Drilon hails SC decision junking People's Initiative

Senator Franklin M. Drilon today hailed the decision of the Supreme Court rejecting a petition by pro-Charter change groups with the active support of Malacañang to amend the 1987 Constitution through a people's initiative.

"I hail the members of the Supreme Court who rejected this People's Initiative of the Sigaw ng Bayan and Malacañang to amend the 1987 Constitution," said LP President Franklin Drilon in a prepared statement.

"The admirable and impressive sense of independence shown by these justices in the face of the brazen-face pressures applied by powerful self-serving politicians not only restores the people's faith on the rule of law but also reinforces public confidence on our democratic system and its institutions," Drilon said.

"This decision will certainly increase the people's trust on the Supreme Court as the final arbiter of sensitive issues that divide the people," Drilon added. "It also underscores that propriety and decency in governance can prevail despite the relentless efforts of a power-hungry and unscrupulous few. Indeed, the Supreme Court now stands tall as a reservoir of independence and integrity," Drilon said.

Drilon appealed to Malacañang and its supporters "to put the issue behind us now so that we can address the more important problems of the country such as the need for more effective poverty-alleviation programs and providing better basic social services to the people."

Voting 8-7, the Supreme Court dismissed the consolidated petitions for a People's Initiative to amend the Constitution by shifting the present bicameral-presidential form of government to a unicameral form of government.