DAVAO CITY, Philippines - Unsurprised by the decision of the House committee on constitutional amendment to railroad charter change, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said it is ready to fight any move that seeks to amend the constitution and prolong the stay of President Gloria Arroyo and her allies beyond 2010.
Bayan, whose members are mostly political activists, warned the public to be as vigilant as ever considering that Arroyo's group is out to pursue amending the Constitution.
"The Arroyo administration has uttered so many lies in the past and for so many times was caught doing so. Its offhand posturing on the issue of charter change won't buy any trust from the people, whom it deceived during the "Hello Garci" controversy, the NBN-ZTE deal scandal, and many others that have not yet come out to the open," Bayan spokesperson John Birondo said in a statement.
"What can be more obvious than to see Rep. Prospero Nograles, the Speaker of the House and Gloria Arroyo's staunchest ally in the House of Congress, doing the groundwork for the final operations of charter change that Malacañang can deny its participation in it?" Birondo added.
"More incredibly, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile's "ok statement" for a constituent assembly to merely discuss and approve amendments on economic provisions of the constitution can expunge the fact that charter change is Malacañang's only hope for Gloria Arroyo's term extension."
"The design and machinery for charter change are now evidently working to destroy all legal impediments to its completion. The arguments on how charter change will be taken-up, either by constituent assembly or constitutional convention, would require the Supreme Court's intervention and it is no co-incidence that the upcoming appointments of SC's new justices will happen amidst the railroading of charter change. This goes to show that Gloria Arroyo's upcoming appointees in the Supreme Court are designed to be seated in their positions to ensure that a constituent assembly be formalized to take-up charter change," Birondo added.
Bayan stressed the urgency of social change that roots from the needs of the people for stable jobs, higher wages, land to till, decent shelters, affordable prices of basic commodities, access to social services for health, food, and education, and the respect for human rights.
"We are set to begin our barangay forums this month to educate the people of Davao about the real contents of charter change vis-à-vis the worsening global financial crisis. This effort is in cooperation with the city's local government units and other people's organizations under Bayan," Birondo said.
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