PBBM ON ALLEGED PAID PEOPLE’S INITIATIVE SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN: COMELEC SHOULD INVALIDATE THEM

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said signatures in the People’s Initiative that had been obtained in exchange for money should be invalidated by the Commission of Elections.

“Well, pagkabinayaran ‘yung signature, hindi tatanggapin ng Comelec ‘yun. So walang magandang mangyayari,” he said in an interview after the official launching of the Lung Transplant Program of the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City.

Marcos also dismissed reports of signature-buying for such campaign, noting however some reports promising some benefits to entice voters to sign.

He said he will ask members of Congress if the reports are true.

“So, ang pagkakaalam ko hindi naman, wala namang ganoon. Ang sinasabi hindi bayaran ng cash, kundi nangangako ng kung anu-anong benefits. Tinitignan namin, sabi ko, “itinanong ko sa ating legislation, totoo ba ‘yan?,” he said.

President Marcos also addressed suggestions that agencies suspend their social services programs in order not to be unduly used in the initiative saying that the government cannot withhold or pause the implementation of any of its services as there are many Filipinos needing assistance.

“Hindi naman nagbago yung mga release natin, constant pa din. Hindi naman maganda din ‘yun kasi may mga nangangailangan talaga,” he said.

Marcos said instead, the Comelec should be allowed to do its job on validating the signatures.

“We just let Comelec do their job and their work to validate the signature. And if there’s suspicion na may ganoon nga ay hindi talaga mabibilang ang mga signature na ‘yun,” he said.

In order for a people’s initiative to be considered substantial, each congressional district must gather the signatures of at least 3 percent of its registered voters.