NSA’s spiel on transition chief a ‘trial balloon’

03/31/2009

The opposition yesterday dismissed as a “trial balloon” the proposal made by National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales for a transition president to govern the country for the next two to three years.

“The intention is to introduce the concept of a transition president to the public, without admitting that they intend to cancel elections and install President Arroyo as transition president,” United Opposition (UNO) president and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said.

He also noted that dropping the names of former President Joseph Estrada and El Shaddai charismatic group leader Bro. Mariano “Mike” Velarde as possible transition presidents is intended to divert attention from the administration’s plan to extend Mrs. Arroyo’s stay in power.

“Gonzales left out the substantial part. According to reliable reports, the administration’s original plan to is cancel elections in 2010 and allow Mrs. Arroyo to lead as transition president until the change from a presidential to a parliamentary form of government is completed,” he stressed.

Should that plan fail, Binay said the fallback plan is to hold elections for parliament in 2010, where Mrs. Arroyo will run for a seat representing Pampanga and later get herself proclaimed as prime minister.

Gonzales was reported as saying the country’s “dysfunctional politics” needed to be overhauled because it has abetted corruption, and contributed to hunger, poverty, crime and rebellion.

“This is an accurate summation of the last seven years under the Arroyo administration, as described by the National Security Adviser,” he said.

Earlier, Binay renewed the opposition’s call

for Mrs. Arroyo to step down from office, saying the country will never be certain that elections will push through in 2010 or that elections will be clean while she remains in Malacañang.

“We do not need political instability at a time of economic crisis. We need to ensure that the Constitution is upheld, elections will be held as scheduled, and that the people will be free to elect the candidate of their choice. To achieve this, the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo would be a first step,” he said.

Binay cited the determined drive by pro-Arroyo congressmen to amend the Constitution through a Constituent Assembly (Con-ass), a move widely seen as a ploy to extend Mrs. Arroyo’s hold on power beyond 2010.

The move, he said, is certain to trigger political unrest since Filipinos are widely dissatisfied with her rule.

While the Commission on Elections is set to automate the 2010 electoral exercise, Binay maintained that the opposition is not ignoring the Arroyo administration’s “awesome capacity to cheat.”

He said if Mrs. Arroyo indeed plans to step down in 2010, then she should have stopped her congressmen sons from actively soliciting votes for the Con-ass resolution authored by Rep, Luis Villafuerte, the president of her party, Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi).

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, for his part, said Gonzales’ proposal has no constitutional basis.

“His proposal is a sure prescription for instability,” the senator said.

Biazon noted that it is surprising that such proposal would come from the Chief Executive’s National Security Adviser as the idea obviously is not within his task.

“His proposal is understandable if he is a political adviser, but not as a National Security Adviser whose role should be to promote stability, not court political instability,” he pointed out.

Such proposition, Biazon said, could only elicit several interpretations with regard to possible motives.

“In the end, that proposal could be interpreted as a push for a constitutional amendment through Cona-ass that is now being pursued by the administration supporters or a suspension of the constitution before the constitutionally mandated conduct of election in May next year,” Biazon said.

Speaker Prospero Nograles had announced that the House will start floor debates on Villafuerte’s Con-ass resolution on April 13.

Considering a massive opposition to constitutional amendment in the form or in the mode being proposed by the administration through a Con-ass, the Gonzales proposal can only result in political instability for this country, he noted.

But Malacañang could not explain how Gonzales came out with his proposal and instead recommended that the NSA to do the talking on how this can be made possible.

“That can be explored but with nearing 2010 elections... The President is all for political reform being part of her agenda (policy),” presidential deputy spokesman Lorelie Fajardo said.

“We are not privy to the plans of the President beyond 2010. She wants clean, honest and automated elections by 2010. That is clear,” she added.

But this statement was only in reaction to the report that Mrs. Arroyo will run for a congressional seat in Pampanga allegedly to escape several charges of non-bailable crimes she reportedly committed during her presidency which gives her immunity from suits.

Fajardo said the President has nothing to worry about, contrary to claims of the opposition that she will be facing non-bailable charges when she steps down in Malacañang next year.

“The President has nothing to worry about on cases. These are all accusations, if they want to file charges they are free to do so,” the Palace official added.

Angie M. Rosales and Riza Recio

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