By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Imee Marcos said that the House Speaker Martin Romualdez was involved on the signature campaign for the people’s initiative for Charter change.

“Napakaraming text, utos, napakaraming form, lahat nanggaling sa kanila. Yung schedule, yung timeline, yung form, clearly derives from the Speaker’s office… Kumpleto pa yung pangalan ng kaniyang mga assistant, si Atty. ‘ek-ek’ at yung isang staff member, maliwanag naman kung san galing,” she said.

Marcos said that she have reached this decision after seeing the alleged paper trail of materials and other documents pertaining to the people’s initiative.

President Bongbong Marcos’ elder sister pointed out that the office of the House Speaker offered at least P20 million per district foe tue signature campaign.

“Definitely opisina niya ang nag-alok ng P20 million kada distrito, definitely galing sa kanila yung timeline na July tapos na ang lahat… That derived from his office with very clear numbers identifying the staff members at attorneys involved,” she said.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Renowned social critic Randy David, recognized for his rationality and objectivity, has cast uncertainty regarding whether President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. or his cousin, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, was involved in the “EDSA-pwera” commercial promoting charter change (Cha-Cha), which debuted on primetime television last week in Manila.

“I doubt that President Marcos or his first cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez would wish to premise a productive discussion on Charter change on the supposed failures of Edsa. They are back in power; the last thing they need is to open old wounds and awaken dormant animosities. That advertisement does them a disservice; I don’t believe they’re behind it,” David wrote in his January 14 column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The former chairman of the Bukluran sa Ikauunlad ng Sosyalistang Isip at Gawa (BISIG) who is also a respected long-time sociology professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman noted that Marcos Jr. “knew better than to demean Edsa in his carefully planned route to the presidency.”

BISIG was a loose socialist coalition in the late ’80s composed of former national democrats, ex-social democrats, and remnants of the pro-Soviet 1930 Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP).

It was disbanded sometime in the ’90s, with then former soc-dem BISIG Secretary General Ronald Llamas forming the Akbayan party-list.

David pointed out that the commercial only sparked discussions on the significance of the 1986 People Power Revolution, instead of making new arguments on why the 1987 Constitution should be amended.

“Why would he (PBBM) risk antagonizing them by blaming the post-Marcos Constitution for the country’s supposed stagnation?” David asked.

David further noted that Marcos Jr. would know better than to antagonize those who still find the People Power Revolution significant considering his efforts to differentiate himself from former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

He stressed that any attempt for Cha-Cha —particularly the proposed shift to a parliamentary system— should be premised on the desire to improve people’s lives instead of personal motivations.

“Whatever the justification for the shift may be, it should never be to merely accommodate the ambitions of anyone who is not electable nationally. By the same token, opposition to a parliamentary shift must not be motivated by a mere wish to ensure that a ‘strong’ presumptive candidate is not denied the presidency in 2028,” David concluded.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MINCING NO WORDS, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday assailed China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the latest of which was China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel colliding with a Philippine resupply boat off Ayungin Shoal within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The Speaker noted that the CCG’s collisions with Philippine boats have placed the lives of passengers in the vessels in danger and regional peace and stability at risk.

“We, at the House of Representatives, vehemently condemn China’s recent actions that led to the collision of its Coast Guard vessel 5203 with the private resupply vessel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Romualdez said in a statement.

He called on China to adhere to maritime laws to ensure the safety of all parties concerned.

“Such actions not only jeopardized the lives of those onboard but also threatened regional peace and stability,” Romualdez stressed.

The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president said the Philippine government will “exhaust all diplomatic initiatives” and mobilize the support of the international community to prevent these “unlawful acts” by China.

“We implore China to adhere to international maritime laws and standards, act with restraint, and guarantee the safety of all vessels in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

(ai/mnm)