President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ordered the House of Representatives and other initiators to stop the People’s Initiative to amend the Constitution, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Monday.

In a press briefing with Senate Leaders, Zubiri said the President wanted lawmakers to discuss the amendment of the economic provisions but believed the people’s initiative was “getting out of hand”.

“People are already speculating on the possibilities of what this people’s initiative could do and so he (Marcos) said, he will stop. He said he will tell the initiators of the PI to stop,” Zubiri added.

Zubiri said Marcos told this when he met him at Malacanang with Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

He emphasized that the Senate has been against the people’s initiative from the start since it would be “divisive to the nation”.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced the indefinite suspension of all activities related to the People's Initiative.

In a hastily called press conference, Comelec chairman George Garcia said: "We are now effectively suspending the process, proceedings by the local Comelec of the signatures. Technically, the suspension of Resolution No. 10650 is already effective."

Garcia said their move is a proactive action of the Comelec in order to prevent potential legal battles in the future.

Garcia said they are also creating a special committee that shall undertake the review of the People's Initiative guidelines with Comelec Executive Director Teopisto Elnas Jr. heading the panel. Jaspearl Tan/DMS