FVR's PIRMA campaign = Arroyo's "People's Initiative"

It's Ramos PIRMA campaign all over again, but this time under the new name "People's Initiative".

I dug some old articles on how the kontra CHACHA during fvr's time did it.

ABS-CBN article 02/21/97

Oppositon unites to counter charter change

THE UNITED opposition has begun its own campaign against charter change. They call their movement "Kontra Diktadura", and they include veterans of the anti-Marcos movement.

If pro-Ramos forces are gaining ground with Pirma, the united opposition has launched "Kontra Diktadura", an information drive meant to fight charter changes.

Cebu City is the pilot area and Cagayan de Oro is next. The opposition is bringing back fears of a dictatorship to counter Pirma's signature campaign.

An opposition congresswoman likens their campaign to the next peaceful revolution since Edsa. Rep. Tessie Aquino-Oreta says, "the next peaceful revolution will unfold soon unless forces allied with Malacanang withdraw their bid to perpetuate themselves in power."

Veterans of the anti-Marcos movement are among those opposed to charter change. They're still seeking the support of the Catholic church. But Catholic lay groups have already joined the bandwagon.

Here's Senator Miriam's views on the PIRMA campaign back in 1997:

Santiago asks SC to widen scope of tro vs. signature drive

SENATOR Miriam Santiago is asking the Supreme Court to stop all groups and not just Pirma, from conducting a signature campaign to amend the Constitution.

Several groups, among them the Liga ng mga Barangay, have undertaken their own signature drive saying the temporary restraining order (TRO) only covers Pirma and the Commission on Elections.

Meanwhile, Santiago has the Senate's support in her fight against the 90-day suspension order slapped against her for graft.

She has fought her battles alone most of the time. But in her battle against a 90-day suspension order, Senator Santiago has the entire Senate behind her.

The Senate Legal Department is helping her appeal the suspension before the Supreme Court.

Senators say the suspension order by the Sandiganbayan violates the principle of separation of powers.

Santiago is being suspended for legalizing Chinese nationals during her stint as immigration commissioner when her power to do so was under question.

But the suspension is becoming a sidelight in the debate on the Charter. Santiago is the chairman of the committee on constitutional amendments. She says the 90-day suspension is meant to silence her.

Meanwhile, Santiago today asked the Supreme Court to amend its temporary restraining order against Pirma. Santiago wants the court to stop all signature campaigns aimed at amending the Constitution.

There is no proof of conspiracy between Malacanang and the Sandiganbayan. But the suspension could be used to dramatize the increasing tension between Malacanang and the Senate on the Charter issue.

PIRMA was also able to get 6 million signatures (at least 4.2 sigs were required then for constitutional amendments) without breaking a sweat.

The Constitution lists down three modes through which it can be amended: the people’s initiative, Congress convening itself into a constituent assembly, and a constitutional convention composed of elected delegates.

Pirma chose the people’s initiative mode, which requires that only one amendment be proposed per initiative, and specifies that an initiative may be conducted only once every five years. In this mode, a petition had to be signed by at least 12 percent of the nation’s registered voters, which should include at least 3 percent of voters in every legislative district.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is required to verify the signatures against the voters’ list. Once the Comelec finds the petition sufficient in form and substance, it sets a nationwide plebiscite on the proposed amendment.

If the yes vote wins, the amendment is submitted to Congress and implemented as the new law. The entire process, which the poll body is required to wrap up in not more than four months, is not just spelled out in the Constitution. It was fleshed out in Republic Act 6735 (or the Initiative and Referendum Act), the enabling law, and Comelec drew up the rules and regulations.

Pirma, with the help of other organizations in Access (Alliance of Concerned Citizens for Empowered Social Systems), more than met all the requirements for its initiative. In 1997, there were 35 million voters on Comelec’s list, which meant that Pirma needed at least 4.2 million verified signatures to warrant a plebiscite. As of July 1997, it had submitted to the Comelec 5.9 million signatures, or 17 percent of the total number of voters. Ramos’s national security adviser, Jose Almonte, claims that Pirma, his brainchild, gathered 11.5 million signatures.

Read the whole newsbreak article.

Anong ibig sabihin nito? getting these signatures will probably be a piece of cake for the arroyo admin, lalo na when it is reported that money will be raining on the baranggay chiefs for arroyo's cha cha drive.

More here from Pimentel and Pangilinan:

Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel said the interior department under Secretary Ronaldo Puno, provincial governors and municipal mayors have no business "acting as sponsors and organizers" on the move to amend the charter through a people’s initiative.

"Their involvement will violate the constitutional intent that it is the people who should directly propose amendments under the principle of people’s initiative," he said.

He said the people’s initiative "will not prosper if Malacañang, congressional and local government officials will act as prime movers and financiers."

Pimentel said the use of public funds in the charter change drive would also be a ground to nullify the process.

"With the use of government funds in this undertaking, what we have before us therefore appears to be a government initiative and not a people’s initiative," majority leader Francis Pangilinan said in a statement.

He reminded charter change proponents that a people’s "initiative is available only to amend not to revise the Constitution."

He said proposals to amend Article 6, 7 and 9 of the Constitution in order to shift to a parliamentary form of government with a single chamber "is tantamount to a revision and is not a mere amendment."

REad this article too on Carmen Pedrosa, the person behind the PIRMA campaign.