ALL right. The Comelec has yet to proclaim the winners yet — largely due to the interference of TEAM Unity — but I think it’s safe to say that Genuine Opposition candidates are going to get most of the 12 seats up for grabs in the Senate. 7-3-2 (GO-TU-independent) the last time I checked.
Now what?
I don’t know.
What I do know is that, barring some miraculous turn of events, impeachment is not going to happen. The Congress is unquestionably Arroyo’s; though there are congressmen who oppose her, notably the representatives of party-lists like Bayan Muna and Anakpawis, the grim truth is that they are the minority. Not to mention the fact that Arroyo’s allies in the Congress have demonstrated time and again a lack of delicadeza. They’re not going to shy away from employing underhanded tactics or bulldozing through all opposition (regardless of how legitimate the dissent is) to get what they want.
Which means that though the Senate would probably vote to impeach Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a trial, the Congress would never let the impeachment case reach the Senate in the first place.
Charter change?
Well, the entire country saw what happened the last time Congress tried shoving that down our throats. Every major faction — the opposition, the activists, the Church, etc. — made its opposition to Cha-cha known, and its proponents hastily backed down. But I seriously doubt that’s the end of that. Cha-cha continues to lurk in the background, waiting for a chance to reenter the political scene.
Unfortunately, there’s not much the Senate can do if or when Congress decides to revive the issue. Besides complaining on national television, that is. That worked last time, helping to sway public opinion against the initiative and the proposed Constitutional Assembly, but Filipinos are quick to forget. They can forget, for example, that a candidate who once hated Erap enough to cry is now hand in hand with him in election ads. They can forget all the reasons they didn’t like Cha-cha and become swayed by the propaganda of the administration.
As I said, I don’t have all the answers. No crystal ball wherein the future reveals itself to me. But I have to hope that GO accomplishes something besides proclaiming their disgust at the current administration, and plotting its demise. The 2007 elections are behind us — now we must hope we voted the right people into their positions.
May 30th, 2007 at 12:26 am
This should be the attitude.
marythea wrote:
I believe GMA is trying her best. Why not give her a chance? Let her continue to create jobs for her countrymen.For the winning GO candidates, I just hope you can prove to us that you serve the people with your advocacies. Enough for the bangayan, it’s time to move on and bury the old hatchet.
Give your utmost cooperation so the people can benefit.
May 30th, 2007 at 12:23 am
Tony
Don’t tell us that the Senate does not utilize government resources. Who pays their electric bills to give them cool air during their grandstanding investigations? Who pays the salaries of their staffs to do their paper works? Who pays their fuel for their transportation? Who pays their airfare and hotels when they go to their “official visits� overseas? Who pays their lunch and dinner? The executive huh? These are not even audited, mind you. Everyone should be aware of how powerful these Senators are when the P150M pork barrel gets into their hands. Some are even hypocrites to declare that they don’t utilize theirs but I simply don’t believe that. How could we possibly know?
Tony wrote:
“. You’re spending my 30% (tax) income.�
it is not up to the senate on how to spend that it is the executive branch.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Opposition dominating the senate is a good sign. at the very least, the system of check and balance will be stronger.
i no longer care whether GMA gets impeached or step down properly by 2010, what’s important is she LEAVES Malacanang by then.
after that can we really have credible reform actions.
hindi ang oposisyon ang sumisira sa imahe ng administrasyon. si gloria mismo ang sumira ng sarili niyang pangalan.
as long as the threat of the senate can keep at bay gloria’s and jdv’s greed for eternal power, there’s still hope for all of us.
sure, not much law gets rolled out from those hearings ‘in-aid of legislation’ but at least there are people who can probe into the way taxes are being spent.
hopefully, a GO-dominated senate can prevent another upsurge of EO464- and CPR-like foolishness that gloria comes up with just to please herself (and her military, for that matter).
May 29th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
marythea
I believe GMA is trying her best. Why not give her a chance? Let her continue to create jobs for her countrymen.For the winning GO candidates, I just hope you can prove to us that you serve the people with your advocacies. Enough for the bangayan, it’s time to move on and bury the old hatchet.
Give your utmost cooperation so the people can benefit.
********
Salina
Oh, well. I guess you can’t see exactly whats going on. since you we’re saying that Gloria Arroyo, Is the best person to run the country. You must be really blind that you can’t see all the blunder she’s been doing. If you’re blind that you can’t see it. There is nothing I can do. Just remember one thing. Gloria Arroyo, With her cronies trying everything in their power to that she can stay in malacanyang Palace forever. God forbid. What make you think the filipino people going to let her get away with it.
If you think the filipino people going to take it setting down you better think again. You have seen nothing yet.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
James
Senate will now be a complete circus. Each one of these Opposition Senators will just do grandstanding whenever there is a TV coverage. Even if the issues they discuss are no longer relevant, they will keep on talking about them all over again. Nothing has been accomplished re: Senate investigations. What happened to the Jose Pidal of Lacson, nothing? Did he have enough evidence to prosecute Mike and/or Iggy Arroyo? What about the German Accounts alledgedly discovered by Cayetano? Why did he not pursue in court the case against Mike Arroyo? Maybe he does not have enough evidence. What about the Garcillano case? Why did they not prosecute Garcillano if they have all the evidences. What we want from these senators to pursue to the end what they started and ensure they have all the evidences not just “Dakdak� ng “Dakdak� for nothing.
********
Salina
What happen to all these case? Well As I said already that all these case’s it just swipe under the rugs because as they were saying they have the number’s.
On Jose Pidal’s, Case. The real Jose Pidal is not Iggy Arroyo, But Mike Arroyo.
Iggy Arroyo, Don’t have that kind of money until he become gov’t employee’s. If they look on his income taxes return they well find out the truth. But as always the always cover things up.
Mike Arroyo, Gernman bank account. If its true that Mike/Gloria Arroyo, Don’t have anything to hide, why is it he don’t want to sign a weaver? If he sign the weaver everything will come out. But he didn’t. Meaning he’s hiding something.
Just like when things getting rough these brothers always protect each other ass.
In fact Mike/Gloria Arroyo, Use to own real estates property here in the u.s. But when things got tough the transfer it to Iggy Arroyo. And Iggy sold that property, Thats don’t meant he didn’t the money to his brother. Here in the u.s. you can find out who’s the owner of the real estates property. Thats how I find out the real truth. Its an open book anybody can go to hall of record and check it out.
But in the Philippines its another story! If you’re powerfull you can get away with anything even murder. Only in the Philippines. Here in the states, If you got catch. you’ll pay for your crimes no matter who you’re!