Tacloban City (October 28) -- The decision of the Supreme Court on the petition to reverse the COMELEC ruling on the people’s initiative issue illustrates a real picture -- the alleged pressure on the Supreme Court was not coming from the Administration, after all, but from other quarters.

Such opinion was raised by many people after the Supreme Court made its 8 – 7 decision to dismiss the petition of Sigaw ng Bayan and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines.

The decision is a case of “history repeating itself.” In the case filed by Senator Mirriam Defensor years back, there was also a tie in the decision and the tie was also broken in favor of dismissing the then petition.

If there is one thing that stands true, it is the fact that Constitutional reform has been and will remain part of the agenda of the Administration in the interest of the nation. Never, should this be construed as a command upon the people or the Courts.

The President has always been very transparent in pursuing her vision of political renewal and she has, time and again, showed that she will not interfere with the democratic processes in order to achieve it.

Definitely, the pressure was not coming from the Administration as the detractors have been announcing just before the decision was passed. If the pressure was from the Palace, then the Court should have voted in favor of the petition.

If indeed, there was pressure, then it would have come from the other camp who triumphantly jumped with joy after the tie vote was broken and the decision was announced. There was and there still is a clamor for a change in the country’s political system. Such clamor is from the more than 6.3 million Filipinos who signed the people's initiative. It is hoped that at the end of the day, one can truly say that the magistrates have not been insensitive to it.