THE PRESIDENT: The Unmaking of the President
Mrs. Arroyo is reaping the consequences of the damage she has wrought on key institutions.
by SHEILA S. CORONEL
I Report Special Issue July 2005
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
UNTIL last month, the heavens seemed to have favored Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The economy was picking up, the stock market was trading briskly, and Congress had just passed a new tax measure. For sure, the budget deficit and rising oil prices were something to worry about. At the same time, the opposition seemed bent on raking the jueteng muck. But all these were part of life — and politics — as usual.
After all, the president had won by a convincing margin in 2004, and although doubts about the integrity of the balloting lingered, the main opposition contender in last year's elections, the actor Fernando Poe Jr., was dead and buried. Joseph Estrada was safely languishing in the ennui of luxurious house arrest. And the rest of the opposition, while strident and noisy, was also fractured, discredited, and somewhat dispirited. President Arroyo's popularity may have dipped because of the hard times, but she was clearly, unmistakably in command.
And then came The Tapes. Suddenly, it seemed that the President had lost favor with the stars.
And yet, the stars are not solely to blame. The crisis that has paralyzed the presidency is as much of Arroyo's making as it is of the confluence of circumstances that brought us to where we are now: on the brink, possibly, of another political upheaval.
Blaming the opposition for the current mess gives it too much credit and endows its members with more cunning than they have. Neither the opposition nor the stellar Susan Roces can lay claim to the unraveling of the Arroyo presidency. Gloria Arroyo did that largely on her own. She is reaping the consequences of the damage she and her predecessors have wrought on the electoral process and on key institutions, among them, the Commission on Elections, the military, and the police.
AN INSECURE PRESIDENT
Much more than Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada, Arroyo has politicized these and other agencies of government, stunting their professionalism and turning them into puerile props for a president insecure about her mandate and the affections of her people. She has reasons to be insecure. She became president in 2001 only because Estrada fell and she was second in line to occupy Malacañang. Even those who voted for her in 2004 did so mainly because she was the safest bet, not because they believed in her, much less loved her, She was the lesser evil, not the principled choice.
The president's insecurity is also partly due to Edsa 3. Arroyo was traumatized by Labor Day 2001, when thousands of slum dwellers protesting Estrada's arrest came close to breaching the defenses of Malacañang. Even as angry masses were storming the Palace gates, the President remained isolated, unsure of .the loyalty of the military and the police. Edsa 3 defined her presidency and made her acutely aware of her vulnerabilities and perpetually anxious about the stability of her rule.
Since then, Arroyo has exerted every effort to win the allegiance of the military and the police by buying their loyalty through promotions, perks, and special access to her. She used these institutions to quell legitimate threats to her government, like the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny. Nothing wrong with that. But having courted the favor of strategic officers, these agencies were also used for more partisan purposes, including keeping tab of the president's political opponents and, if the conversations in the "Garci" tapes are to be believed, also to ensure her victory in 2004.
The Tapes that have set off the current crisis exist only because the head of Mrs. Arroyo's favorite military agency, the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or ISAFP, ordered the wiretapping of presidential phone pal Virgilio Garcillano. President Arroyo called the elections commissioner 15 times in the span of three weeks in May and June 2004.
The wiretapping, according to military and intelligence sources, was instructed by Malacañang political operatives, who wanted to keep track of the commissioner's movements, for fear that he would favor the opposition instead. "This is because the administration party, as we've learned, considered Garcillano as a vulnerable target of the political opposition for them to be able to cheat in the last elections," a military officer told the Philippine Star a few days after the tape scandal broke.
THE WIRETAPPERS
Since she assumed power, the President has turned ISAFP into a sniffing dog against her enemies, most notably Sen. Panfilo Lacson but also an assortment of other "bad" guys (ex-RAM, ex-Erap, ex- and current communists). ISAFP officers could go straight to President Arroyo and to the First Gentleman, bypassing the chain of command. The president, as Newsbreak reported, also personally handpicked all the ISAFP commanders during her time, starting with the controversial Victor Corpus, who led the charges of "narcopolitics" against Lacson.
But that is a digression. Suffice it to say that Garcillano was wiretapped by ISAFP operatives on orders of their superiors, who in turn got their orders from the Palace.
The wiretaps would not have been made at all had President Arroyo left ISAFP alone and allowed it to operate as an independent, professional intelligence agency free from partisan politics. But even if for some reason ISAFP on its own had made the recordings, these would not have fallen into opposition hands had the morale of ISAFP personnel been high and their commander-in-chief commanded their respect and loyalty.
Intelligence sources say one of the ISAFP agents linked to the release of the tapes, the ill-starred T/Sgt. Vidal Doble, is a "loyal soldier" who would probably not have succumbed to opposition inducements to be part of the plot if ISAFP were a more disciplined and tightly run organization.
The problem is that President Arroyo's sense of institutions is overwhelmed by her inherent insecurity and instincts for survival. She has put her own partisan political interests over the long-term development of the institutions of government. The scandal over The Tapes shows the 'pitfalls of this approach: rather than bolstering her rule, the weakened institutions only further heightened her vulnerability.
CORRUPTING INSTITUTIONS
Take the Comelec: Arroyo went farther than either Ramos or Estrada ever dared. Ramos, who had ambitions to hang on to the presidency, named his trusted knaves — the autocratic and mercurial Bernardo Pardo and the "kissing lolo" Manolo Gorospe to the commission. Estrada got the controversial professor Luz Tangcangco, who used the Comelec to settle old academic scores and ended up being so powerful that she single-handedly delayed automation of the counting.
Instead of rebuilding the Comelec's shattered credibility by naming respectable commissioners, Arroyo handpicked a political ally, Benjamin Abalos, to head the commission. Just as the 2004 presidential campaign was kicking off, she also named Garcillano, a known dagdag-bawas (vote padding and shaving) expert, and Manuel Barcelona Jr., her campaign contributor, as commissioners. These appointments contributed to the further weakening of the Comelec's institutional capabilities and effectiveness, thereby only contributing to the general unease about the count. Thus, even if she really and truly won in 2004, the Comelec's bad performance darkened the shadow of doubt that hung over the results of the voting.
After The Tapes, that shadow is now a huge, ominous cloud. Comelec's credibility is now completely shattered. Thanks to President Arroyo's phone calls, it's one key institution now wallowing in the muck.
As this whole affair unravels, one wonders which agency of government will next be covered in slime. The revelations in The Tapes of the collusion of the military and the police in election fraud will likely take on a life of its own. As the opposition gets the upper hand, it is more than possible that insiders in the police and the armed forces who were part of that conspiracy will talk.
THE POLITICS OF DIRTY TRICKS
Apart from these, the staff and resources of civilian agencies of government were also used for the campaign. There's Philhealth, the state insurance company that issued millions of health cards that Arroyo gave away as largesse during the campaign. Part of the funding for those health cards came from the medicare program of the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration or OWWA, which authorized the possibly illegal fund diversion. The Philhealth chief then, Francisco Duque III, is a neighbor of the Arroyos at La Vista and has been rewarded for his role in the elections by being named health secretary, replacing the more professional Manuel Dayrit.
There's the Department of Agriculture (DA), headed until last week by lawyer Arthur Yap, Arroyo's former student and a known crony of the First Gentleman. The DA released millions of pesos in fertilizer subsidies to win the support of local officials. During the campaign, Yap headed the National Food Authority, which was reported to be giving out free rice as part of the effort to win votes for Arroyo in the May 2004 polls.
There's the Department of Public Works and Highways, which implemented the road-repair programs that oiled the administration's patronage machine. The current chief of that department, former police top gun Gen. Hermogenes Ebdane, is another officer known to be close to the First Gentleman.
There's of course the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. or Pagcor, headed by yet another close buddy of the First Gentleman, Ephraim Genuino. Pagcor has been accused of releasing millions to fund various doleout projects associated with the presidential campaign. Genuino was also reported to have handed money to fund Garcillano's postelection manipulation of the count (see the article, "Master Operator," in this issue).
In her desire to be elected president, Gloria Arroyo (with the more than ample help of her husband) mobilized the whole machinery of govemment for her campaign, in the process wreaking havoc on key institutions. Having so used the police in the elections, even mobilizing them to do a parallel count, how can she now discipline them over such matters as jueteng, for example? Having played favorites with the generals, how can she now punish them for the corruption that is ravaging the armed forces? Having owed so much to the Garcias of Cebu for her landslide win in the province, how can she now get rid of Winston Garcia, who has been accused of messing around with state pension funds?
THE PRICE OF VICTORY
Her victory (if she really won) was exacted at a very high price: the effectiveness and credibility of the most important office of all — the Office of the President. The conduct of the elections and the use of state resources for the campaign took the luster out of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's electoral triumph. Even without The Tapes, the long count and the blatant use of government resources did little to shore up the Office of the President.
The cynical public response, first to Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye's two tapes and later, to President Arroyo's apology and her banishment of the First Gentleman, shows how little trust and respect is left in the office. The distrust is reflected not so much in street protests, but in the ring tones, the jokes, and the blogs. These are not just forms of entertainment, they are cries of anger and disapproval. Malacañang's belated recognition of the extent of public disaffection only shows how unfeeling of the pulse of the people it has become.
It is doubtful that the public can now be appeased by such actions as Big Mike's disappearing act. The First Gentleman's voluntary exile is the belated acknowledgment of the damage he has wrought on the presidency. The "FG's" parallel power structure and his intervention in government appointments and contracts has so diminished the Office of the President, his banishment is unlikely to revive a mortally wounded presidency.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Finally, and most importantly, there is the unfinished business of Edsa 2, Edsa 3, and Elections 2004. The poor were left out of Edsa 2, when they felt that the Manila elite and middle class deprived them of their president. Edsa 3 was their response, but that went largely unheeded. In 2004, they voted in droves for Fernando Poe Jr. If they were indeed robbed of their vote, then they had been, in the span of just three years, twice denied their president.
The last elections showed the class divide, with the middle class and the business community supporting the "safe choice." They applauded Gloria Arroyo's victory and paid little heed to the charges of fraud, reasoning that all sides cheat in Philippine elections anyway, and besides, the incumbent's margin was significant enough, even discounting the margin of fraud. Thus, the pollwatch groups, the survey agencies, the Roman Catholic Church, and the majority in Congress took what they deemed was the prudent stance: despite some doubt, the lesser evil seemed to have won, so there was no point in rocking the boat.
Now that The Tapes have shaken the boat, they are in a real dilemma. Accustomed in Edsa 1 and Edsa 2 to taking the high ground and marching in the streets against discredited presidents, they are now the ones calling for calm and sobriety. In 1986 and 2001, they advocated "people power" over constitutional and legal processes, but today they are the ones arguing for stability and "the rule of law." The shoe is on the other foot. Other forces now claim the high ground.
The businessmen and the middle class can, if they wish, blame President Arroyo for making their safe choice now seem like an unprincipled one. While they ponder, the political initiative is being wrested away from them.
If this crisis is drawn out, then the very system that put Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in power will be put in question. This did not happen in Edsa 2: Erap's transgressions were seen as the excesses of an individual, not the product of a political system that is rotten to the core. Yet it should be clear by now that our woes cannot be blamed solely on the wrongdoings of individuals; they are systemic and structural. That was why, even with Erap gone, it was business as usual — jueteng, relatives dipping their fingers in the public coffers, corrupt politicians taking cuts from government contracts. The scandals that have rocked the Arroyo presidency, like those that booted Estrada out of power, are all signs that the system remains fundamentally unchanged even if it is fundamentally unsound.
It is a system that is made for scandal and crisis. Even if President Arroyo weathers this one, another crisis is likely in the offing. And even if she were replaced, as long as the system remains the way it is, we will remain trapped in the politics of perpetual scandal and recurring crisis.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Legend of the 'Fall'
By Noralyn Mustafa
Inquirer News Service
First posted 01:43am (Manila Time) July 25, 2005
CONGENITAL, habitual, pathological, incurable, compulsive, hypocritical, vicious, immoral. Never had I read as many modifiers being used to describe the noun "liar." These-and others too embarrassing to print-were in the text messages that came in from readers and friends after GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo delivered her "I'm sorry" speech. (I learned from some colleagues that the messages crisscrossed the country that night in different variations.)
Which got me to thinking: when was the last time the Filipino people called their President (however he or she became one) a congenital, habitual, pathological, incurable, compulsive, hypocritical, vicious, immoral liar?
This was a very bothersome thought, because from it, all else follow.
It is, as Sen. Panfilo Lacson described in his "True State of the Nation" address delivered last Friday, the debilitating cancer that has contaminated and corroded the moral and social fiber of our nation.
And because of this, nothing is going to work. Not the elaborate attempts to cover up or tone down the effects of the so-called Garcitapes, not the supposed demonstrations of support from local government officials; neither the frequent "kodakan" and walk-abouts with Cabinet secretaries and other allies, all of which only come off as cheap theater.
Because of this, every statement Ms Arroyo issues, every television appearance or radio broadcast she makes is now greeted only with more derision and/or laughter.
Not even the impeccable reputations of the personalities nominated to the truth commission she proposes can lend a shred of credibility to that body, simply because lying and truth are contradictory, and one cannot result from the other. We are confident that these respected individuals will choose to spare themselves the ignominy of being used in this highly oxymoronic endeavor.
Never has the presidency been so disgraced. And never have we, as a people, been so degraded as when her allies kept on scaring us with declarations that there is "no alternative" to Ms Arroyo, implying that the best that the Filipino race can produce is, to quote Neal Cruz, "an incoherent midget."
Not a few seemed disappointed with the very mild and motherly speech of Susan Roces in the Makati rally, which was in direct contrast to that famous fire-and-brimstone salvo she spewed on Ms Arroyo on television.
But the Makati speech was perfect. As simple as the Ten Commandments, as precise as the Panatang Makabayan which, she told the youth who were at the rally, "it seems we, your elders, have now forgotten." Because, next to the home, it is the school and the church-education and religion-where we are taught not to bear false witness and to love our country enough so that we do not screw our countrymen from Day One of our assumption to the highest office of the land.
And Susan Roces did not have to go to Georgetown University to learn these lessons.
After all, even the value of education, which really means drawing out and developing what we intrinsically are, depends to a very large extent on the moral framework of the recipient.
Which is why one can understand how Luli Arroyo, acknowledged like her mother for her academic excellence-diplomatic studies in her case-could engage in such undiplomatic language as "porke't maganda ka, actress ka, may mga award ka sa pag-artista, kaya mo na (maging presidente)." (Being an awarded actress does not mean you can be president.)
Of course, had Inday stooped to that level, she could very well have replied "porke't may doctorate ka, kahit ka dakilang sinungaling, pwede kang mamuno?" (And just because one has a Ph. D., no matter if one is a liar, then can be president?) But then Ms Poe is what my mother would call "a lady." And she doesn't need a college degree to be one.
This is the reason I am very glad that we have someone like there markable in-your-face Rep. Francis Escudero overseeing the impeachment complaint. He is the kind who-as he has done and proved-can keep his sights above the dizzying mountain of sins that MsArroyo has committed against us, and can lump them all up under three focused headings that we can all comprehend: lying, cheating and stealing.
Don't lie, don't steal, don't cheat. That's what we were taught as early as Grade I by our underpaid teachers in the public schools. Surely, the good sisters in Assumption College never ceased teaching the same, and with much more zeal.
No, let us not, as the administration so ardently desires, allow ourselves to be distracted by the legal labyrinth regarding the source of the wiretapped tapes or their admissibility as evidence; or by the maelstrom of statistics proving alleged accomplishments, regularly coming out of Rep. Joey Salceda's bag of tricks; or by Secretary MikeDefensor's deafening defense of the indefensible.
Neither should we torment ourselves by wondering about the moves of the opposition, as to what they are doing to remove from our midst the cause of all our miseries here at home and the cause of all our shame in the global community.
I am willing to give the opposition my trust and can only hope that it will not betray us. Because Ms Arroyo has so damaged our collective psyche that we have almost totally lost trust in each other and in our institutions.
Her recently acquired propensity to quote from the Scriptures (anability, indeed, that even the devil can and does exercise) might even, heaven forbid, make us lose our trust in the Almighty. And that will be our perdition.
String up all video clips of the Cabinet in prayer before each meeting and observe. While all heads are bowed, Ms Arroyo is smiling at the camera, or looking at someone across the table, or up at the ceiling. That is the "Omen." Be forewarned.
Inquirer News Service
First posted 01:43am (Manila Time) July 25, 2005
CONGENITAL, habitual, pathological, incurable, compulsive, hypocritical, vicious, immoral. Never had I read as many modifiers being used to describe the noun "liar." These-and others too embarrassing to print-were in the text messages that came in from readers and friends after GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo delivered her "I'm sorry" speech. (I learned from some colleagues that the messages crisscrossed the country that night in different variations.)
Which got me to thinking: when was the last time the Filipino people called their President (however he or she became one) a congenital, habitual, pathological, incurable, compulsive, hypocritical, vicious, immoral liar?
This was a very bothersome thought, because from it, all else follow.
It is, as Sen. Panfilo Lacson described in his "True State of the Nation" address delivered last Friday, the debilitating cancer that has contaminated and corroded the moral and social fiber of our nation.
And because of this, nothing is going to work. Not the elaborate attempts to cover up or tone down the effects of the so-called Garcitapes, not the supposed demonstrations of support from local government officials; neither the frequent "kodakan" and walk-abouts with Cabinet secretaries and other allies, all of which only come off as cheap theater.
Because of this, every statement Ms Arroyo issues, every television appearance or radio broadcast she makes is now greeted only with more derision and/or laughter.
Not even the impeccable reputations of the personalities nominated to the truth commission she proposes can lend a shred of credibility to that body, simply because lying and truth are contradictory, and one cannot result from the other. We are confident that these respected individuals will choose to spare themselves the ignominy of being used in this highly oxymoronic endeavor.
Never has the presidency been so disgraced. And never have we, as a people, been so degraded as when her allies kept on scaring us with declarations that there is "no alternative" to Ms Arroyo, implying that the best that the Filipino race can produce is, to quote Neal Cruz, "an incoherent midget."
Not a few seemed disappointed with the very mild and motherly speech of Susan Roces in the Makati rally, which was in direct contrast to that famous fire-and-brimstone salvo she spewed on Ms Arroyo on television.
But the Makati speech was perfect. As simple as the Ten Commandments, as precise as the Panatang Makabayan which, she told the youth who were at the rally, "it seems we, your elders, have now forgotten." Because, next to the home, it is the school and the church-education and religion-where we are taught not to bear false witness and to love our country enough so that we do not screw our countrymen from Day One of our assumption to the highest office of the land.
And Susan Roces did not have to go to Georgetown University to learn these lessons.
After all, even the value of education, which really means drawing out and developing what we intrinsically are, depends to a very large extent on the moral framework of the recipient.
Which is why one can understand how Luli Arroyo, acknowledged like her mother for her academic excellence-diplomatic studies in her case-could engage in such undiplomatic language as "porke't maganda ka, actress ka, may mga award ka sa pag-artista, kaya mo na (maging presidente)." (Being an awarded actress does not mean you can be president.)
Of course, had Inday stooped to that level, she could very well have replied "porke't may doctorate ka, kahit ka dakilang sinungaling, pwede kang mamuno?" (And just because one has a Ph. D., no matter if one is a liar, then can be president?) But then Ms Poe is what my mother would call "a lady." And she doesn't need a college degree to be one.
This is the reason I am very glad that we have someone like there markable in-your-face Rep. Francis Escudero overseeing the impeachment complaint. He is the kind who-as he has done and proved-can keep his sights above the dizzying mountain of sins that MsArroyo has committed against us, and can lump them all up under three focused headings that we can all comprehend: lying, cheating and stealing.
Don't lie, don't steal, don't cheat. That's what we were taught as early as Grade I by our underpaid teachers in the public schools. Surely, the good sisters in Assumption College never ceased teaching the same, and with much more zeal.
No, let us not, as the administration so ardently desires, allow ourselves to be distracted by the legal labyrinth regarding the source of the wiretapped tapes or their admissibility as evidence; or by the maelstrom of statistics proving alleged accomplishments, regularly coming out of Rep. Joey Salceda's bag of tricks; or by Secretary MikeDefensor's deafening defense of the indefensible.
Neither should we torment ourselves by wondering about the moves of the opposition, as to what they are doing to remove from our midst the cause of all our miseries here at home and the cause of all our shame in the global community.
I am willing to give the opposition my trust and can only hope that it will not betray us. Because Ms Arroyo has so damaged our collective psyche that we have almost totally lost trust in each other and in our institutions.
Her recently acquired propensity to quote from the Scriptures (anability, indeed, that even the devil can and does exercise) might even, heaven forbid, make us lose our trust in the Almighty. And that will be our perdition.
String up all video clips of the Cabinet in prayer before each meeting and observe. While all heads are bowed, Ms Arroyo is smiling at the camera, or looking at someone across the table, or up at the ceiling. That is the "Omen." Be forewarned.
Friday, July 22, 2005
UP AWARE STATEMENT -- GETTING THE POINT
Gloria misses the point once more when she acquiesced to the clamor of certain sectors towards the establishment of a Truth Commission. After the harrowing revelations of the past month, it is baffling why Mrs. Arroyo is suddenly interested in the truth. Not when we have seen her muster virtually all the powers of government to cover up the “Hello, Garci” tapes controversy. We only need to recall her own Press Secretary dangling the notorious CDs and proclaiming them as fabrications in a frantic attemptto diffuse public outrage.
As concerned citizens source out vital information regarding the rigging of the presidential elections through the CDs, Arroyo sends out her Justice Secretary to threaten arrest for these people distributing the CDs – well-meaning citizens performing the highest degree of civic-mindedness with their concern for public welfare and the truth.
In the weeks that followed, Gloria ignored the public’s clamor for the truth only to insult this legitimate demand by cloaking her eventual admission with an insincere double-speak. Her apologists have been speaking this strange language since then. It is a language that is steep inspine less reasoning and in legal gobbledygook. Certainly, no respectable citizen would lend his name and provide legitimacy to a Truth Commission established by this administration.
What we are witnessing are the last-ditch attempts byArroyo and her cohorts to maintain themselves in power. Malacanang’s call for the shift towards a parliamentary form of government is an indication that they have been employing political concession as a means to unite with traditional politicians and the far right. Parallel to these efforts is a massive publicity campaign that includes releasing dubious wire-tapped conversations of political enemies and the staging of demonstrations-for-hire. The entry of publicists and acting coaches in Malacañang further elevates this Presidency to farcical heights.
But the public cannot be fooled. Despite her best attempts in misleading the people, the public has been able to discern the truth about the Arroyo presidency– that it is an administration propelled to power by election irregularities and political patronage. Numerous surveys and public pronouncements of various institutions in the past weeks indicate that in the bar of public opinion, Mrs. Arroyo has lost all her claims to legitimacy. Mammoth mass demonstrations have since filled the streets of the metropolis and the urgent call of this exasperated public has been for Gloria to resign.
Members of our very own UP community have participated in these efforts to rid ourselves of an unworthy leader. At the forefront of these struggles are the militant students who bring to life the spirit of being true scholars of the people by campaigning in the classroom and in the streets for genuine social change. Their ranks has since swelled as members of faculty, employees and research staff of the University join them in calling for Arroyo’s removal.
Last July 13, the Faculty of the University of thePhilippines-Diliman has joined this chorus. In a statement by the University Council of Diliman, Arroyo, having violated the tenets of honesty, personal integrity, and responsibility so cherished byUP, is practically disowned as a daughter of the University. Furthermore, the UP faculty declares that Arroyo has almost single-handedly destroyed our political institutions and robbed our country of its self-esteem. Their call is for the president to “immediately resign.”
The University of the Philippines-Diliman has spoken. And it is time for Gloria and her administration to hear what we have to say. On July 25, this illegitimate president will stand before the nation and deliver her State of the Nation Address (SONA). However, we will not listen about the state of the nation from someone so indifferent to the public clamor for change. Instead, we will unite our voices with the multitude that suffer her warped economic and political policies and deliver the true state of the nation. It is a nation that is tired of her presidency and everything that she represents – patronage, corruption, and the politics of concession at the expense of the interests of the public.
This Monday, the University of the Philippines and thousands of others will pour out into the streets. This time Gloria is going to get the point!
JOIN THE MOBILIZATION FOR THE SONA! GLORIA RESIGN NOW! UP-AWARE (Alliance Working for Arroyo’s Removal)
UP AWARE is a broad alliance of faculty, students, research and extension personnel, and administrative staff calling for the removal of GMA
As concerned citizens source out vital information regarding the rigging of the presidential elections through the CDs, Arroyo sends out her Justice Secretary to threaten arrest for these people distributing the CDs – well-meaning citizens performing the highest degree of civic-mindedness with their concern for public welfare and the truth.
In the weeks that followed, Gloria ignored the public’s clamor for the truth only to insult this legitimate demand by cloaking her eventual admission with an insincere double-speak. Her apologists have been speaking this strange language since then. It is a language that is steep inspine less reasoning and in legal gobbledygook. Certainly, no respectable citizen would lend his name and provide legitimacy to a Truth Commission established by this administration.
What we are witnessing are the last-ditch attempts byArroyo and her cohorts to maintain themselves in power. Malacanang’s call for the shift towards a parliamentary form of government is an indication that they have been employing political concession as a means to unite with traditional politicians and the far right. Parallel to these efforts is a massive publicity campaign that includes releasing dubious wire-tapped conversations of political enemies and the staging of demonstrations-for-hire. The entry of publicists and acting coaches in Malacañang further elevates this Presidency to farcical heights.
But the public cannot be fooled. Despite her best attempts in misleading the people, the public has been able to discern the truth about the Arroyo presidency– that it is an administration propelled to power by election irregularities and political patronage. Numerous surveys and public pronouncements of various institutions in the past weeks indicate that in the bar of public opinion, Mrs. Arroyo has lost all her claims to legitimacy. Mammoth mass demonstrations have since filled the streets of the metropolis and the urgent call of this exasperated public has been for Gloria to resign.
Members of our very own UP community have participated in these efforts to rid ourselves of an unworthy leader. At the forefront of these struggles are the militant students who bring to life the spirit of being true scholars of the people by campaigning in the classroom and in the streets for genuine social change. Their ranks has since swelled as members of faculty, employees and research staff of the University join them in calling for Arroyo’s removal.
Last July 13, the Faculty of the University of thePhilippines-Diliman has joined this chorus. In a statement by the University Council of Diliman, Arroyo, having violated the tenets of honesty, personal integrity, and responsibility so cherished byUP, is practically disowned as a daughter of the University. Furthermore, the UP faculty declares that Arroyo has almost single-handedly destroyed our political institutions and robbed our country of its self-esteem. Their call is for the president to “immediately resign.”
The University of the Philippines-Diliman has spoken. And it is time for Gloria and her administration to hear what we have to say. On July 25, this illegitimate president will stand before the nation and deliver her State of the Nation Address (SONA). However, we will not listen about the state of the nation from someone so indifferent to the public clamor for change. Instead, we will unite our voices with the multitude that suffer her warped economic and political policies and deliver the true state of the nation. It is a nation that is tired of her presidency and everything that she represents – patronage, corruption, and the politics of concession at the expense of the interests of the public.
This Monday, the University of the Philippines and thousands of others will pour out into the streets. This time Gloria is going to get the point!
JOIN THE MOBILIZATION FOR THE SONA! GLORIA RESIGN NOW! UP-AWARE (Alliance Working for Arroyo’s Removal)
UP AWARE is a broad alliance of faculty, students, research and extension personnel, and administrative staff calling for the removal of GMA
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Any Delay in the Resignation of Mrs. Arroyo Further Pushes the Country in a Quagmire: AUPWU Manila
Press Release
July 21, 2005
Reference: Mr. Jossel I. Ebesate, R.N.
President
Contact Numbers: 0918-9276381/632-4043721
TODAY, Employees of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with some Faculty and students of the University of the Philippines Manila (The Philippines’ Health Sciences’ Center) staged a picket-rally and noise barrage in front of the Department of Out-patient Services (DOPS) of the PGH calling for the immediate resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The protesters numbering around 200 were led by the All-U.P. Workers Union, Manila Chapter.
“Any minute longer that the Mrs. Arroyo stays in office, the more that our country will be further pushed in a quagmire. She must resign now before things come to worst ” Said Mr. Jossel I. Ebesate, a Nurse Supervisor in the PGH Nursing Service and President of the All UP Workers Union Manila. “Mrs. Arroyo has become a liability to the country not because of the brickbats thrown by the political opposition but, on her own admission, her “lapse in judgment” related to the 2004 Presidential Election and other scandals and graft cases involving her appointees and even the First Gentleman and the First Son.” added Mr. Ebesate.
Mr. Ebesate further added that: “If we demand honesty and integrity among ordinary government employees how much more from the highest official of the land? We therefore call on our fellow public health workers, and government employees to join us in this call for Mrs. Arroyo to resign immediately in order to avoid further damage to the image of public institutions especially the Presidency.”
The picket-rally was also supported by the All U.P. Academic Employees Union, Manila Chapter, the ASAP Katipunan Student Party, the PGH Physicians’ Association, UMAGAP-PGH and the Utility Workers Association of PGH.
July 21, 2005
Reference: Mr. Jossel I. Ebesate, R.N.
President
Contact Numbers: 0918-9276381/632-4043721
TODAY, Employees of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with some Faculty and students of the University of the Philippines Manila (The Philippines’ Health Sciences’ Center) staged a picket-rally and noise barrage in front of the Department of Out-patient Services (DOPS) of the PGH calling for the immediate resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The protesters numbering around 200 were led by the All-U.P. Workers Union, Manila Chapter.
“Any minute longer that the Mrs. Arroyo stays in office, the more that our country will be further pushed in a quagmire. She must resign now before things come to worst ” Said Mr. Jossel I. Ebesate, a Nurse Supervisor in the PGH Nursing Service and President of the All UP Workers Union Manila. “Mrs. Arroyo has become a liability to the country not because of the brickbats thrown by the political opposition but, on her own admission, her “lapse in judgment” related to the 2004 Presidential Election and other scandals and graft cases involving her appointees and even the First Gentleman and the First Son.” added Mr. Ebesate.
Mr. Ebesate further added that: “If we demand honesty and integrity among ordinary government employees how much more from the highest official of the land? We therefore call on our fellow public health workers, and government employees to join us in this call for Mrs. Arroyo to resign immediately in order to avoid further damage to the image of public institutions especially the Presidency.”
The picket-rally was also supported by the All U.P. Academic Employees Union, Manila Chapter, the ASAP Katipunan Student Party, the PGH Physicians’ Association, UMAGAP-PGH and the Utility Workers Association of PGH.
OSMEÑA'S REVELATION ON POLL CHEATING EXPLAINS WHY GMA'S ALLIES DIDN'TWANT TO OPEN ELECTION RETURNS
Date: July 20, 2005
Ref: Omeng / (02) 5526731
http://www.nenepimentel.org
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) said today the well-documented revelation of former Senator JohnOsmeña about padding of votes for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in at least 10 regions, including his home-province, Cebu, explains why administration lawmakers dismissed with a plain "noted" all motions of the opposition to examine tampered certificates of canvass, election returns and other election documents during the congressional canvassing of the votes cast in the 2004 presidential election.
Pimentel said Osmeña's finding that Ms. Arroyo's vote count in Cebuwas fraudulently padded in Cebu alone was the most credible confirmation of the opposition's claim that the administration camp fabricated the certificates of canvass and election returns with the connivance of election local government officials to give her an incredible one million vote lead over Fernando Poe, Jr. in the Central Visayan province.
"John has uncovered Cebu's quicksand political pit where Gloria's false claims of victory are fast sinking and from which the more she struggles, the more she sinks," he said.
Pimentel debunked Malacañang's puerile criticism questioning why it is only now that Osmeña, who ran for senator under Arroyo's party in 2004, exposed this election bombshell.
He said that during the congressional canvassing of votes in May-June,2004, John Osmeña and his cousin, Sen. Serge Osmeña, articulated their view that the Cebu votes for Arroyo were "statistically improbable" considering that in 38 municipalities in the province, the President obtained 80 percent of the votes consistently and Mr. Poe got 10 percent of the votes consistently in the same localities.
Moreover, Pimentel said the opposition found out that in several towns, "more votes were recorded than the registered votes. He said had certain election returns in Cebu been opened, it would have been shown that many were prepared by only one hand.
The minority leader said the political turmoil in the country would have been avoided had President Arroyo's legislative allies agreed to make the canvass of votes for president and vice president transparent. "Instead, in their haste to proclaim Gloria and Noli as the winners, Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Iloilo Rep. Raul Gonzales merely 'noted' every objection raised by the opposition during the canvass," Pimentel said.
Pangilinan and Gonzales chaired the Senate and House panel respectively, in the joint congressional canvassing.
Pimentel said the administration legislators even accused him of being obstructionist and delaying the proclamation of Arroyo and De Castro.
"Now the shoe is on the other foot with Secretary Michael Defensor proposing to open the ballot boxes in a desperate attempt to prove the Gloria and Noli won the election. Unfortunately for them, it is too late in the day to do so. Nothing will erase the public perception that the administration cheated the people of their votes. Haste can truly make waste of a nation!" Pimentel said.
"Gloria and Noli should simply resign and save the nation from more discord," Pimentel said.
Ref: Omeng / (02) 5526731
http://www.nenepimentel.org
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) said today the well-documented revelation of former Senator JohnOsmeña about padding of votes for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in at least 10 regions, including his home-province, Cebu, explains why administration lawmakers dismissed with a plain "noted" all motions of the opposition to examine tampered certificates of canvass, election returns and other election documents during the congressional canvassing of the votes cast in the 2004 presidential election.
Pimentel said Osmeña's finding that Ms. Arroyo's vote count in Cebuwas fraudulently padded in Cebu alone was the most credible confirmation of the opposition's claim that the administration camp fabricated the certificates of canvass and election returns with the connivance of election local government officials to give her an incredible one million vote lead over Fernando Poe, Jr. in the Central Visayan province.
"John has uncovered Cebu's quicksand political pit where Gloria's false claims of victory are fast sinking and from which the more she struggles, the more she sinks," he said.
Pimentel debunked Malacañang's puerile criticism questioning why it is only now that Osmeña, who ran for senator under Arroyo's party in 2004, exposed this election bombshell.
He said that during the congressional canvassing of votes in May-June,2004, John Osmeña and his cousin, Sen. Serge Osmeña, articulated their view that the Cebu votes for Arroyo were "statistically improbable" considering that in 38 municipalities in the province, the President obtained 80 percent of the votes consistently and Mr. Poe got 10 percent of the votes consistently in the same localities.
Moreover, Pimentel said the opposition found out that in several towns, "more votes were recorded than the registered votes. He said had certain election returns in Cebu been opened, it would have been shown that many were prepared by only one hand.
The minority leader said the political turmoil in the country would have been avoided had President Arroyo's legislative allies agreed to make the canvass of votes for president and vice president transparent. "Instead, in their haste to proclaim Gloria and Noli as the winners, Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Iloilo Rep. Raul Gonzales merely 'noted' every objection raised by the opposition during the canvass," Pimentel said.
Pangilinan and Gonzales chaired the Senate and House panel respectively, in the joint congressional canvassing.
Pimentel said the administration legislators even accused him of being obstructionist and delaying the proclamation of Arroyo and De Castro.
"Now the shoe is on the other foot with Secretary Michael Defensor proposing to open the ballot boxes in a desperate attempt to prove the Gloria and Noli won the election. Unfortunately for them, it is too late in the day to do so. Nothing will erase the public perception that the administration cheated the people of their votes. Haste can truly make waste of a nation!" Pimentel said.
"Gloria and Noli should simply resign and save the nation from more discord," Pimentel said.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Gloria Arroyo Taksil Sa Mga Manggagawang Pangkalusugan At Sa Masa, Patalsikin Na
Pahayag ng All-UP Workers Union Manila Chapter
Ika-8 ng Hulyo 2005
(This Position of the union was adopted by an expanded Chapter Executive Board Meeting on July 5, 2005 and finalized only today, July 19.)
“Nababagabag ako….” Ito ang mga katagang namutawi mula sa bibig ni Gng Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sa isang makasaysayang gabi ng Hunyo 27, 2005, kung saan inamin niya ang pakikipag-usap sa isang opisyal ng Comelec noong panahon ng 2004 Eleksyon. Ngunit ang pag-aming ito ay kalahati lamang ng katotohanan ng sistematikong pakikipagsabwatan upang impluwensyahan ang eleksyon.
“Hindi ako magre-resign….” Nagresulta ng pagdami ng mga kilos protesta upang malaman pa ang buong katotohanan sa likod nito at nanawagan ng kanyang pagbibitiw. . Ngunit patuloy siyang nagpanggap na kontrolado pa ang sitwasyon at hawak pa niya ang tiwala at kompiyansa ng mamamayan. At nito ngang nakalipas na linggo hinamon pa niya ang kanyang mga kabinete na magsipagbitiw na sa kanilang mga posisyon kung hindi na siya kinikilala ng mga ito.
Ang Pilipinas ay lugmok na sa kahirapan. Ito ay isang katotohanan na walang pasubali at walang kagatol-gatol na sasagutin ng bawat Pilipino ng “oo”. Bago pa man lumabas ang kontrobersyal na “Gloriagate tapes,” talamak na ang korapsyon at katiwalian sa pamahalaan at sumasadsad na ang ekonomiya. Ang mahirap ay patuloy na naghihirap at ang mga tiwaling nakaluklok sa kapangyarihan ay patuloy na nagkakamal ng salapi.
Si Gng. Arroyo ay kapit-tuko sa kanyang posisyon at ni katiting na balak mag-resign sa puwesto ay wala. Nagkasala si Gng Arroyo sa Sambayanan at dapat lang siyang managot. Kapag tayo ay magsawalang kibo sa mga nangyayari ay para na rin nating sinabi na magsawalang kibo na lang tayo sa mga katiwalian at sa lahat ng gumagawa ng kasalanan sa ating lipunan.
Bantad na ang mamamayan sa kahirapan at tayong mga manggagawang pangkalusugan ay hindi naiiba sa ganitong kalagayan. Ang mga benipisyong matagal nang dapat naibigay sa atin ay patuloy na ipinagkakait sa kabila ng legalidad sa likod nito, kagaya ng COLA, libreng pagpapa-ospital at iba pang mga benipisyo. Ang P3000 across-the-board monthly salary increase na matagal na rin nating ipinaglalaban ay nakabinbin pa rin sa Kongreso at ni isang sentimo na pagtaas ng sweldo nating mga kawani ay wala tayong natanggap sa kasalukuyang rehimen.
Ang anumang sandaling pananatili ni Gng Arroyo sa poder ay lalo lamang magsasadlak sa atin sa ibayong kahirapan at mga paglulubid ng kasinungalingan tungkol sa ating ekonomiya.
Hanggang kailan magtitiis at aasa ang mga Pilipino na isang araw ay magbabago ang takbo ng kanilang buhay? Sa kasaysayan ng mga dakilang bansa sa buong mundo, ang mga ordinaryong mamamayan ang siyang nag-uukit ng kanilang kasaysayan tungo sa kadakilaan at kaunlaran. Nasa ating mga kamay kung gayon ang ating kinabukasan. Kung hindi tayo kikilos at gagawa ng aksyon ngayon; sino ang kikilos para sa atin, at kailan pa?
Tayo ay nanawagang patalsikin na si Gng Arroyo sa Malacañang at bumuo ng isang Transition Government na magpapatakbo ng pamahalaan. Isang pamahalaan na mapagkalinga sa mamamayan, hindi ng interes ng dayuhan at iilan; at kumakatawan sa lahat na sektor ng
lipunang Pilipino.
Peke at taksil na Pangulo, bumaba ka na sa puwesto bago mo matikman ang paniningil ng Sambayanan!
Ika-8 ng Hulyo 2005
(This Position of the union was adopted by an expanded Chapter Executive Board Meeting on July 5, 2005 and finalized only today, July 19.)
“Nababagabag ako….” Ito ang mga katagang namutawi mula sa bibig ni Gng Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sa isang makasaysayang gabi ng Hunyo 27, 2005, kung saan inamin niya ang pakikipag-usap sa isang opisyal ng Comelec noong panahon ng 2004 Eleksyon. Ngunit ang pag-aming ito ay kalahati lamang ng katotohanan ng sistematikong pakikipagsabwatan upang impluwensyahan ang eleksyon.
“Hindi ako magre-resign….” Nagresulta ng pagdami ng mga kilos protesta upang malaman pa ang buong katotohanan sa likod nito at nanawagan ng kanyang pagbibitiw. . Ngunit patuloy siyang nagpanggap na kontrolado pa ang sitwasyon at hawak pa niya ang tiwala at kompiyansa ng mamamayan. At nito ngang nakalipas na linggo hinamon pa niya ang kanyang mga kabinete na magsipagbitiw na sa kanilang mga posisyon kung hindi na siya kinikilala ng mga ito.
Ang Pilipinas ay lugmok na sa kahirapan. Ito ay isang katotohanan na walang pasubali at walang kagatol-gatol na sasagutin ng bawat Pilipino ng “oo”. Bago pa man lumabas ang kontrobersyal na “Gloriagate tapes,” talamak na ang korapsyon at katiwalian sa pamahalaan at sumasadsad na ang ekonomiya. Ang mahirap ay patuloy na naghihirap at ang mga tiwaling nakaluklok sa kapangyarihan ay patuloy na nagkakamal ng salapi.
Si Gng. Arroyo ay kapit-tuko sa kanyang posisyon at ni katiting na balak mag-resign sa puwesto ay wala. Nagkasala si Gng Arroyo sa Sambayanan at dapat lang siyang managot. Kapag tayo ay magsawalang kibo sa mga nangyayari ay para na rin nating sinabi na magsawalang kibo na lang tayo sa mga katiwalian at sa lahat ng gumagawa ng kasalanan sa ating lipunan.
Bantad na ang mamamayan sa kahirapan at tayong mga manggagawang pangkalusugan ay hindi naiiba sa ganitong kalagayan. Ang mga benipisyong matagal nang dapat naibigay sa atin ay patuloy na ipinagkakait sa kabila ng legalidad sa likod nito, kagaya ng COLA, libreng pagpapa-ospital at iba pang mga benipisyo. Ang P3000 across-the-board monthly salary increase na matagal na rin nating ipinaglalaban ay nakabinbin pa rin sa Kongreso at ni isang sentimo na pagtaas ng sweldo nating mga kawani ay wala tayong natanggap sa kasalukuyang rehimen.
Ang anumang sandaling pananatili ni Gng Arroyo sa poder ay lalo lamang magsasadlak sa atin sa ibayong kahirapan at mga paglulubid ng kasinungalingan tungkol sa ating ekonomiya.
Hanggang kailan magtitiis at aasa ang mga Pilipino na isang araw ay magbabago ang takbo ng kanilang buhay? Sa kasaysayan ng mga dakilang bansa sa buong mundo, ang mga ordinaryong mamamayan ang siyang nag-uukit ng kanilang kasaysayan tungo sa kadakilaan at kaunlaran. Nasa ating mga kamay kung gayon ang ating kinabukasan. Kung hindi tayo kikilos at gagawa ng aksyon ngayon; sino ang kikilos para sa atin, at kailan pa?
Tayo ay nanawagang patalsikin na si Gng Arroyo sa Malacañang at bumuo ng isang Transition Government na magpapatakbo ng pamahalaan. Isang pamahalaan na mapagkalinga sa mamamayan, hindi ng interes ng dayuhan at iilan; at kumakatawan sa lahat na sektor ng
lipunang Pilipino.
Peke at taksil na Pangulo, bumaba ka na sa puwesto bago mo matikman ang paniningil ng Sambayanan!
Resignations to Mount as SONA of Excuses, Apologies and Empty Promises Near; Truth Commission, Impeachment To Strengthen Basis for GMA’s Removal
Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
News Release July 19, 2005
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, Chief of Staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph, anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Cellphone number 09213907362
Visit geocities.com/ap_news
Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today said that the resignation of two more officials from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s cabinet was proof-positive that the presidency was crumbling. He said that for all the brave talk and strong front being put up by Pres. Arroyo and her various spokespersons such as presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio, the fact remains that the Pres. Arroyo’s credibility is severely damaged and is already beyond salvaging.
“Pres. Arroyo had no inkling that half her cabinet officials were going to abandon her, and now the remaining stragglers are also leaving,” he said, referring to the recent resignation of Vicky Garchitorena, Corazon Guidote and Silvestre Afable. “Before long, she will be left with a skeleton of a government, regardless of how swiftly she tries to replace the officials who resigned as a result of disgust and disillusionment. After all, who want to be associated with a corrupt presidency?”
He said that Arroyo administration hangers-on such as DOLE secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas and Justice secretary Raul Gonzales were already among the most notorious officials, and while their respective resignations were not expected, he said that that the two still have a chance to redeem themselves and can begin so by turning in their papers.
The veteran labor leader turned lawmaker said that Pres. Arroyo was hanging on to the presidency by the skin of her teeth. “The countdown to her State of the Nation Address (SONA) is nearing, and so is the showdown between political forces demanding her resignation, impeachment or ouster, and those who are blindly loyal to her corrupt presidency. Never again will Pres. Arroyo be able to say that she has the Filipino people’s trust and confidence, and all her succeeding speeches and declarations will always be treated with distrust and disdain. She has no moral or legal right to continue as president.”
Beltran said that GMA’s SONA will most likely be yet another series of excuses, apologies, and empty promises. “This will be her last SONA. No one is expecting her to last until the end of the year, especially when the impeachment process begins and more of her crimes and lies against the Filipino people are exposed. The true SONA will be delivered in the streets where hundreds of thousands of Filipinos will be demanding her removal from office.”
Truth Commission, Impeachment process
Beltran said that he was not wholly against the recommendation of some quarters for the establishment of a truth commission as a parallel move to the massive street protests and the impeachment process now being begun in Congress. He said that so long as the truth commission was handled by impartial individuals and groups whose main objectives are to ferret out the truth as to the deeds of the Arroyo presidency and the genuine political and economic situation faced by majority of Filipinos, the truth commission should prove to be valuable venue for the further exposure of the corruption of the administration.
“All these steps being taken – the impeachment process, the truth commission, and most importantly the rallies and mobilizations all over the country – they serve to be important venues for debate and awakening of public awareness, involvement and concern. No matter how hard the Arroyo administration and the executive tries to explain away the accusations and charges of corruption and failure of governance, the truth will still come out. More and more Filipinos are getting involved in the process of exposing the ugliness of Philippine politics and the corruption of the economic and political system in place. Inevitably, there will be major political upheaval and Pres. Arroyo will be forced out of office,” he said.#
News Release July 19, 2005
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, Chief of Staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph, anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Cellphone number 09213907362
Visit geocities.com/ap_news
Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today said that the resignation of two more officials from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s cabinet was proof-positive that the presidency was crumbling. He said that for all the brave talk and strong front being put up by Pres. Arroyo and her various spokespersons such as presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio, the fact remains that the Pres. Arroyo’s credibility is severely damaged and is already beyond salvaging.
“Pres. Arroyo had no inkling that half her cabinet officials were going to abandon her, and now the remaining stragglers are also leaving,” he said, referring to the recent resignation of Vicky Garchitorena, Corazon Guidote and Silvestre Afable. “Before long, she will be left with a skeleton of a government, regardless of how swiftly she tries to replace the officials who resigned as a result of disgust and disillusionment. After all, who want to be associated with a corrupt presidency?”
He said that Arroyo administration hangers-on such as DOLE secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas and Justice secretary Raul Gonzales were already among the most notorious officials, and while their respective resignations were not expected, he said that that the two still have a chance to redeem themselves and can begin so by turning in their papers.
The veteran labor leader turned lawmaker said that Pres. Arroyo was hanging on to the presidency by the skin of her teeth. “The countdown to her State of the Nation Address (SONA) is nearing, and so is the showdown between political forces demanding her resignation, impeachment or ouster, and those who are blindly loyal to her corrupt presidency. Never again will Pres. Arroyo be able to say that she has the Filipino people’s trust and confidence, and all her succeeding speeches and declarations will always be treated with distrust and disdain. She has no moral or legal right to continue as president.”
Beltran said that GMA’s SONA will most likely be yet another series of excuses, apologies, and empty promises. “This will be her last SONA. No one is expecting her to last until the end of the year, especially when the impeachment process begins and more of her crimes and lies against the Filipino people are exposed. The true SONA will be delivered in the streets where hundreds of thousands of Filipinos will be demanding her removal from office.”
Truth Commission, Impeachment process
Beltran said that he was not wholly against the recommendation of some quarters for the establishment of a truth commission as a parallel move to the massive street protests and the impeachment process now being begun in Congress. He said that so long as the truth commission was handled by impartial individuals and groups whose main objectives are to ferret out the truth as to the deeds of the Arroyo presidency and the genuine political and economic situation faced by majority of Filipinos, the truth commission should prove to be valuable venue for the further exposure of the corruption of the administration.
“All these steps being taken – the impeachment process, the truth commission, and most importantly the rallies and mobilizations all over the country – they serve to be important venues for debate and awakening of public awareness, involvement and concern. No matter how hard the Arroyo administration and the executive tries to explain away the accusations and charges of corruption and failure of governance, the truth will still come out. More and more Filipinos are getting involved in the process of exposing the ugliness of Philippine politics and the corruption of the economic and political system in place. Inevitably, there will be major political upheaval and Pres. Arroyo will be forced out of office,” he said.#
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