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Dancing the cha-cha?

This self-serving initiative of the administration has urgent and far-reaching implications on the country’s politics, economy, sovereignty, patrimony as well as the people’s civil liberties. The Charter change has been touted as the solution to the current economic and political crisis. It is regarded by the administration as a requirement for a country “poised for take-off”.

Beneath the promises and illusions generated by cha-cha are the sinister and self-serving moves to perpetuate an illegitimate regime in power, open the country’s economy and patrimony to unbridled foreign exploitation and plunder, further degrade our nation’s sovereignty and threaten the already limited and fragile constitutional provisions on human rights and civil liberties.

No elections, so Gloria can adore her seat until 2010. Foreign ownership does not have to go through the needle’s eye just to exploit our own resources. Our civil liberties could be removed. Nuclear weapons and foreign troops are very much welcome. Moreover, of course, the infamous suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus – the Martial Law comes convenient every time Gloria would wake up and all of a sudden wanted her dictatorship take full shape.

Charter change is a surefire formula for national regression because it will reverse whatever limited and positive provisions left in the constitution. It will bring our country from bad to worse. It will blast the country back to an era of direct colonial rule and martial law, of US bases and lifetime dictators.

Mrs. Arroyo has a given a six-month deadline for charter change. A plebiscite is targeted for June 2006. The administration is going full-blast with its plan. Charter change is therefore a challenge that we must urgently take up.

Despite all the promises of reforms, big business, the landed elite, corrupt bureaucrats and the political clans, all of whose interests sharply contradict those of the people, will still dominate the proposed Parliament. Shifting to a parliamentary form does not address the issue of who really wields political power in this country.

For all its avowed advantages and promises, charter change will only worsen the current economic and political crisis. It is a prescription for economic disaster at the hands of foreign vested interests. It would also serve perpetuate an illegitimate regime and give it more powers to violate people rights.

The administration has vowed to use its “superior force” to bulldoze the approval of charter change. It intends to use the House of Representatives and Local Government Units to squeeze the Senate into accepting cha-cha.

Despite the objections of the people as reflected in recent surveys, the administration is intent on forcing charter change through the efforts of the pro-Arroyo majority in Congress. Cover your ears and eyes. Let us deliver ourselves not to dance the cha-cha. #

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