‘Wala kayong pakialam sa PI’: Romualdez slams Senate over people’s initiative

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Friday slammed his counterparts in the Senate, telling them to focus on their duties instead of meddling with the people’s initiative (PI) for Charter change.

Romualdez, in a press conference, stressed that the PI has nothing to do with the legislature.

“Wala kayong pakialam sa PI, yung PI trabaho na ‘yan ng taumbayan. ‘Yung mga congressman at mga senador, trabahuhin natin ang legislation,” Romualdez said.

(You have no business with the people’s initiative; that’s the job of the people. Congressmen and senators should work on the legislation.)

All 24 senators signed a manifesto against the PI, as the campaign asks that the House and the Senate vote jointly on whatever provisions of the Constitution will be amended.

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Romualdez then reminded all of the senators to “get your act together” and fix the supposed delays of the upper chamber to approve the priority legislations of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration.

“So let’s focus to work, get down to work. Buckle down, there’s just 24 of you, get your act together. Focus on your work, and stop hitting on Congress and maintain parliamentary courtesy, lest the 300 congressmen start picking on the delays you have caused,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez previously announced that the House had approved on final reading all but four of the 57 measures in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council  (Ledac) list.

The Ledac session with Marcos was postponed on Thursday in favor of holding separate meetings with the upper and lower chambers of Congress.