No Surprises
- 2010 Elections, Cha Cha -
By Harvey S. Keh
THE recent approval of House Resolution 1109 by the congressional allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo clearly shows that this present administration will put out all the stops to ensure that it will stay in power beyond the 2010 elections.
HR 1109 will allow the members of the House of Representatives to convene itself into a Constituent Assembly with or without the consent of the Senate, a co-equal legislative body as stated upon in our present Philippine Constitution.
Clearly, we now see that we have a House of Representatives that is dominated primarily by Congressmen who do not represent their constituents’ sentiments and beliefs but the interests of a few ruling elite in our country today.
News reports have said that the President and her cohorts used the allotment of the Pork Barrel as bait for the Congressmen to sign the resolution.
As if adding insult to injury, instead of working until the wee hours of the night to ensure the passage of pro-poor laws such as the Extension and Reform of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARPER), the allies of the President chose instead to pursue its objective of pushing for Charter Change before it adjourns its session on June 3.
