By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Saying that his meeting with the proponents of People’s Initiative (PI) was only as a “facilitator for healthy democratic processes,” House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Tuesday vehemently denied involvement in the reported vote-buying to gather signatures favoring charter change (Cha-Cha) through PI.
“The meeting with the People’s Initiative representatives was an exercise in this commitment. My role, as misinterpreted by some, is not as an orchestrator but as a facilitator for healthy democratic processes,” Romualdez stressed in a statement.
Earlier his cousin, Senator Imee Marcos, played video clips and news reports pointing to Romualdez and members of the House of Representatives as the ones behind the ongoing PI.
“I firmly deny any allegations of involvement in unlawful activities such as vote-buying related to this or any other initiative. Such practices are against my principles and the ethical standards of our government,” Romualdez maintained.
He claimed that representatives from the PI, including Noel Oñate, approached him for a meeting held in his townhouse.
“It is crucial to clarify that while I support the spirit of civic engagement and participatory governance, my involvement in the People’s Initiative has been purely advisory and in no way extends to mobilizing or leading their signature campaign. The initiative and its operations are entirely led and managed by the group themselves,” the Speaker emphasized.
He further said the public and the media should approach the issue of PI with an “understanding of the distinct roles” and “to avoid conflating support for civic discourse with direct involvement in specific initiatives.”
(el Amigo/MNM)
