HOUSE Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe on Friday urged the Senate to terminate its inquiry into the alleged bribery of voters in the signature-gathering campaign of people’s initiative (PI) advocates.
Dalipe said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has already decided to indefinitely suspend the acceptance of PI signatures and has in fact asked PI advocates to retrieve their signature sheets from local Comelec offices.
He added that senators may also be losing interest in Senator Marcos’ hearing, judging from the thin attendance in Davao City and continued failure of the witnesses to present evidence of alleged bribery.
He reiterated his call for the Senate to help Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zuburi to beat the leadership’s self-imposed deadline to pass Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6.
“Magtulungan na lang para maipasa ang RBH 6, sigurado wala na ang PI,” Dalipe said.
The House leader said the poll body has also told the public that it is busy preparing for next year’s mid-term elections and that it would have no time for a plebiscite should a people’s initiative succeed.
“This means that the PI is in the freezer, for now. So what is there to investigate, unless the purpose is to target some personalities, embarrass them? The Senate inquiry is just a waste of taxpayers’ money that could otherwise be used for productive purposes,” he said
