Ramos to Arroyo: Cut term

[explorer]

Ramos to Arroyo: Cut term
'Support incidental for want of alternative'

First posted 04:01am (Mla time) Oct 21, 2005
By Daxim L. Lucas, Juliet Labog-Javellana
Inquirer News Service


PRESSING his call for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to cut short her six-year term, former President Fidel V. Ramos yesterday said Ms Arroyo must subsume her personal goals to that of the "national interest."

"The higher the position, the greater the sacrifice," Ramos said in a speech before businessmen, adding that part of this sacrifice was "giving up a part of your elected term of office."

His remarks were roundly applauded by the businessmen, many of whom are members of the Makati Business Club, which has called on Ms Arroyo to step down following allegations that she stole last year's presidential election.

"If I have been supportive of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her position as President thus far, that support is only secondary and incidental in the absence of a better alternative from the Makati Business Club, the Management Association of the Philippines and Finex (Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines) in the protection of that national interest," Ramos said.

The three business groups hosted the lunch at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati where the former President gave his speech.

Ramos is a longtime proponent of the shift to a parliamentary form of government, but his advocacy was given fresh impetus after he was credited with saving the Arroyo administration from collapse in the wake of a mass resignation on July 8 of key Cabinet officials now known as the "Hyatt 10."

Ramos had suggested that Ms Arroyo make a "graceful exit" next year to make way for a parliamentary system of government.

A scheme earlier proposed by House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., a staunch Ramos ally, calls for Ms Arroyo to step down in favor of a prime minister by 2007. The President's term expires in 2010.

De Venecia said Charter change could be a way to break the political gridlock threatening the entire country.

But a member of the Consultative Commission (Concom), which the President formed to propose amendments to the Constitution, wants Ms Arroyo to hold on to her post until 2010.

Former Biliran Representative Gerry Espina proposed to the Concom committee on transitory provisions that Ms Arroyo and all incumbent officials be given automatic term extensions from 2007, when the new Constitution providing for a shift to a parliamentary-federal system is expected to take effect.

Manifesto

Other allies of Ms Arroyo also want her to remain in office until 2010.

Congressmen, governors and mayors, who belong to the pro-Arroyo coalition, signed an agreement yesterday hastening moves to revise the Charter and defuse the political turmoil. They said in their manifesto that Ms Arroyo's current term should be respected.

Last night, the 49-member Concom voted 32-7 to recommend the shift from the presidential-bicameral government to the parliamentary-unicameral system.

Most senators, including Ms Arroyo's allies, and the small opposition bloc in the House of Representatives are opposed to changing the Constitution, saying the proposal was a smokescreen to defuse the political crisis.

Ms Arroyo, who survived an impeachment attempt by her political opponents last month, has been embroiled in a crisis since early June over opposition claims that she cheated her way to victory in the 2004 polls and that her family received payoffs from operators of "jueteng," an illegal numbers game.

Lack of alternatives

In his speech, Ramos qualified his support for Ms Arroyo, saying it is driven mainly by a lack of acceptable alternatives.

"My abiding concern has always been the national interest," he said.

Ramos also outlined several prerequisites which he believes are critical for the country to be able to move forward, including personal changes on Ms Arroyo's part.

"President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must herself reform," he said, to the sound of more applause from the audience.

Extension of terms

Under the Espina proposal, the mid-term May 2007 election would not be held and Ms Arroyo would be allowed to serve out her term up to 2010, after which the full shift to the new system would be implemented.

The proposal amounts to a wholesale extension of the terms of office of the 23 senators, 235 members of the House of Representatives, and thousands of governors, vice governors, mayors, vice mayors, councilors and barangay officials.

The committee on transitory provisions has yet to vote on Espina's proposal but he said most Concom members were agreeable to the term extension.

Concom Chair Jose Abueva said all the senators whose terms will end in 2007 and in 2010 would become automatic members of the transition parliament along with all the incumbent members of the House of Representatives.

Parliamentary polls next year

He said the first election under the new Constitution would be in 2010 when all positions would conform to the parliamentary-federal system.

The federal republic with a parliamentary government model proposed by Abueva includes a President acting as head of state with largely ceremonial functions and a Prime Minister as strong head of government.

Asked how the proposal would be accepted by the people, Espina said they could still resort to impeachment or recall to remove any undesirable official.

He said Ms Arroyo could still be subject to impeachment next year.

Abueva had said there could be a plebiscite on the new Constitution as early as the middle of next year.

Joint declaration

De Venecia and other House leaders signed a joint declaration with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the umbrella organization of all local officials, calling for the immediate shift to a parliamentary system.

Concom Secretary General Lito Monico Lorenzana said Concom officials witnessed the signing of the declaration after meeting with De Venecia and ULAP leaders in Manila Hotel yesterday.

Lorenzana said the Speaker and the local officials wanted the plebiscite held next year.

He said the Speaker and ULAP agreed to convene a constituent assembly, composed of senators and members of the House, to amend the Constitution.

"They are trying to work out a modus vivendi with the Senate and they are asking the local officials (to help them)," Lorenzana said.

The majority of senators object to a constituent assembly but are amenable to Charter change only through a constitutional convention composed of elected delegates.

Lorenzana said the Concom was set to vote yesterday on the committee reports calling for the lifting of the "restrictive" economic provisions such as the ban on foreign ownership of land, utilities and the media.

He said the committee on national territory also wanted the government to revive its claim on Sabah.

[RedHorse]

counter move ni GMA:

Friday, October 21, 2005


Pichay eyes speakership

By Maricel V. Cruz, Reporter

ADMINISTRATION Rep. Prospero Pichay of Surigao del Norte is being touted as the replacement for House Speaker Jose de Venecia.

The Speaker’s resentful allies from the Sunshine Coalition are determined to field Pichay as his successor.

Pichay, head of the House contingent for the Commission on Appointments, is “open” to the idea of challenging de Venecia.

Opposition Rep. Jacinto Paras of Negros Oriental said Pichay had talked to him about the matter.

Paras claimed that the majority of administration congressmen are keen on changing the Speaker, saying they are “disappointed” with the way de Venecia is running the affairs of the House.

Paras said he could give only “moral support” to Pichay because the speakership issue is a fight among majority lawmakers.

Quoting Pichay, Paras cited a number of reasons why de Venecia should be replaced.

One reason was the impending reorganization in the House. The administration lawmakers feel that the Speaker is favoring some House members who are sure to be accommodated in committee chairmanships.

“He is pushing for Charter change. He doesn’t want a less vote for it and so he has to pacify all,” Paras said.

Also, de Venecia apparently has been doing nothing about the slashed P40-million pork barrel for congressmen, Paras quoted Pichay as saying.

That issue has persistently threatened de Venecia’s ouster, particularly when the Speaker announced a “pork cut” without first consulting the opposition and administration congressmen.

The move to unseat de Venecia started on October 12 when his ally from the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Rep. Antonio Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur, filed a motion before the plenary session to declare all seats vacant, from the Speaker down to the committee chairs.

Paras said Cerilles’ motion proved that de Venecia’s allies from the majority were not happy with him. “That alone speaks for itself.”

[explorer]

hmmm...i'm more interested with how the people in all ranks in military will react with this comment by ramos. ramos knows best what will happen to a president that majority of the population do NOT like. abangan ang susunod na kabanata....

[explorer]

sayang ang mga plano (daw )ni gma sa bansa natin...ang ganda-ganda pa naman...



Arroyo sets rebuilding RP into first world state in 20 years

Oct 20, 2005
Updated 12:49pm (Mla time)
Lira Dalangin-Fernandez ldalangin*inq7.net
INQ7.net

DECLARING that she has weathered the "waves of destabilization" and that street protests seeking her ouster do not cow her, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo says it is time to rebuild the nation into a first world country "in 20 years."

"Having survived the elements of destabilization wave after wave, it is our mission now, the duty of this generation of leaders and bankers and entrepreneurs and their financiers to build finally a strong Philippine Republic in the 21st century," the President said in her speech at the 48th charter anniversary of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines on Thursday.

"A strong republic that would make the Philippines a first world in 20 years with a permanent environment conducive to wealth creation is our dream," she said.

"An effective government rests on enforcing justice without fear or favor for all, not just the powerful. ... A state that cowers in fear before the mob cannot stand for long," she said.

"We cannot parry any longer in pursuing the aspirations of the common man by staying as a soft state," she said.

"The ship of the Philippine state must be robust and resilient enough to unfurl its sails to ride those winds rather than toppling under their force," she said.

The Arroyo administration has adopted a calibrated preemptive response (CPR) against demonstrators that has resulted in several violent dispersals over the last month.

Arroyo also reiterated the need to review the Constitution as part of the country's political and economic reforms.

Meanwhile, retired Air Force chief William Hotchkiss, head of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines, urged members of the military to remain loyal to the commander in chief and shun forces seeking to destabilize the administration.

He advised those in the Armed Forces and those who had retired to engage in business or in other professions such as rural banking.

"Probably, we can be more productive if we do something for our own community," he said.

[IceColdBeer]

hehehe galing magpatawa niyan ah :bwahaha:
Tibay, tatag, at kapal ng mukha. Yan ang kailangan mo sa politika.

[BlueBimmer]

uy 1st world state in 20 yrs! that means i could still live to see it! :bwahaha:

[mantoy]

1st world state in 20 yrs! ano yan she's gonna rule this country for 20 yrs like macoy?

[zero]

mahilig talaga umeksena itong si tabako kapag namimiligro ang tuta nyang si pgma.

sasabit kasi si fvr sa scandal ni gen. garcia.

[box_type]

does that mean she'll be staying in power for 20 years? hmmm...

[baiskee]

cut term my ass!

di na talaga tatagal yan... sa sinasabi ni tabako ngayon, very obvious na minamandohan pa nya si gma. eto naman si gma...sunod sunoran rin.

[Bogeyman]

He said Ms Arroyo could still be subject to impeachment next year.

One year is more than enough for the opposition to either build a more airtight case against GMA, or field a singular successor. Especially if they are successful in doing the latter and support from the middle class comes in, they wouldn't even need to impeach her.

[mrpink]

.. i see the opposition is doing squat right now for a new case .. no new leadership .. no real unity .. which means .. they'll probably just do research and file a new impeachment case a few weeks after the first one elapsed just for the heck of it .. while in the meantime, wasting taxpayers money in rallies with no real alternative plan on anything ..

[falken]

I don't think she'll be able to finish her term, she's a lousy president. I just hope that whoever replaces her will not be worse.

[CZintrclr]

I am not PRO or Anti GMA, but I think it is very clear she is doing everything she can to hide and not to face the allegations against her.

Saka hindi ko ma-GETS yung sinasabing "self exile" ni FG at Son. Baka may pwde magexplain sa inyo. Exile b yun or Escapo?

And from time to time babalik aalis babalik aalis. Philippines-US ginawang Manila-QC, sya kaya nagbabayad ng plane ticket nya?

I'm not PRO or Anti, just wondering.

[moneywhiz]

if she gets ousted, prepare for NOLI boy and P65 to $1 exchange rate......

[MajorWoody]

if she gets ousted, prepare for NOLI boy and P65 to $1 exchange rate......

that will be a good time for me to take a vacation there.

[zero]

for sure, those who are in self-exile are being sustained by taxpayers money kya okay lang sa kanila itong scenario na ito.

[niky]

I'm neither pro nor anti, but I believe she should be spending her time training a successor.

The "exile" was bullsh*t. Everyone knew that.

I DON'T want GMA to step down because the anti-GMA movement seems to have no further thought for the welfare of this country than to remove her. They have no elected leader, they seemingly have no plan, no idea of what they're doing and no unity. There are too many conflicting interests...

Ang saya ngayon ng mga militante... they can just taste the sweet victory of having the "masa" on their side for once. Quit dreaming... we're never going to be a communist state. And what's the deal? Marching with the same people you want out of power, too?

[Bogeyman]

I DON'T want GMA to step down because the anti-GMA movement seems to have no further thought for the welfare of this country than to remove her. They have no elected leader, they seemingly have no plan, no idea of what they're doing and no unity. There are too many conflicting interests...

Exactly. They have yet to offer a true alternative to the current administration. If they can present someone who is actually better than GMA -- and one that they can all finally agree on -- then I'd be the first to applaud them. But at the rate things are going....

Ang saya ngayon ng mga militante... they can just taste the sweet victory of having the "masa" on their side for once. Quit dreaming... we're never going to be a communist state. And what's the deal? Marching with the same people you want out of power, too?

Which makes their so-called 'alliance' all the more laughable.

[radiazone]

rumors.....