MANILA -- Some residents of Quezon City claimed they were offered wrong information by the person who approached them to sign the petition to amend the 1987 Constitution.

The petition seeks to revise a provision in the charter, so that the Senate and the House of Representatives may vote jointly on proposals to amend the Constitution. Having the House and the Senate vote together on constitutional amendments would mean that the 24-member upper house would easily be outnumbered by the lower house, with over 300 members.

• Charter change through People's Initiative: What is it?

“Sabi para sa mga solo parent daw ‘yun... Dalawang page ang pinirmahan namin... Para ata sa COMELEC ‘yung isang piraso... Sabi kasi nila, ‘yung mga patay daw ata nakakaboto pa... Para wala raw dayaan,” a resident of Barangay Pinyahan told ABS-CBN News.

She added that the person getting her signature did not inform her it was a move to support charter change. But she signed the document anyway, without thoroughly reading the details.

Another resident of the same village said she was told to sign a similar document if she wants to be part of the so-called “big family” list.

“May inaalok sila agad na big family... Wala pa po ba kayo sa big family? Pwede kayong mag-sign. Pumirma po kayo rito para makasama kayo sa listahan ng big family. Tapos ‘pag may bigayan, abot sa mga big family, makakatanggap ka rin,” the resident narrated.

But when she read the document, she noticed that it is for an entirely different matter -- amending the Constitution.

When the resident sought an explanation, she was told: “Kapag pumirma ka rito, pagka naipatupad ito, magiging batas na rin ang AICS at TUPAD.”

The mentioned government programs provide assistance to individuals in crisis situations, as well as displaced and disadvantaged workers. The Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Health have both stressed on Tuesday that support for the charter change initiative is not a condition for availing government aid.

• Support for charter change not among the conditions to qualify for government aid: DOLE, DOH
• Department of Health distances self from charter change talk

Bayan Muna Chairperson Neri Colmenares said his group received similar reports of alleged “deception” to gather support for cha-cha.

“Medyo panlilinlang ‘yan. Kasi kahit walang cha-cha, kung gusto ‘yang (AICS, TUPAD) gawing batas ng Kongreso, edi magiging batas ‘yan, may cha-cha man o wala,” he explained.

Colmenares said Bayan Muna is gathering evidence to support the reports, which may be used should the charter change initiative be challenged in the future.

The chairman of Barangay Pinyahan, meanwhile, distanced the village officials from the signature campaign for cha-cha, saying it was launched by a citizens’ group, but he has yet to receive information that money or government aid was being offered to lure residents into signing.

• Albay officials deny bribery allegations surrounding people’s initiative for charter change
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