Senators Imee Marcos, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa conducted a Senate hearing of the controversial People’s Initiative (PI) at Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Davao City on Friday.
The hearing was attended by the some of the city’s barangay captains and residents who acted as resource speakers and witnesses and gave their testimonies concerning the PI.
Marcos, chair of the Senate’s Committee on Electoral Reforms, noted the committee some reason over and over again that the people who signed the forms were either not properly informed of the objective of the signature campaign or misinformed that it is for the government’s “ayuda.”
“Paulit-ulit nating narinig ang hindi kaalaman ng ating mga mamayan tungkol dito sa pinapapirma na survey daw, yung iba naman inalokan pa at binigyan pa ng pera, yung iba coupon na lang at me sistema pa,” she said.
Barangay Captain Rene Estorpe of Brgy. Centro, Agdao testified that some of his personnel and staff were part of the groups running the signature campaign.
He said he was able to confiscate the forms and stopped the activity.
“Ang barangay ko isa sa mga barangays na gusto ng mga politiko. After I heard na may mga pinaiikot na signature campaign, inalam ko kung sino talaga ang involved and some of my personnel and staff are part of the signature campaign. That is why I called their attention at pinatawag ko sa office. These bundles of recoverd pirma pina-embargo ko dahil nakita ko wala talaga. Kinon-fiscate ko dahil hindi dumaan sa saktong proseso. Biktima man lang din ang mga trabahante ko sa barangay,” he said.
He said the signature forms were compensated with P4,000.
“Kaya lang baka hindi nila nakuha ang pera dahil nakuha ko ang mga forms na ito,” he said.
Barangay chair Robert Olan olan of Brgy. Bucana provided an affidavit saying he heard there was a gathering in the house of former Barangay Captain Rolando Trajera and signature forms were distributed for “ayuda”.
“Last January 9, 2024, I received information from my neighbors that there was a gathering in the house of the former Barangay Captain Rolando Trajera, a barangay coordinator of PBA partylist. When i heard the infromation, tinanong ko ang isa sa aking neighbors kung ano ang pinag-usapan nila at sabi nagbibigay sila ng forms for ayuda, AICS at financial assistance,” he said.
Olan olan warned his constituents by posting on his Facebook account not to trust them as Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (TUPAD) and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) are from the government offices like the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
“After posting maraming lumapit sa akin at nagsabi na sila ay naloko at gusto nilang i-withdraw ang mga signatures nila,” he said.
Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib also attended the hearing through a video call and presented the signature campaign conducted by some politicians in the province.
He said those who signed the forms were not informed what they were signing on.
“Nais kong ipaabot ang mga pangyayari na tila dala ng mga issues na makakasira sa ating constitution o sa buhay ng bawat Dabawnon. Hindi ko kayang isawalng bahala ang lahat bilang governor o ama ng Davao del Norte. Ngayon dumating na naman ito na tila nililinlang ang aking nasasakupan, ipakita ko ang aking presentation sa signature campain na ginawa ng iilang pulitiko dito sa probinsiya ng Davao del Norte. Para sa mga nakapag sign sa signature campaign, sila ay hindi na inform o na educate bakit pina-papirma sila nitong PI,” he said.
Go shared that during the last Senate committee hearing, they heard testimonies from various witnesses claiming they were paid to gather signatures for the proposed change to the constitution.
“Messages were also revealed offering allocation for social programs of the government, ginagamit po ito para lang makisama sila at makisali po sa “people’s initiative project”. Kung totoo ito, klaro na hindi ito tunay na People’s Initiative. Ito ay Politicians’ Initiative,” he said.
Go said the public money should be used for service to the Filipinos.
He stressed there is no substitute for help from the government.
“Ang pera ng bayan dapat gamitin para sa serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan. Walang kapalit ang tulong mula sa gobyerno. Pera ninyo po yan. Kung may sinuhulan, bribery po yan at hindi yan free will ng Filipino people. Dapat managot ang mga involved sa suhulan na ito. Kaya nga po tayo nandirito,” he said.
