Proposal for Con-Con a grand deception and cover-up

Con-Ass postponement a ploy to abort big opposition rally; vigilance must be maintained

“Even before the scheduled big rallies on December 12 and 15 against the illegal convening of the Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), Arroyo’s House allies led by Jose De Venecia are already running with their tails between their legs.”

This was the reaction of Joel Maglunsod, Secretary-General of the Kilusang Mayo Uno Labor Center to the postponement of the Con-Ass this coming Tuesday, December 12, 2006. According to De Venecia, the Lower House will be waiting for the recommendation from the Senate on the matter.

“Arroyo and her allies were definitely caught on their backfoot when various groups coalesced to form a broad opposition to the Con-Ass and called for a rally on December 12 and 15. They never thought they will face such rough sailing. Their current proposal and challenge to Senate to pass a resolution for a Constitutional Convention or ConCon is a a grand deception and cover up of their gross mistakes and maneuverings which only themselves have to be blamed. In the end, what they are really aiming is to save Mrs. Arroyo and themselves since the Oust Arroyo movement is fast maturing and developing because of their immoral and shameful display of arrogance and hunger for more power,” said Maglunsod.

“Arroyo’s tacticians are trying to sidestep the mounting resistance against the Con-Ass by calling for a postponement to buy more time. Instead of focusing on alleviating the suffering of the victims of typhoon Reming, Arroyo, De Venecia and the rest of her ilk are like a pack of political hyenas flaunting their insatiable greed for power while showing disdain to the sentiments of the Filipino people simply because we’re not lawmakers,” opined Maglunsod.

According to Maglunsod, the most rabid supporters of Con-Ass are last-termers who want to remain in power and continue looting the coffers of the nation. “These are people who for the last 9 years tasted unbridled power, took money from the poor and sat on their high chairs. They just simply want it to be a never-ending story.”

“Whether it is Con-Ass or Constitutional Convention for as long as it ends in the perpetuation of a few in power, it will be inimical to the interests of the Filipino people. We may change the form but if the corrupt and elite remains in power, the rest of us shall remain to be fence-sitters and excluded from running this nation,” stated Maglunsod.

“We are calling on to our countrymen who love freedom and democracy to put our front foot forward and pour to the streets on December 12 and 15. We should maintain the pressure against the Con-Ass and our vigilance should remain high against political maneuvers of Arroyo and her allies to ram their plan to remain in power for as long as they want. In 1997, we foiled the plot of Ramos and De Venecia to extend their term and this time history is calling on to us to do it again and protect the remaining democracy we have,” ended Maglunsod.