HOUSE Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said here that he welcomes the statement of some of the Bishops in the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) who criticized the ongoing people’s initiative that seeks to amend the 1987 Constitution.

Interviewed by newsmen shortly after addressing a gathering of over 4,000 people at the Dagupan City People’s Astrodome today, De Venecia said “it is important that we give due course to the statement (of the CBCP) that there should be full transparency and that these programs should be communicated adequately to the Filipinos people”.

He clarified however that the gathering of signatures from all parts of the country which was undertaken recently was only the first step in the people’s initiative.

The verification of the signatures by the Commission on Elections is step two, the action of the Comelec en banc to declare that the petition for charter amendment is sufficient as to form and substance is the third step, while the setting of plebiscite either in June or July is the next other step.

A similar clarification was stressed earlier last week by Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez who believes the people’s initiative was not being explained enough.

He stressed that during the campaign period that could be possibly scheduled by the Comelec sometime in June or July, it is there when wide-ranging debates pro or against will take place.
It is during the campaign period for the plebiscite when all the arguments and counter-arguments for or against the constitutional amendment, between the pros and the antis, will be adequately ventilated, he stressed.

“That is the time (campaign period) to show all the powerful arguments on both sides. Then there will be full transparency , full debates, and then and only then, will the Filipino people now decide to vote yes or no,” De Venecia pointed out.

The Constitution says the campaign period for the plebiscite must be held not earlier than 60 days or not later than 90 days.

“Imagine, debates of 60 days that can even go to 90 days where all these petitions, reforms, changes can be presented before the Filipino people, before the national media, before any one, before the searching eye of public scrutiny, he added.