Nation rejects GMA-JDV blackmail; Protests to continue

Days after Catholic prelates, Protestant bishops and scores of political forces announced a series of protests that will be punctuated by a gigantic demonstration at Luneta, the evil cabal of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Jose de Venecia on Saturday announced that there will be no Constituent Assembly on Dec. 12. Earlier, the Philippine organizers of the 12th ASEAN Leaders Summit announced the event’s postponement purportedly because of an impending typhoon that may hit host Cebu City.

GMA and JDV obviously blinked, terrified of the shame they were bound to suffer with nationwide anti-government protests while ASEAN heads of state and other world leaders were here.

But Filipinos were not yet ready to celebrate yesterday over JDV’s announcement. The Speaker’s statement had several fantastic predicates. While he was speaking, foul smell filled the air — many sensed it was the bad odor of blackmail.

For how can the nation now rest when GMA and JDV still refuse to give up their Charter Change charade. They even had the gall to insinuate that it was the Senate’s fault, this crisis of no confidence in the regime, because the Upper House refused past resolutions for a constituent assembly and the senators’ refusal to help the congresspersons enact a bill for a Constitutional Convention.

JDV gave the Senate 72 hours to do something towards a Concon so the House would no longer do a Con-Ass. How demented can JDV be? Or how deaf? Expectedly, the brighter and better Senate gave JDV the finger.

Hours after JDV tried to blackmail the Senate and the public, the Palace came out with a statement praising JDV’s cohorts for withdrawing its position about the cancellation of the 2007 elections. Only in the Philippines can you find the office of the President praising a truant institution whose truancy gets inspiration from the worse truancy of the chief executive.

No one believes the yarn that Malacanang had nothing to do with JDV’s Con-Ass. Yes, no one does. That’s the same public reaction to the so-called “people’s initiative” of Sigaw ng Bayan and Ulap which was thrown out by the Supreme Court and dubbed by the magistrates as nothing but a “grand deception”.

As in the sham “people’s initiative”, the carcass of Con-Ass has GMA’s finger prints all over it. Everyone saw the bright red ribbon JDV et al wrapped around it and the gift card which said: “For Mrs. Arroyo: President now, Prime Minister tomorrow”. Chacha now – be it through Con-Ass or people’s initiative – is GMA’s greatest fantasy. She’ll get more powers, no more term limits, more opportunities for corruption.

The public also detest the prospect of being under the baton of a Prime Minister JDV. Unelectable to the presidency, JDV wants Chacha badly because that’s the only way he can become head of government.

As to the Concon, it may happen but not while the GMA-JDV cabal hold sway. The people are not naive and stupid not to realize that the same trapos who dominate the House are bound to win the seats in the Concon especially under this administration. GMA will surely go all out in cheating, stealing, lying and killings just to get the required numbers for the domination of the Concon.

The protests meanwhile will continue this coming week. GMA and JDV cannot blackmail the people. The protests will only stop if and only if this evil regime drops the Chacha plan permanently, apologize to the nation for their rank stupidity and “garapal” manners, and move out en mass to another planet.

Photos courtesy of Arkibong Bayan. Taken during the Dec. 8 Human Rights Day protest march-rally led by KARAPATAN. More such photos here.