Stop this foolishness: Koko appeals to PBBM to step in Cha-cha brouhaha

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III called upon President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to intervene in the ongoing Charter Change brouhaha, warning that the House of Representatives' continued hijacking of the people's initiative is seriously disrupting legislative works.

"Stop this foolishness," Pimentel said in a television interview on Thursday.

"I hope the President will now step in and exercise the power and prerogatives of his office to stop this foolishness," he said.

"Kami sa minority, alam namin na iisa lang ang bansa natin. We rise and fall on the performance of this administration. Therefore, we want this administration to succeed," Pimentel said.

"Our role is to criticize, comment and test the ideas of this administration and the Senate majority," he added.

Pimentel, thus, raised concerns about the disruption of legislative works caused by the House of Representatives' hijacking of the people's initiative, labeling this action as "wrong and immoral."

The 1990 bar topnotcher and former Senate President explained that if the House leadership is keen on amending the Constitution, the available mode for legislators is through a constituent assembly.

"If you really want to amend the Constitution, let us not hijack the mode reserved for the genuine people's voice," Pimentel said.

"This is an abuse and a mistaken use of the third mode of amending the Constitution - people's initiative - because na-hijacked na ng House of Representatives and proseso," he said.

Pimentel added: "If they have brilliant ideas, the mode reserved for them is through a constituent assembly at huwag nilang i-hijack yung people's initiative kasi para sa taumbayan yun."

The minority leader said that due to the House of Representative's alleged interference, there are now doubts if this is really a people's initiative.

"Ang ibig bang sabihin, ang naunang naisip ng taumbayan ay procedural at palakasin ang kapangyarihan ng House of Representatives at sila na ang bahala. Do you think that's people's initiative?" Pimentel said.

Pimentel is referring to the amendment included in the so-called people's initiative that will allow Congress to vote jointly.