The signature campaign for the people's initiative as a mode in changing the 1987 Constitution is now in full swing with officials in Oriental Negros and Dumaguete City supporting it.

Gov. George Arnaiz said that among the 20 municipal mayors in the province, only Mayor Junnifer Villegas of Vallahermoso town has not signified an intention to support the move.

He said the mayor is closely identified with a politician who is against charter change.

Arnaiz said the campaign which began this week will end after they have gathered the required number of signatures.

People's initiative is one of the three modes for amending the Constitution, in which, at least 12 percent of the total number of registered voters, and with every legislative district represented by at least three percent, for such an amendment. Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzales Jr., executive vice president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Oriental Negros chapter, disclosed that the league is now working on gathering at least three percent of the registered voters in each of the three districts in the province, which have a voting population of more than 500,000.

Gonzales said the system of the government must be changed from presidential to parliamentary in order to end the chronic "gridlock" between the two houses of the Philippine Congress.

Arnaiz, a close ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said, "We can easily get the required number of signatures, even up to 40 percent in our province."

However, Arnaiz said he warned local officials who are directly involved in the campaign that, "There should be no forgery, to maintain the integrity of the process." "I even told the barangay officials not to force the issue if they encounter resistance," Arnaiz said.

The signature campaign is also expected to go massive in the synchronized barangay assembly tomorrow, as provided in Memorandum Circular No. 2006-25 issued by Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar.

The circular directs all punong barangays to conduct their barangay assemblies on March 25 and October 21, this year.

Jofralito Lorico, provincial local government operations officer, said the assembly may discuss the people's initiative, since the memorandum circular requires the discussion of current issues affecting the country.*RA

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