HOUSE Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said he expected the opposition to go to the Supreme Court to question the holding of the nationwide people’s initiative in order to effect an amendment to the 1987 Constitution.

He told newsmen Saturday at his residence in Bonuan Binloc here that it would be good if the opposition will do this so that they can be clarified once and for all.

“We actually encourage the opposition to go to the Supreme Court so that they can be clarified (on the issue of people’s initiative) once and for all,” said De Venecia.

He stressed this even as he expressed optimism that people’s initiative exceeded the required signatures of 12 percent of the voters nationwide in order to effect amendment to the charter.

Asked on his opinion if this action by the opposition will delay the process and the setting up of a unicameral parliamentary government, De Venecia said: “I don’t think so”.

“How can the Supreme Court issue a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) against the Filipino people, issue a TRO against the powerful forces of public opinion, of citizens movement all over the Philippines and the sovereign Filipino people?” de Venecia asked.

He maintained that the sovereign will is higher than Malacañang, higher than Congress and higher than the Supreme Court, all put together.

People’s initiative is the direct action of the people, especially when they are seeing that the Senate and the House of Representatives are constantly quarreling and they are in gridlock, and the Senate and Malacañang “are always contending and fighting,” he said.

De Venecia lamented that they keep on approving bills in House of Representatives, yet these bills are not moving in the Senate.

He called the people’s initiative as “a movement whose time has come and therefore, is unstoppable”.