Romualdez sidesteps allegation he ordered People's Initiative signature driveMANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez has shrugged off a senator’s allegation that he ordered lawmakers to gather signatures for the campaign to amend the 1987 Constitution via People’s Initiative. During a press conference on the same day, Dela Rosa, who is against the People’s Initiative, said Romualdez gave marching orders for House lawmakers to collect signatures for the People’s Initiative campaign. Several minority House lawmakers first flagged the People's Initiative campaign in early January after they received reports that local executives were being mobilized to distribute the petition forms and pay people to sign them. The petition being circulated for the People’s Initiative campaign does not propose any change to the Constitution’s economic provisions. While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has criticized the People’s Initiative campaign for being “too divisive,” according to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, he has not ordered to stop the signature drive.
