTENDS HEARING ON RED-TAGGING Atty. Neri Colmenares, former Bayan Muna Partylist representative, physically attends the hybrid hearing of the Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation on Senate Resolution No. 559. -SENATE PRIB

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva had earlier called the initiative “fake” and claimed that his office has proof that some members of the House of Representatives have been pushing for it.

He likewise claimed that some signatories did not even know what they were signing up for.

These accusations, however, have been consistently denied by the private group leading the signature campaign.

POE LEADS SCRUTINY OF DOTr BUDGET Sen. Grace Poe presides over the Finance Subcommittee K’s deliberation of the proposed 2024 budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies.

‘Fake initiative’

Sen. Grace Poe, however, claimed that the signature campaign only seeks to further political interests, not address issues that matter to the Filipino.

“In the debate over this fake initiative, some people are once again prioritizing politics over the country’s issues,” Poe said in a statement on Sunday.

She, however, did not name who she was referring to.

According to Poe, amending the Constitution is the last thing on Filipinos’ minds as other issues continue to prevail such as increased hunger and inflation.

VILLANUEVA SUPPORTS SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva hopes that the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health will finally be removed by establishing policies such as a school-based mental health program. -Senate PRIB

“Why do we say that this is a fake initiative being pushed by politicians? Let’s look at the surveys. According to one survey regarding the issues that concern our people, only 1 percent of our countrymen said they are concerned about Cha-cha (Charter change),” the senator said in Filipino and English.

She was referring to a Jan. 22 survey, which showed that most Filipinos are concerned about controlling the high prices of goods and not Charter change.

“This is clear from our surveys: our people have more important things on their mind. The high prices of goods. Jobs. Higher salaries. Food. They are struggling, they are hungry,” Poe said in Filipino.

Further, the senator called on the public to shun the “fake initiative.”

“We, in the Senate, are ready to work and focus on the things that matter—and we hope the House is ready to set aside this [people’s initiative] and do the same,” she pointed out.