Photo Release

PBBM assures PI to stop: Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri says President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to personally appeal to the House of Representatives and the other People’s Initiative (PI) initiators to stop the PI movement. In a privilege speech he delivered Monday, January 29, 2024, Zubiri said the President had expressed the need to protect the bicameral nature of Congress, which upholds the system of checks and balances within the legislative branch and strengthens the checks and balances between the different branches of government. He said the President in his own words said that it was getting out of hand. “From the start, it has been the Senate’s position that the so-called PI will be divisive to the nation and it will cost our nation our economic gains. We maintain that the ongoing People’s Initiative is flawed and unconstitutional and offers no solution to the problems most urgently affecting our people. We in the Senate, thank the President for his commitment and will remain firm in our vigilance against any attempts to destabilize our democracy,” Zubiri said. The Senate President also expressed his gratitude to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for coming out with an en banc decision to suspend all proceedings on the PI. Zubiri appealed to the HREP to adhere to the Constitution and abide by the intent of the framers. (Mark Pimentel/Senate PRIB)