Devious Trio: GMA, FVR, JDV

From Ernie Maceda:

GMA, FVR and Speaker Jose de Venecia met last Monday to discuss and finalize plans for Charter change (Cha-cha). After the meeting, JdV announced there will be parliamentary elections in 2007 but that GMA would be allowed to finish her term until 2010.

What kind of a two-headed hydra are they now trying to sell to, if not to confuse, a suffering public?

In her State of the Nation Address speech and before that, FVR and JdV claimed on July 8 that the change to a unicameral federal parliamentary system is the sole answer to our current problems.

The full blame for our people's grinding poverty was placed on the presidential system cum bicameral legislature.

Now the three conspirators are saying we can postpone the full solution to our political, economic and social crisis by keeping a presidential system with a unicameral parliament in place until 2010, a full five years ahead.

This shows once more the utter lack of sincerity and credibility of this devious trio. No less than Senate Majority Leader Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has come out to accuse the GMA/FVR/JdV troika of “using strong- arm tactics.” He also called their efforts “self-serving.” But Sen. Pangilinan, Sir, backing down on the Bert Gonzales issue is not helping your cause.

Sen. Dick Gordon and Rep. Francis Escudero are correct when they say now is not the time to push Cha--cha. Better after GMA.

The situation is clear. Either adopt the full-fledged unicameral parliamentary system by 2007 or if they don't want to cut GMA's term, then defer it to 2010. Don't experiment with the public welfare by trying a new government hybrid for which we are totally unprepared and inexperienced.

Niloloko na naman tayo. (They are making fools of us again) FVR, JdV and GMA have clinched the title of heavyweight trapos in Philippine history.

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Complacency. The Senate is the picture of complacency with its passive stance against the GMA/FVR/JdV Pangasinan Express that is railroading the change to a unicameral parliament with a devious JdV plan to outsmart the Senate by rejecting the “voting separately” provision, or by the alternative option of GMA declaring a revolutionary government herself and proclaiming the Abueva draft Constitution adopted by presidential decree.

The bicameral system works in the United States, Australia and Japan. Considering the traditional abuse of the “pork barrel” system by the House of Representatives and the wholesale vote-buying during the impeachment vote, a unicameral parliament will only further legitimize these votes for sale practices.

And the worse probability is that a group of taipans can band together and buy the prime ministership for a protégé of their choice. Not only will the people lose the right to elect their Chief Executive and leader, but also that a few very rich businessmen will capture the exclusive right to choose the government. Or worse, they may be outbid by drug syndicates.

The bottom line — Cha-cha is so fundamental, so wide ranging, so radically different, it should not be rushed or railroaded for GMA's political survival.

Wake up senators, wake up bishops, wake up Bar associations, wake up mass media, wake up non-government organizations and Tita Cory. The problem is your efforts to date have been half-hearted. With GMA/FVR/JdV style Cha-cha, a fate worse than VAT, worse than calibrated preemptive response, worse than martial law, is going to be imposed on the citizens.

I agree it's half-hearted and weak.