Controversy, suspicions surround proposed change in Philippine Constitution

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 25, 2008) – A Filipino lawmaker on Tuesday accused the Arroyo government of pushing for amendments in the Constitution to prolong the President into power.

President Gloria Arroyo is to step down in 2010 when her term ends, but her allies in Congress, led by House Speaker Prospero Nograles, are campaigning to amend the Constitution and at one point proposed to turn the lower house into a constituent assembly that would tackle changes in the fundamental laws on the land.

Rep. Liza Maza said moves to amend the Constitution being pursued in the lower house reek of evil motives and should immediately be blocked. Political activists continue to hold sporadic rallies in front of Nograles’ congressional office in Davao City to condemn the proposed charter change.

”It is greed and guilt that is behind the moves to amend the Constitution as well as desperate attempts to extend their terms beyond 2010,” Maza, who is also Assistant Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, said.

Maza, who belongs to the militant party-list group called Gabriela, said President Arroyo and her allies have not been cleared of allegations of kickbacks and corruption in any of the impeachment hearings and committee investigations in both Congress and the Senate since 2001.

Rep. Jose de Venecia, a former House Speaker and a one time ally of President Arroyo, has accused her of bribery, saying, she tried to bribe him to put off support for the impeachment complaint against her.

De Venecia has testified Monday against the President in congressional hearings on another impeachment complaint. Other lawmakers also accused the President of bribery, corruption, violation of the constitution and betrayal of public trust.

President Arroyo’s spokesmen strongly denied all the accusations against the embattled leader, who was also accused of poll fraud in the 2004 national elections against her closest rival, Fernando Poe Jr.

Maza said: “President Arroyo cannot just simply escape the charges against her. She should be held accountable for the strings of cases which include betrayal of public trust, culpable violations of the Philippine Constitution, bribery and graft and corruption, all of which glaringly constitute grounds for her impeachment.”

She said other lawmakers from the progressive party-list bloc are poised to frustrate all moves to amend the Constitution.

”The move to change the charter will only serve the vested interests of the Arroyo administration. The urgent clamor for Charter change exists only in Malacañang and its allies. The latest IBON nationwide survey showed that 77% of Filipino people reject such scheme to amend the Constitution. It is the last thing that the people need,” Maza said.

She was referring to a nationwide survey conducted this October by the independent IBON Foundation which showed that majority of Filipinos continue to reject moves to amend the Constitution.

The IBON survey was conducted nationwide from October 1 to 10 with 1,494 respondents from various sectors. The survey used a multi-stage probability sampling scheme with a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.

President Gloria Arroyo's allies in Congress have proposed to change the system of government from presidential to parliamentary or federalism.

Militant groups and political activists have previously accused Arroyo of using the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to amend the Constitution and eventually prolong her to stay into power. But since the peace talks had collapsed, Arroyo’s allies are now saying that the change in the Constitution is needed to introduce reforms in the economy, among others.

Under the presidential form of government, Arroyo is allowed only one six-year term. In the charter change proposal suggested by her political allies who dominate Congress, she can be elected as prime minister should Congress dissolve the Senate and change the system of government to parliamentary and eventually prolong her into power beyond 2010.

Many Filipinos said they would oppose any term extension of Arroyo beyond 2010.
Arroyo deposed President Joseph Estrada in a people power revolution in 2001, but corruption scandals in her government and allegations of poll fraud has made her extremely unpopular.

Recent corruption scandals besetting the Arroyo administration have led most Filipinos to call for the President to step down, according to another IBON survey.

Asked if they were aware of calls made recently by members of the Church and other sectoral groups for President Arroyo to resign from office and face corruption charges leveled against her, 75% of the total 1,503 survey respondents said yes.

Of these, 77.4% said they agreed with such call to step down.

Various interfaith and sectoral groups such as Solidarity Philippines, Concerned Citizens Group, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, among others, have called for a rejection of what they called as Arroyo’s morally bankrupt government. (Mindanao Examiner)

Women's Party List Group Vows To Fight Persecution In The Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Women's partylist group Gabriela on Wednesday vowed to defend itself against escalating state-instigated attacks and political persecution on progressive groups and militant organizations nationwide.

Gabriela Women's Party national president and partylist Representative Liza Maza said that in a recently concluded National Council meeting, they have adopted resolutions to combat head on the systematic political persecution against their partylist organization.

"We have documented several cases of illegal arrest, filing of fabricated cases, vilification campaigns and harassment against Gabriela Women's Party and other progressive organizations nationwide, especially in Southern Tagalog and Negros island," she said in a statement.

Maza specifically stated the fabricated cases of arson, conspiracy to commit rebellion, multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder filed against Gabriela Women's Party 5th Nominee and Gabriela Southern Tagalog Secretary General Helen Asdolo, Gabriela Women's Party provincial coordinator for Cavite, Amy Sto. Tomas and 70 others from Southern Tagalog.

They have been accused of participating in a raid conducted by the NPA in March 3, 2006 in Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental. In Negros, Gabriela staff and volunteer Mary Grace Delicano, was illegaly arrested for her alleged participation in a raid conducted by the New People's Army in Bgy. Malasibog, Escalante City in 2006.

Similarly, Emilia and Marycris Quirante have been arrested after a .38 caliber pistol was purportedly found in an unspecified area of their home in Bgy. Trinidad in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental.

Yesterday, Maza filed a resolution directing the House Committee on Human Rights to conduct an inquiry into the political persecution and pending arrest of Gabriela Women’s Party leaders in Southern Tagalog and 70 other activists including 18 other women on fabricated charges against them.

Maza further said, "we have also received reports that in meetings and forums conducted by the military in communities, they continue to identify Gabriela Women's Party as a communist front and villify our leaders as terrorists." "We have faced similar attacks since the 2007 elections.

It appears that this early in the electoral game, as Arroyo's camp and her allies prepare their candidacies, they are likewise preparing to keep us out of 2010. They are bound to fail." (Jang Monte)

Disgruntled RP Opposition Lawmakers Walk Out From House Proceedings

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 12, 2007) – Opposition lawmakers on Monday walked out from a committee proceedings on an impeachment case filed against President Gloria Arroyo.

“Using technicalities and legal hogwash, and manipulating the rules to their sole benefit, there is no denying the real agenda of the Committee on Justice. That is to shield Mrs. Arroyo from all accountability and in the process deny the people of the truth,” said Rep. Liza Maza, of the GABRIELA Women's Party.

Maza said the outcome of deliberations on the complaint initially filed by lawyer Ruel Pulido is without doubt, tainted and without any credibility.

”It is a mockery and we refuse to be part of it,” she said. “The committee has shamelessly and repeatedly refused all attempts to add substance to the Pulido complaint and give this committee the opportunity to deliberate lengthily and thus properly decide on allegations of bribery lodged against Mrs. Arroyo,” Maza said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

”No different from the Pulido impeachment complaint, the impeachmentproceeding is a sham and the House of Representatives a shame,” she said.

Most members of the proceedings were allies of Arroyo.

The case stemmed from corruption allegations of Jose de Venecia III that resulted in the resignation of Elections chief Benjamin Abalos.

Jose de Venecia III, of the Amsterdam Holdings Incorporated, accused Abalos of offering him $10 million to back out from the broadband deal. Abalos has denied all accusations against him.

De Venecia, the son of House Speaker Jose de Venecia, was ZTE’s rival for the national broadband contract. Romulo Neri, former Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority, also accused Abalos of bribing him.

De Venecia said the broadband deal was probably worth only $130 million, but this suddenly ballooned to $329 million.

He said President Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, also told him to back off from the deal. Arroyo’s lawyers have denied the allegations.

Maza said Abalos’ resignation should not close down investigations on the national broadband scandal and that all those involved in the deal should be made accountable.

She said Abalos' resignation could be a move to preempt further investigations into the anomalous contract that could implicate the President and her husband.

Arroyo suspended indefinitely the national broadband network project because of the controversy. Government spokesmen also denied all accusations against the President and her husband. (Mindanao Examiner)