‘Stop this foolishness’
MALAYA
BY GERARD NAVAL
DECEMBER 12, 2008
CARDINAL Gaudencio Rosales, archbishop of Manila yesterday urged the congressmen allies of President Arroyo to stop their “foolish” moves to amend the Constitution before the 2010 national elections.
“Let’s stop all this foolishness!” Rosales told reporters on the eve of an interfaith rally against Charter Change.
Rosales echoed the statement of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines that Charter Change must take place only after the 2010 elections.
Manila auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said efforts to amend the Constitution by an administration with little if not zero credibility “is simply ridiculous.”
“Parang they have lost touch sa reality. Akala nila makukuha nila ang gusto nila,” Pabillo said.
Church-oriented groups are expected to lead around 70 multi-sectoral organizations, including the political opposition, in today’s rally in Makati City.
Organizers have predicted a crowd of 10,000 manifesting an “awesome display of unity” versus the revived Cha-Cha efforts.
Makati Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) president Jejomar Binay said Malacañang is intent on shifting to a parliamentary form of government with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as prime minister.
“Malacañang hopes they could contain the people’s indignation if the election in 2010 pushes through. However, it will be an election for parliament,” he said.
Binay said whether it’s a shift to the parliamentary system or a resolution canceling the elections, the end goal is to extend Arroyo’s hold on power.
He said should Arroyo’s House allies succeed in Charter Change and in a shift to a parliamentary form of government, Arroyo would most likely run for a seat in parliament, and with the chamber dominated by her allies, be named prime minister.
Binay vowed the political opposition, Church groups, civil society and people’s organizations will keep up the pressure until the administration abandons Cha-Cha.
“If Malacañang is ready to Cha-Cha, we are ready to rumble,” he said.
Former President Joseph Estrada confirmed he will attend the rally. He said he will represent the masses.
“This administration has deprived the Filipino masses of their chosen leader not just once, when they ousted me, but twice, when they cheated FPJ in 2004,” he said in a statement.
“We cannot and will not allow GMA or these power-hungry congressmen to stay in power beyond 2010 through charter change,” he said. “If Cha-Cha is allowed now, who will re-write the Constitution, these administration congressmen? We cannot entrust the future of our country to corrupt congressmen.”
Estrada will be joined by former members of his Cabinet, among them former Jose Pardo (trade), Benny Laguesma (labor), and Horacio Morales (agrarian reform).
Senators Panfilo Lacson, Jamby Madrigal, Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas and Manuel Villar will also be there.
“Inaanyayahan natin sumama lahat sa anti Cha-Cha rally, anti-Gloria Forever express na ang layunin lamang pahabain ang termino ng pangulo,” Roxas said.
Administration Sen. Edgardo Angara warned of an upheaval if Malacañang insists on tinkering with the Constitution.
He asked the President to stop her House allies from pushing Cha-Cha. “I think our primary concern now should be how to cope with this crisis looming over our heads, how to help people involved below the poverty line, how to help returning OFWs cope with this disaster.”
Legarda said the people are wary of all charter change moves by Malacañang, and are clamoring for more action on problems like the slowing economy, jobs being lost by Filipinos here and abroad, and survey results belying government’s claim that less Filipinos are poor or going hungry.
The Guardians Nationalist of the Philippines (GANAP), which broke up from the military-based Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc. headed by administration Sen. Gregorio Honasan, said they will participate in the rally.
GANAP is headed by Ernesto Macahiya, who was a protégé of Honasan.
Macahiya questioned the resolution of Speaker Prospero Nograles that would allow foreign nationals and companies to own lands in the country to attract foreign investments as he said the move is “short-sighted and unpatriotic.”
“No such `incentives’ to foreigners are given by China and Vietnam, yet both countries are awash with direct foreign investments while the country’s share of the global market is at the level of mere droplets,” he said. – With JP Lopez and Victor Reyes