Gloria Forever, part 3
Its looking more like one day soon we will wake up under a new form of government. Despite all of their protestations and denials, leaders of the Lower House filed a resolution today to convene the House into a constituent assembly.
Resolution 1109 has the signatures of at least 173 congressmen.
Here’s the scenario being offered by many pundits and observers:
Another 25 or 30 more signatures and the Arroyo regime’s allies in the Senate will question the senate-less assembly before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, presumably because it is now packed with Arroyo loyalists, will either sit on the case or rule in favor of the House.
If the Court sits on the case, the House will pass its amendments and throw them to the Comelec, who presumably will be pliant enough to schedule a plebiscite, which–despite overwhelming public opposition to charter change and thanks to the operators in the Comelec–will ratify the amendments and we will wake up one day soon with a new Constitution devoid of term limits and a president or prime minister for life.
Of course we’ve all heard that before. The difference is that as of today..it is no longer speculation. It is actually happening.
Good luck to us.
April 23rd, 2009 00:32
http://mav-equalizer.blogspot.com/2009/03/gloria-arroyo-will-use-russian-putin.html
The administration’s presidential bet is going to be a puppet of Gloria Arroyo and is going to be used as a tool for Charter change.
April 23rd, 2009 06:59
Power is addictive….
Politics Philippines style is about power. Power is addictive, and it always corrupts. Those who have power fear losing it.
April 23rd, 2009 09:02
Why don’t the people supporting the “chacha” just wait until after the 2010 presidential election. That way all these speculations that this will only pave way to the extension of the President’s term (which is more likely than not) will finally stop.
I am not against the “chacha”, but I think it is a waste of effort and resources at this condition we are in now. I would gladly see the people in the government change rather than the constitution.
April 23rd, 2009 09:10
I have a question. Please don’t take this as support for the idea of charter change, but my question is:
So what?
A lot of people are screaming that the sky will fall down if charter change is allowed to happen. But will it really?
Every 6 years, we elect or reelect our leaders, but nothing ever changes. The new ones are just as corrupt, or become as corrupt, as before. Occasionally we overthrow those guys and install a whole new batch, but they are no different. In fact, the most recent batch seems to be worse than the previous gang.
It is an almost absolute certainty that Gloria Arroyo will not be prosecuted for anything after she leaves office, because this society does not have it in them to do that. So what’s the difference if she stays in office or not?
If charter change pushes through, and Arroyo is still the leader 2 or 3 years from now, I challenge anyone to tell me how the country will be any different than it is today. Even one way.
Transparency? Accountability? Rule of Law? It will never happen. Because we, as a society, don’t fight for it.
April 23rd, 2009 09:34
Mike,
I know how you feel and many times I can’t help but ask the same question.
Chances are, yes, whoever succeeds Gloria will be corrupt. And yes chances are she will not be prosecuted for all her crimes. But given what we’ve seen in the last decade, I can only hope that whoever comes next will not be as corrupt, brazen, and treasonous as the current regime. Otherwise I should just pack my bags and live somewhere else.
Even then, I think I may stay here just long enough to see her leave and then I will consider that i have done my part and maybe it will be time for me to get a life.
April 23rd, 2009 10:34
You used 3 important words Ricky: do my part.
I think the real problem is that not enough people get involved. As long as th ere are only a few minor grumblings here and there, government will continue to do its thing without concern.
I don’t mean that we should march in the street, but I truly believe that things would change if more people made their voices heard. Nobody gets mad in this country. The president pardons criminals, and everybody just accepts it. She hands out bags of money, and no one raises an eyebrow. The police gun people down in the streets and… etc., etc., etc.
I love this country, and I will stay for the long haul. But I would love it a lot more if its own people would just stand up and assert themselves.
April 23rd, 2009 13:04
Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Some have been thought brave because they were afraid to run away.
April 23rd, 2009 23:54
Mapalad ang sinumang may pagkakataong lumaban para sa kalayaan ng bayan. Marangal kahit di mo ramdam ang tagumpay.
April 24th, 2009 03:41
Remember what my reply was when you asked me if they’ll push the cha-cha? Well, it definitely is coming. It’s just a matter of time before Gloria’s SC pulls down the curtain on us.
Despite Villafuerte’s assertion that they have no time to tackle the cha-chawe all know how fast they work when paid at the right price.
April 24th, 2009 12:41
(to be sung to the tune of GLoria In Excelsis)
Gloria! Gloria! And she will reign forever and ever! (CRESCENDO< to be sung on the highest octave) And She will reign forever and ever!!!
Gloria! Gloria! Gloria!!!
April 24th, 2009 14:48
Look on the bright side:
Getting 190 signatures on paper is one thing, but getting 190 Congressmen to vote in favor of the motion on the same day in Plenary is not that easy. Some days they even struggle to get a quorum. If the numbers are increased by 52 new members, it will be even more difficult to get 221 members to conform.
Even if the majority succeeds in the House, the Senate is bound to challenge this in the Supreme Court. Constitutionally, we have a bicameral Congress, so it is by no means a foregone conclusion that the SC will rule in favor of the majority on the vexed question of whether they should vote separately or conjointly.
Even if it goes to Plebiscite, most Filipinos are opposed to Charter Change if it leads to term extensions for the present administration, in whatever form. It is up to the media to ensure that the electorate is fully briefed on the issues and implications before they vote.
Is there a constitutional limit on the number of Representatives from a single family? If not, there should be.
April 27th, 2009 22:30
if that happens my cute ricky edsa 4 na i’m so excited once again united na naman tayo and it will be one big party yehey!
April 28th, 2009 14:22
chacha would mean the sky has fallen. because it would mean GMA without the restraint of the senate.
there would be universal conscription ala Singapore, much higher taxes and/or runaway inflation to feed the rubber stamp House of Pigs.
May 1st, 2009 01:33
Gloria and her allies will move heaven and earth to get their and especially her term extended. They are scared shitless if an opposition president gets elected. They will surely burn for all the sins that they have committed.
Remember that Ramos to Estrada transition?
2010 will either be the most exciting election ever or the biggest letdown in history.
May 4th, 2009 21:19
GET EVERYONE TO REGISTER AND VOTE.
YOUTH MUST REGISTER AND VOTE.
THERE SHOULD ONLY BE A FEW CANDIDATES. I MEAN REALLY FEW.
OTHER LESS QUALIFIED CANDIDATES MUST SACRIFICE. SO AS TO NOT TO DIVIDE THE ELECTORATE TOO MUCH AND COME UP WITH A SIGNIFICANT VOTING MARGIN.
EVERYBODY MUST VOTE. I CANT OVEREMPHASIZE THIS.
These are the only ways to ensure honest elections.
Honest in terms that any attempt to rig the election count will be MATHEMATICALLY / STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT at least for now.
Then when the truly elected president is in place, we can talk about amending the constitution. Amend some provisions but not to change it entirely. There so many provisions in it that are work of genius. (i.e. Foreigners can not own land in the country, foreign ownership in companies limited to only 40 percent etc.)
June 2nd, 2009 12:36
ADDITIONAL BURDEN TO THE FILIPINO BUSINESSMEN AND EMPLOYEES AT THIS TIME OF RECESSION
A CALL TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO
In the past 2 to 3 months, the PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-SMUGGLING GROUP (PASG) has been harassing and is running after NOT ONLY the real smugglers but also LIGITIMATE BUSINESSESMEN. The said GOVERNMENT AGENCY is EXTORTING from these business establishments several hundreds of thousands of pesos up to several millions of pesos. This resulted to CLOSURE of BUSINESSES DISPLACING SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES, WORST AT THIS DIFFICULT time of the great recession adding-up to the struggles and miseries of the already poverty stricken Filipino people.
PASG will issue a mission order to give them the authority to raid warehouses and offices. They will forcefully oblige business owners to pay them from a few hundreds of thousands of pesos up to several millions of pesos otherwise they will threaten the businessmen to PADLOCK THE BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT unless business owners will come across PASG’s terms. In fact, there are so many establishments that have been victimized by these ANTI-ECOMONY, ANTI-PEOPLE CORRUPT ACTS of the PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-SMUGGLING GROUP with the abusive use of their authority in the guise of pursuing smugglers.
PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO, take control and DO SOMETHING TO STOP THESE ANAMOMALIES of your very own PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-SMUGGLING GROUP who now turns –out to become the “PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-BUSINESS / ANTI-LABOR GROUP” that’s oppressing both Management and Employees alike. We have already sooooooooooo many problems on our plates. For the common Filipinos the problem of having nothing to serve on our plates is resolved by business establishments operating legally under PHILIPPINE LAWS now the helpless VICTIMS OF the PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-SMUGGLING GROUP.
MADAMME PRESIDENT, Maawa po kayo sa amin. Tulungan nyo po kami. Halos wala na kaming makain in the past 15 days na nagsara yong kompanya namin. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THIS APPARENT ABUSE of your PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-SMUGGLING GROUP TO OUR EMPLOYERS?
PLEASE HELP US PO..
June 6th, 2009 05:03
Ricky,
When you said that “chances are . . whoever succeeds Gloria will be corrupt” is a disturbing psyche.
This is what years of anti-PGMA propaganda has amounted to - distrust not only the person who holds the office but of the Office itself.
Thanks to the likes of Lacson, Roxas, Villar and Binay the presidency is like a “mierda”, yes, the presidency, the same office they all want to fit into.
Que horror!
June 18th, 2009 15:24
SHAME! How could these men and women in the Batasan still call themselves representatives of the Filipino people when all they represent are their own ******* selves?! Come election time, they will be knocking on our doors again for our precious vote with their promises and lies. A pail of hogwash will be ready to greet them. ******* PIGS!
September 29th, 2009 03:03
until we Filipinos learn how to vote were stuck in this s**t! politicians keep on bastardizing the electorate, feeding the voters what they want and not what they need. imagine a congressman being re-elected into office just because he built the most infrastructures in their district. this is why many of them become lap dogs of the President.