How to get their "initiative"

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor ERIC T. LORETIZO Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

What will be taken up in the so-called coordinated barangay assemblies being convened all over the country this weekend?

When he was in Bacolod City early this week, House Speaker Jose de Venecia, probably the most aggressive advocate of the option called People's Initiative for charter change, said this would be launched all over the country tomorrow. Under this system, proponents must secure the signatures of 12 percent of all registered Filipino voters.

Suspicions have come up, however, that the effort to secure the required percentage will be made through not exactly transparent means, because some local groups have reportedly discovered that, while the barangay assemblies are ostensibly intended to discuss and get the people's inputs on the proposal to change the present Constitution, there does not appear to be any specific agenda for it.

Furthermore, some media entities have also gotten the impression that the assemblies may only be used to collect the required signatures. One of them has reportedly acquired a copy of the Cha-cha signature campaign form. The form includes questions so pointedly tailored to support the so-called People's Initiative mode that one can only wonder at their blatancy.

After the long-winding question consisting of 59 words, excluding the question mark, that obviously cannot be answered "NO" without sounding as if respondent is against "greater efficiency, simplicity and economy in government," the voter has to sign under the words: "I hereby approve the proposed amendment to the 1987 Constitution. My signature herein which shall form part of the petition for initiative to amend the Constitution signifies my support for the filing thereof".

One wonders what modes of persuasion will the solicitors of the signatures be using to pile up the almost five million names to ram the initiative method down the citizenry's throats.*