Militant groups in the Philippines and Filipino communities abroad are now gearing up for the biggest protest ever against the proposed amendments of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
On the night of June 2, members of the Philippines' House of Representatives (HOR) passed the controversial House Resolution (HR) 1109, transforming the HOR into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), minus the Philippine Senate.
The passage of the HR 1109 has become more controversial because of the alleged P20 million (US$420,311.66) received by legislators, in exchange for their votes.
In Manila, the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP), the largest organization of Christian students which spearheaded the anti-dictatorship campaign during Martial Law in the ´70s, now urges the college students to join their "street classes" to be enlightened about the alleged evil of the recently adopted HR 1109.
While classes in universities and colleges in the Philippines are suspended until June 15 due to the Influenza AH1N1 scare, Ma. Cristina Guevarra, national chairperson of SCMP said it is not a hindrance for the youth to participate in discussions and protests against the Con-Ass, which is a deadlier "virus" than AH1N1.
Together with other youth organizations such as Anakbayan, National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), College Editors´ Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), and League of Filipino Students (LFS), SCMP members from different schools and communities in Metro-Manila will join protestors in Ayala Avenue in Makati City, on June 10.
Critics say, the HR 1109 will not only sell Philippines´ national patrimony to foreign powers, but will allow Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to remain in power, in perpetuity.
However, the HR 1109 received says that it will not allow term extension to all elected officials of the land.
But SCMP does not believe this for as the debates continue in the Congress, they say term extension for Mrs. Arroyo and her allies can be easily inserted in the final copy of the amended Charter.
"This (Con-Ass) must be confronted with the youth´s Con-Ass: Converge and Assemble against ChaCha!" said Anakbayan chairperson Ken Ramos.
Meanwhile, the suspension of classes for college students raises doubts among militants for it is done by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) after the civil society has announced its intent to hold a big protest against Cha-Cha.
"If we need quarantine to prevent students from acquiring the disease, why zero in only on college students? Isn´t it logical that children, with their younger bodies, are more susceptible to the disease?" asked NUSP national president Alvin Peters.
CHED, in its memorandum, said there is a need to postpone the opening of classes in the tertiary level as a preventive measure against identified cases of AH1N1 virus in some colleges.
The Department of Education (DepEd), through its chief, Sec. Jesli Lapus said there is no need for suspension of classes among elementary and secondary students for they (the students) have no regular contact with people who came from abroad.
Lapus also said, as a precaution, he has already issued a memorandum for school authorities to suspend classes for 10 days if there are students showing signs of contracting the deadly AH1N1 virus.
Filipinos in Canada call HR 1109, arrogance of power
In Toronto, members of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) assailed congressmen who voted "Aye!" for the passage of the House Resolution No. 1109, transforming the House of Representatives into a Constituent Assembly, calling it arrogance by those who are in the seats of power.
In a statement sent to CBCPNews, Diwa Marcelino, Bayan's spokesperson in Toronto said the swift passage of HR 1109 in the House of Representatives only reflects what the majority bloc, whose members belong to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's party, plans for the upcoming elections in 2010. The said HR was was passed before the midnight of June 2, using the viva voce.
"The passage of HR 1109 is but a show of force by the majority in the House of Representatives. The House cannot convene itself as a Constituent Assembly without the Senate´s approval of the same resolution. As noted by Fr. Joaquin Bernas, an expert on Constitutional matters, the House of Representatives "cannot exclude the Senate" in voting for such a measure to change the Constitution simply because "Congress is [composed of both] the House and the Senate," he said.
Marcelino said, HR 1109 spells out another dark era in Philippine politics and society, similar to Marcos's martial rule in 1972.
Meanwhile, Bayan Canada Secretary-General Joey Calugay added, that the Arroyo regime is becoming more desperate as the elections approach.
"As Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Arroyo is well aware that the military and state agents are widely known to have committed numerous crimes against the people; surely she must also know that her family's involvement in one of the worst cases of graft and corruption since the Marcos dictatorship will land her in hot water when she steps down from office. Arroyo will do everything she can to stay in power, including bribing members of Congress to pass HR 1109 and making sure her cronies toe the line," Calugay said.
He added, this type of cronyism shows that a Constituent Assembly will not vote in favor of the people's interest when making changes to the Philippine Constitution.
He explained, Constituent Assembly, the Arroyo administration aims to strip the Constitution of its provisions that uphold national sovereignty and protect national patrimony, further laying bare the economy to continued exploitation and plunder by foreign corporate greed, thereby intensifying the present economic crisis.
Furthermore, he said, this will set the stage for the unbridled entry of US troops, now numbering some 40,000 US soldiers scattered in 25 provinces since the Visiting Forces Agreement took effect in 1999, into the country and the establishment of permanent US military bases on Philippine soil.
Due this, Jonathan Canchela, chairperson of Filipino Migrant Workers' Movement, a member of Migrante-Ontario calls on the Filipino people, both in the Philippines and other parts of the globe to march in the streets and protest this kind of oppression of the Filipino people by GMA cronies in the House.
"Let the people´s voice be heard in the halls of Congress and in the parliament of the streets. We will not tolerate this arrogance of power and the political self-interest of the Arroyo regime," he said.
On the other hand, Bayan Canada calls on all its allied organizations to continue to monitor the developments on charter change and to organize protest actions in the coming days.
Make protests peaceful, Catholic bishops of the Philippines said
The Catholic hierarchy in the Philippines, on the other hand, fears that the nation will be put under martial rule if protests will become violent.
Catholic Bishops´ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, Abp. Angel N. Lagdameo said protesters must not give the government any reason to put the nation under a state of Martial Law.
"Express it in a peaceful non-violent way in order that we may not fall into the trap that will necessitate Martial Law again," Lagdameo said in a news item published at CBCPNews.com.
The prelate said the Filipino people must learn the lesson from the past, that is the dark era of Marcos dictatorship from 1972 to 1983.
Lagdameo also appealed to Congress to drop HR1109 convening themselves into a constituent assembly to amend the country´s constitution.
He explained, that the CBCP is firm in its position against Charter change (Cha-Cha) before the 2010 national elections.
"If there should be let it be after 2010 and via a Constitutional Convention whose delegates are democratically elected by the people," said the 68-year old prelate.
Earlier, Lagdameo called on the faithful "to do something" against the "hasty" effort to revise the Charter.
He said the public should not let President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo´s allies in the lower House to "railroad" the Cha-Cha process. (American Chronicle)
On the night of June 2, members of the Philippines' House of Representatives (HOR) passed the controversial House Resolution (HR) 1109, transforming the HOR into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), minus the Philippine Senate.
The passage of the HR 1109 has become more controversial because of the alleged P20 million (US$420,311.66) received by legislators, in exchange for their votes.
In Manila, the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP), the largest organization of Christian students which spearheaded the anti-dictatorship campaign during Martial Law in the ´70s, now urges the college students to join their "street classes" to be enlightened about the alleged evil of the recently adopted HR 1109.
While classes in universities and colleges in the Philippines are suspended until June 15 due to the Influenza AH1N1 scare, Ma. Cristina Guevarra, national chairperson of SCMP said it is not a hindrance for the youth to participate in discussions and protests against the Con-Ass, which is a deadlier "virus" than AH1N1.
Together with other youth organizations such as Anakbayan, National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), College Editors´ Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), and League of Filipino Students (LFS), SCMP members from different schools and communities in Metro-Manila will join protestors in Ayala Avenue in Makati City, on June 10.
Critics say, the HR 1109 will not only sell Philippines´ national patrimony to foreign powers, but will allow Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to remain in power, in perpetuity.
However, the HR 1109 received says that it will not allow term extension to all elected officials of the land.
But SCMP does not believe this for as the debates continue in the Congress, they say term extension for Mrs. Arroyo and her allies can be easily inserted in the final copy of the amended Charter.
"This (Con-Ass) must be confronted with the youth´s Con-Ass: Converge and Assemble against ChaCha!" said Anakbayan chairperson Ken Ramos.
Meanwhile, the suspension of classes for college students raises doubts among militants for it is done by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) after the civil society has announced its intent to hold a big protest against Cha-Cha.
"If we need quarantine to prevent students from acquiring the disease, why zero in only on college students? Isn´t it logical that children, with their younger bodies, are more susceptible to the disease?" asked NUSP national president Alvin Peters.
CHED, in its memorandum, said there is a need to postpone the opening of classes in the tertiary level as a preventive measure against identified cases of AH1N1 virus in some colleges.
The Department of Education (DepEd), through its chief, Sec. Jesli Lapus said there is no need for suspension of classes among elementary and secondary students for they (the students) have no regular contact with people who came from abroad.
Lapus also said, as a precaution, he has already issued a memorandum for school authorities to suspend classes for 10 days if there are students showing signs of contracting the deadly AH1N1 virus.
Filipinos in Canada call HR 1109, arrogance of power
In Toronto, members of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) assailed congressmen who voted "Aye!" for the passage of the House Resolution No. 1109, transforming the House of Representatives into a Constituent Assembly, calling it arrogance by those who are in the seats of power.
In a statement sent to CBCPNews, Diwa Marcelino, Bayan's spokesperson in Toronto said the swift passage of HR 1109 in the House of Representatives only reflects what the majority bloc, whose members belong to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's party, plans for the upcoming elections in 2010. The said HR was was passed before the midnight of June 2, using the viva voce.
"The passage of HR 1109 is but a show of force by the majority in the House of Representatives. The House cannot convene itself as a Constituent Assembly without the Senate´s approval of the same resolution. As noted by Fr. Joaquin Bernas, an expert on Constitutional matters, the House of Representatives "cannot exclude the Senate" in voting for such a measure to change the Constitution simply because "Congress is [composed of both] the House and the Senate," he said.
Marcelino said, HR 1109 spells out another dark era in Philippine politics and society, similar to Marcos's martial rule in 1972.
Meanwhile, Bayan Canada Secretary-General Joey Calugay added, that the Arroyo regime is becoming more desperate as the elections approach.
"As Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Arroyo is well aware that the military and state agents are widely known to have committed numerous crimes against the people; surely she must also know that her family's involvement in one of the worst cases of graft and corruption since the Marcos dictatorship will land her in hot water when she steps down from office. Arroyo will do everything she can to stay in power, including bribing members of Congress to pass HR 1109 and making sure her cronies toe the line," Calugay said.
He added, this type of cronyism shows that a Constituent Assembly will not vote in favor of the people's interest when making changes to the Philippine Constitution.
He explained, Constituent Assembly, the Arroyo administration aims to strip the Constitution of its provisions that uphold national sovereignty and protect national patrimony, further laying bare the economy to continued exploitation and plunder by foreign corporate greed, thereby intensifying the present economic crisis.
Furthermore, he said, this will set the stage for the unbridled entry of US troops, now numbering some 40,000 US soldiers scattered in 25 provinces since the Visiting Forces Agreement took effect in 1999, into the country and the establishment of permanent US military bases on Philippine soil.
Due this, Jonathan Canchela, chairperson of Filipino Migrant Workers' Movement, a member of Migrante-Ontario calls on the Filipino people, both in the Philippines and other parts of the globe to march in the streets and protest this kind of oppression of the Filipino people by GMA cronies in the House.
"Let the people´s voice be heard in the halls of Congress and in the parliament of the streets. We will not tolerate this arrogance of power and the political self-interest of the Arroyo regime," he said.
On the other hand, Bayan Canada calls on all its allied organizations to continue to monitor the developments on charter change and to organize protest actions in the coming days.
Make protests peaceful, Catholic bishops of the Philippines said
The Catholic hierarchy in the Philippines, on the other hand, fears that the nation will be put under martial rule if protests will become violent.
Catholic Bishops´ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, Abp. Angel N. Lagdameo said protesters must not give the government any reason to put the nation under a state of Martial Law.
"Express it in a peaceful non-violent way in order that we may not fall into the trap that will necessitate Martial Law again," Lagdameo said in a news item published at CBCPNews.com.
The prelate said the Filipino people must learn the lesson from the past, that is the dark era of Marcos dictatorship from 1972 to 1983.
Lagdameo also appealed to Congress to drop HR1109 convening themselves into a constituent assembly to amend the country´s constitution.
He explained, that the CBCP is firm in its position against Charter change (Cha-Cha) before the 2010 national elections.
"If there should be let it be after 2010 and via a Constitutional Convention whose delegates are democratically elected by the people," said the 68-year old prelate.
Earlier, Lagdameo called on the faithful "to do something" against the "hasty" effort to revise the Charter.
He said the public should not let President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo´s allies in the lower House to "railroad" the Cha-Cha process. (American Chronicle)
