The majority of the mayors in Negros Occidental are in favor of Charter change but there is no consensus yet on how it should be done, Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, Negros Association of Chief Executives president, said on Tuesday, January 16.
He said Pulupandan Mayor Miguel Peña, League of Municipalities of the Philippines – Negros Occidental chapter president, is okay with economic and political amendments, but not with foreigners owning land.
“I believe the Senate will look into the economic provisions for education, public services, and advertising,” Benitez said.
“The people’s initiative should be truly the people’s initiative”, he stressed.
A “people’s initiative” signature campaign calling for the amendment of the 1987 Constitution has started in Cadiz City.
Cadiz City private groups have initiated the campaign, Mayor Salvador Escalante said on Tuesday.
He said the leader of one of the groups approached him to ask for permission to initiate the “people’s initiative”.
The group asked for clearance from him to begin the “people initiative” and he referred the matter to Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2nd District) who said they could go ahead, there is no problem with it, the mayor added.
The Cadiz groups started last week and he has not monitored any signature buying, Escalante said.
The Liga ng mga Barangay in Cadiz has not initiated a similar signature drive, he said.
Escalante said he and Marañon are in favor of amending the economic provisions of the Constitution.
A petition in favor of any constitutional amendment would need to be signed by 12 percent of the total number of registered voters in the preceding election, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least 3 percent of the registered voters, the Constitution states.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson earlier said that while he favors amendments to the Constitution’s economic provisions, he would not get involved in the “people’s initiative” signature drive.
Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer also said on Tuesday that he was not aware of “people’s initiatives” in Negros as he does not plan on getting involved.
Ferrer said he leaves it to the people to initiate such move and he hopes they understand what they are signing.
“Let the people decide if they want Charter change or not, I will not get involved,” he said.*