Senator Dela Rosa asks Comelec to assist individuals on signatures withdrawal

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to offer avenues for individuals who were deceived into signing signature forms for the contentious People’s Initiative (PI) aimed at amending the 1987 Constitution.

During the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation’s inquiry into the alleged buying of signatures for the PI, Dela Rosa raised the grievances of Davaoeños who had already affixed their signatures to the sheets.

“At our previous hearing in Davao City, the people who signed were extremely angry. They really wanted to retract their signatures,” Dela Rosa conveyed to Comelec officials, emphasizing the urgency for action on the part of Comelec.

Acknowledging Comelec Chairman George Garcia’s statement that no existing regulations cover signature withdrawal in PI endeavors, Dela Rosa shared the challenge faced by the regional director in assisting fellow Davaoeños in retracting their support for the initiative.

While Garcia clarified that there may be no criminal liability due to the absence of regulations concerning signature withdrawal, he noted potential administrative liabilities under Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

In response to Dela Rosa’s concern, Garcia assured that Comelec would promptly issue guidelines to their local offices to aid election officers in handling signature withdrawal cases.

Expressing gratitude for Garcia’s commitment, Dela Rosa emphasized the injustice of offering false promises of social assistance in exchange for signatures, particularly for ordinary citizens.

He urged Comelec to expedite the issuance of guidelines to their personnel on the ground, highlighting the readiness of individuals to retract their signatures if given the clearance to do so.

The Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation initiated a series of hearings following concerns raised by Dela Rosa and other senators regarding the “politician’s initiative.”

Politics New: Senator Dela Rosa asks Comelec to assist individuals on signatures withdrawal