Gloria willing to risk civil war to push her stay beyond 2010

Senators vow to defeat PI plan

By Angie M. Rosales

08/06/2008

Senators yesterday vowed to exhaust all means to defeat the reported plan of President Arroyo and her local executives-allies in amending the Constitution through a People’s Initiative (PI) that would serve to make the Senate vote irrelevant on the issue of introducing amendments and revisions of the Constitution.

The plan of the PI to reduce the voting power of the Senate is to introduce a single amendment to the Charter that would have the Senate and the House of Representatives voting as a single body in these matters.

This way, moves by Congress, or more specifically, the House of Representatives, to call for a Constituent Assembly to revise or amend

At the same time, the United Opposition (UNO) yesterday admonished the Arroyo administration for putting at risk peace and stability in Mindanao in order to push Charter Change.

“It appears that the administration, driven by an obsessin to extend Mrs. Arroyo’s stay in power, has disregarded the people of Mindanao, and is even willing to risk civil war on the island,” Makati Mayor and UNO president Jejomar Binay said.

Binay said the Charter Change agenda of the Arroyo administration has been unmasked by the statement of Press Secretary Jesus Dureza that peace negotiations with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would require an amendment to the Constitution.

The opposition leader also said reports that local executives loyal to Mrs. Arroyo have been encouraged by Malacañang to mount another PI merely shows the extent to which the administration would go to prolong its hold on power.

“The administration is willing to risk civil war in Mindanao and, based on reports, even willing to bankroll another PI so it can continue misruling the country beyond 2010. This is clearly a desperate move and must be resisted by the people,” he said.

Senators said they were no longer surprised at the reported latest Palace plot, reviving the PI movement to effect Cha-cha and ensure the continued stay in power of Mrs. Arroyo.

While they expressed skepticism on whether this plan can take off, as efforts in the past have proved unsuccessful, senators remained confident that the Palace won’t be able to circumvent the laws to realize the President’s plan.

But they also vowed to exhaust all means to defeat the plan even as they belittled the latest scheme, this time snubbing Congress for approval and instead get the local government units (LGUs) into play.

The Upper chamber leadership immediately declared its position against this supposed plan, especially if efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution is only aimed at extending the term of office of the incumbents.

“We will oppose Cha-cha as a means to extend the life of this administration beyond 2010. I believe the effort is doomed to fail because the administration does not have the critical public support needed to make it happen,” Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan said.

Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., along with opposition colleagues, Senators Panfilo Lacson and Francis “Chiz” Escudero questioned the feasibility of the move, maintaining that such a scheme being eyed by the Executive would not work under the rule of law.

Yet, they said, there is reason to be vigilant of every move of the Palace especially with the issue of the peace accord with the Muslim separatist group being dangled by the Executive.

“Your banner angle cannot be ignored. People should be forewarned to be forearmed. We should guard against people’s initiative for a stay of President Arroyo beyond 2010. I fear that the MoA (memorandum of agreement) with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is no different from gasoline being poured into the fire consuming Mindanao,” Pimentel said.

The minority leader said he was no longer surprised at the reported plot to circumvent the law just so Malacañang won’t be needing the approval of Congress and the Senate especially, which has proved to have a hard-line stance against Cha-cha at this time, saying that he does not expect the administration to respect existing laws for as long as Mrs. Arroyo is in power.

“But if it’s true, let’s all oppose it. It’s evil in conception, it will be more evil in birth,” Pimentel added.

“It’s a here-we-go-again thing. They’re really pushing for it, whether Constitutional Assembly or PI. But the question is, will it succeed? Will it be supported by the people? Time and again this is being opposed and she would end up backtracking,” said Lacson in another interview.

He noted that efforts reviving a people’s initiative should be expected at this time as the next round of national polls is just around the corner.

“That’s the only agenda, to extend their life in office, not for anything but, extension of term or change in the form of government to lift the ban on reelection of the sitting president,” he said.

Lacson said it should likewise be expected from the administration that it will continue attempting to effect Cha-cha until it succeeds before the 2010 polls.

The senator, however, expressed reservations over the possibility of Supreme Court justices acceding to the plan saying that it comes as an insult to the judiciary, especially those appointed by Mrs. Arroyo.

Lacson and Sen. Pia Cayetano are alarmed at the alleged plan by the Palace, offering as sweetener to LGU executives the lifting of term limits and provision of funds to them in tens of millions of pesos.

“Whenever we hear things like this, that there will be funds to be disbursed, public funds are likely to be used again…I don’t see how they can fund an activity like PI in the face of too many probems and with widespread poverty, “Lacson said.

Cayetano said this probably would explain the reason Malacañang refuses to pour in funding to opposition projects as the laws provide for the appropriations of these undertakings.

“I would to think that they will not do that (dip their fingers into the national budget). I’d like to think that the President has accepted the fact that 2010 is around the corner and we are all looking for the next presidency,” she said.

“The people are tired of this scheme. I don’t think the people will tolerate any attempt to prolong the stay of the President in power. I don’t think they will accept that.

“But I’d like to trust that the SC, mostly composed of men of honor, who will standby what is constitutionally correct,” she said.

The Tribune Tuesday reported that two meetings were held between the President and her allies among local executives last Friday and Sunday to fine tune the move for a PI intended to ensure her stay in Malacanang beyond 2010.

Both meetings were held in the home of an Aboitiz known as a close confidante who lives in Makati City.

This was disclosed to the Tribune yesterday by a highly reliable source who is privy to the plans of Mrs. Arroyo to extend her stay in power and position.

For some reason, the plan for her extended stay through the PI is being kept from her allies in the House of Representatives at this time.

“They (congressmen) are not needed at this time,” the source said, because “it will be the local executives’ move to get the people’s initiative going.”

He added: “Forget about the memorandum of agreement with the MILF . That’s a red herring thrown by Malacañang. That is being used as a cover to get the Charter change going,” he said, adding that the “plan is all laid out for the People’s Initiative to get things going.”

The source also said that Mrs. Arroyo offered as “sweetener” to the LGU executives the lifting of term extensions which “delighted” the LGU allies present during the meetings.

The President also promised to fund, in the tens of millions, the PI, to ensure that this would get the required percentage of voters.

Back to top

For comments about this website:Webmaster@tribune.net.ph
The Daily Tribune © 2006