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.
June 1st, 2007 at 10:40 am
TO PROUD WELFAREVILLIAN
You truly did your homework! If I remember right, you were able to get away from the doldrums, so to speak.
June 1st, 2007 at 9:14 am
simple pinoy
To Tony
I have written countless of times that GMA’s time is but 3 years and she’ll be like you and me: another private citizen. My point is: instead of the opposition doing nothing but just plain and simple politicking to earn extra mileage for their individual political careers, why can’t they at least behave like constructive oppositionists.
Don’t tell me about being a victim of militarization. During Marcos times, I suffered in the hands of the military due to my activism. What GMA did was nothing compared to the Martial Law years.
Crony? I have too much self respect to be considered someone else’s crony. I have my own capabilities that I don’t need anyone’s help to land a decent paying job.
I love my country that’s why I am against the antics of the opposition. No matter how much the country will suffer, they just don’t give a damn for as long as they can inflict the greatest damage to the Administration of GMA.
You and I have no choice. GMA sits as the president of our country. Just because I may not like GMA personally I would do my utmost to unseat her dragging in the process the country’s progress. As a patriotic citizen, the hierarchy of my values is God, country and family in this order.
I have hated the Marcos regime like no other. I participated in countless rallies. But I still paid my taxes even if I found the regime despicable. It is my civic duty to do so notwithstanding my personal biases. Same with GMA. I may not like her personally but I will not do anything that would make my country goes from bad to worse.
I hope the opposition behaves similarly. Hindi yong, kahit kudeta na which is nothing but a naked power grab eh pini prayer rally pa o kung anong kaek-ekan ang palabas. Is this democratic? And if we are to believe the pious pronouncements of these people, they adhere to the ideals of democracy and will fight to the bitter end to protect democracy in the country. Really? Tapos, hawak kamay si Trillanes? Shit.
*****************
Salina
Shit. Din! The same to you! All I can tell you is, Gloria Arroyo, Don’t deserve to sit in malacanyang Palace a minute longer. She’s the squatter of malacanyang Place! If you really want to protect her go ahead. Magsama kayo sa kangkogan.
June 1st, 2007 at 8:49 am
“I have written countless of times that GMA’s time is but 3 years and she’ll be like you and me: another private citizen. My point is: instead of the opposition doing nothing but just plain and simple politicking to earn extra mileage for their individual political careers, why can’t they at least behave like constructive oppositionists”
are you saying that even when we see that there are issues that needs to be investigated we’re just going to look the other way? keep our mouth shut because the economy is booming? or we dont want to rock the boat? they are senators thats their job to find out if there are anomalies with the goverment contracts and spendings, what are they there for? to be cheering on the sidelines for GMA?
“You and I have no choice. GMA sits as the president of our country. Just because I may not like GMA personally I would do my utmost to unseat her dragging in the process the country’s progress. As a patriotic citizen, the hierarchy of my values is God, country and family in this order”
investigating the president is not going to drag the country down it will actually move the country forward, as long as there is no closure to the issues that is hounding the president then our country wont reach its potential. you say your values is God, country and family but your putting GMA as your country. GMA is not the country. she is a bogus president that stole and cheated her way to be president. Im not sure why you say we dont have choice? seems like for you its GMAs way or the highway. GMA closed all the constitutional avenues for any type of inquiry of the issues that hound her.
“I love my country that’s why I am against the antics of the opposition”
by being against the oppositions means loving your country?, this is what i mean…seems to me that anyone who is against GMA is not patriotic or someone who doesnt love our country if we were to listen to you.
Please validate what your saying about antics.
“kahit kudeta na which is nothing but a naked power grab”
people power, kudeta are types of power grab no matter how you look at it, there is no constitutional basis for both, but thats what happens when all constitutional avenues are blocked by the president for a resolution much less by a bogus president. no senator supported kudeta, in fact they were warning about it if the truth didnt come out.
“they just don’t give a damn for as long as they can inflict the greatest damage to the Administration of GMA.”
please elaborate what these damages your talking about, as far as i can remember these oppositions were just trying to get answers to some nagging questions. like, fertilizer scam, hello garci, the off-shore accounts….why doesnt she just answer these questions to move the country forward? the answer is GMA does not want the truth to come out. remember, where there is smoke there is fire. it is very obvious, its like we’ll just subimt ourselves to whatever GMA does without accountability. now, where is justice here? where is checks and balances here?
“I have hated the Marcos regime like no other”
you hate Marcos and yet you condone what GMA is doing, like manipulating election results, issuing presidential decrees to stop anyone from testifying from a senate inquiry, ramming cha cha in our throats, extra judicial killings. Remember, the senate is a co-equal branch of the govt. again unless you just want GMA to go by her business without anyone checking, that again is a form of govt thats called dictatorship and i guess you condone that, now how can you say you love your country when thats the kind of govt you want? freedom and justice to only the few that are close or a supporter of GMA?
All i want is a transparent govt. if there are anomalies going on then lets investigate it and find out the truth not block the truth from coming out and try to blame other people for investigating it, if she has nothing to hide then there is nothing for her to fear. my problem here is that whenever congress investigate something GMA issues EO to prevent anyone from testifying, and point the finger on the opposition, let them investigate cause if GMA really has nothing to hide, guess what? the opposition would be in an embarrasing situation and come next election no one is going to vote for them. The senate is doing its job not like the lower house which is just a rubber stamp for GMA.
let me ask you this….why did the justices go against GMAs EO? it is becaues of its dictatorial tendencies of GMA. the very govt that you support.
June 1st, 2007 at 7:00 am
onslaught, not onslaugh
correction, please…
June 1st, 2007 at 6:58 am
Lagot si GMA!!!