The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan vowed to hold a new wave of protest actions when the House of Representatives resumes session on April 13. House Speaker Prospero Nograles has announced that he will file a new charter change resolution signed by 175 lawmakers when session resumes. “The Arroyo regime has not learned its lesson. It continues to test the people’s patience by insisting that it can change the constitution at this time, through highly questionable means and with self-serving ends,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.
Bayan said that there is already an understanding among various opposition groups that if a serious push for charter change is made, they will once again launch street actions.
The last time various groups got together to protest Charter change was last December 12, 2008 in Ayala, Makati. At that time, various militant groups, church people, business groups, local officials, political parties and lawmakers, converged in Makati to denounce moves to amend the constitution.
“It won’t be hard for the same groups to come together again if ever the Palace insists on Charter change. The issue of term extension or changing the form of government has refused to die down. A united response from the people will again be necessary,” Reyes said.
“Malacanang is feigning disinterest in Cha-cha, yet its closest allies in the Lower House are all for it. The Palace pretends to distance itself from Cha-cha yet everyone knows it is the chief orchestrator and Gloria Arroyo is the main beneficiary,” he added.
Bayan said that the only way for Charter change to be truly dead is if all pending resolutions in the House of Representatives are withdrawn. “All resolutions, from the Nograles resolution to the Villafuerte resolution, have to be withdrawn. But what we’re seeing it the opposite. They keep filing resolutions for charter change,” Reyes said.
The group said that statements from presidential son and Pampanga Congressman Mikey Arroyo that he is only interested in amending the economic provisions of the constitution are “incredulous”. ###
