Explanation of Vote on GMA impeachment complaint
Explanation of Vote on the Justice Committee’s report on the impeachment complaint against Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Delivered by Anakpawis Rep. Crispin B. Beltran
September 5, 2005
The failure of the so-called Rule of Law and the Impeachment complaint
Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues, hindi na ako magkukunwari at magsasabing may pag-asa pa ang impeachment complaint. Malinaw na pinaslang ito nung nakaraang linggo, at ngayon at ililibing na ito dito sa Konggreso. All the same, Mr. Speaker, despite the shocking and appalling murder of the impeachment complaint against Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the campaign to remove and replace the corrupt and illegitimate presidency is far from over.
If anything Mr. Speaker, the fight is only beginning. The defeat of the impeachment complaint at the hands of Malacanang’s allies in Congress serves as further reason to intensify and strengthen the protests. The junking of the amended complaint constitutes a serious and unforgivable attack against the Filipino people and their right to know. Mrs. Arroyo’s allies in the House have been relentless in their moves to keep the truth out, and in doing so they have unwittingly set off a chain reaction of events that will inevitably lead to an upheaval that will shake the very foundations of Malacanang.
It is the belief of this Representation that allies of the President carried the immoral and unjust agenda to have a most substantial and most credible impeachment complaint dismissed at the flimsiest, weakest technical excuses and standards. No one was fooled or taken in by this ruse. No one, not even amongst their ranks, for a moment believes that these efforts were not pushed or influenced by the executive so desperate to cling to an office she never had the legal right to occupy.
Mr. Speaker, the president’s allies can gloat, but they will not have the last laugh. All sectors of the Filipino people opposed to corruption, abuse of authority and against electoral fraud are outraged by the run -around the leaders of the Majority bloc and allies of the president made in deliberating over the impeachment complaint. There is no justifying the weeks spent barring the truth from being revealed and discussed in Congress. There is no excuse for the way the President’s men and women sought to undermine the complaint by throwing in various unnecessary prejudicial questions in its way, and by threatening or bribing those lawmakers who would’ve wanted to sign the complaint.
Mr. Speaker, history is what compells this Representation to insist that Pres. Arroyo and her allies are mistaken if they even for a moment believe that that the crisis is over. The unceremonious junking of the amended complaint serves to convinced mor Filipinos that the process and rule of law are often reduced to catch phrases, empty words that carry no weight because they they are essentially controlled and manipulated by a powerful few.
It needs to be said again: the junking of the amended complaint is an insult and attack against the Filipino people’s demand that investigations into the charges of corruption, betrayal of public trust and electoral fraud against Pres. Arroyo be conducted. Everyone wants to know the truth – the details and nitty gritty of the controveries surrounding the President,and people will never be satisfied with Mrs. Arroyo and her spokespersons’ droning denials.
Samanatala, Mr. Speaker, kailangan banggitin na rin ang iba pang kadahilanan kung bakit may malakas na nananawagan sa pagpapatalsik kay Ginang Arroyo mula pagkapangulo. Wala syang nagawa upang pigilan ang pagtaas ng presyo ng langis at iba pang produktong petrolyo. Wala syang ginagawa upang pigilan ang pagsirit ng presyo ng mga batayang produkto tulad ng bigas, kape, asukal, karne, isda at gulay. Hilahod na rin sa hirap ang taumbayan dahil sa taas ng singil sa kuryente, tubig, at renta sa bahay. Libo-libong kabataang estudyante ang hindi makapag-aral dahil sa taas ng matrikula. Milyon-milyon ang walang kakayanang magpagamot o magpatingin man lang sa mga ospital dahil sa taas din ng singil sa serbisyong pagkalusugan. Napakamahal din ng gamot. Napakaraming walang trabaho.Kinakain naman ng bakulaw na kurapsyon at dambuhalang utang panlabas ang bilyon-bilyong kita ng pamahalaan na mula sa buwis-dugo ng mamamayan.
Mr. Speaker, aabutin tayo kahit hanggang bukas makalawa kung pag-uusapan natin ang mga kahinaan at kakulangan ng gobyerno sa mamayan. Pero may apat na salitang maglalarawan pa ng dagdag na pahirap sa taumbayan na kagagawan din ni Pangulong Arroyo: Expanded Value-Added Tax o EVAT.
Ito at ang mga akusasyong nakalahad sa amended complaint ay mga matitibay na dahilan kung bakit malakas ang panawagan para sa pagpapalit ng presidente at pamunuan. Ito rin ang mga usaping pilit winalis ng mga kaalyado ni Pangulong Arroyo sa ilalim ng floor-to-floor rug ng bulwagang ito.
Mr. Speaker, honorable colleagues,this representation there is no other option left for the people to take given that Mrs. Arroyo has flatly refused to resign or allow herself to be impeached. Sa mga susunod na araw at linggo, masasaksihan ng buong bansa at ng mundo kung ano ang nalalabing solusyon ng taumbayan sa isang problemang ayaw bumaba sa pwesto, magpa-impeach o magpa-imbestiga man lang.
We have learned yet another valuable lesson in politics: The rule of law is only as reliable as those who swear to uphold it. In the case of the impeachment process, the President’s allies dismissed the truth at the expense of the law and the Filipino people’s interest and demand for justice.” Magkita-kita na lamang po tayo sa lansangan, sa lunsaran ng mga protesta ng mamamayan. I vote no to the Justice Committee’s report No. ______. Maraming salamat. #
Delivered by Anakpawis Rep. Crispin B. Beltran
September 5, 2005
The failure of the so-called Rule of Law and the Impeachment complaint
Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues, hindi na ako magkukunwari at magsasabing may pag-asa pa ang impeachment complaint. Malinaw na pinaslang ito nung nakaraang linggo, at ngayon at ililibing na ito dito sa Konggreso. All the same, Mr. Speaker, despite the shocking and appalling murder of the impeachment complaint against Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the campaign to remove and replace the corrupt and illegitimate presidency is far from over.
If anything Mr. Speaker, the fight is only beginning. The defeat of the impeachment complaint at the hands of Malacanang’s allies in Congress serves as further reason to intensify and strengthen the protests. The junking of the amended complaint constitutes a serious and unforgivable attack against the Filipino people and their right to know. Mrs. Arroyo’s allies in the House have been relentless in their moves to keep the truth out, and in doing so they have unwittingly set off a chain reaction of events that will inevitably lead to an upheaval that will shake the very foundations of Malacanang.
It is the belief of this Representation that allies of the President carried the immoral and unjust agenda to have a most substantial and most credible impeachment complaint dismissed at the flimsiest, weakest technical excuses and standards. No one was fooled or taken in by this ruse. No one, not even amongst their ranks, for a moment believes that these efforts were not pushed or influenced by the executive so desperate to cling to an office she never had the legal right to occupy.
Mr. Speaker, the president’s allies can gloat, but they will not have the last laugh. All sectors of the Filipino people opposed to corruption, abuse of authority and against electoral fraud are outraged by the run -around the leaders of the Majority bloc and allies of the president made in deliberating over the impeachment complaint. There is no justifying the weeks spent barring the truth from being revealed and discussed in Congress. There is no excuse for the way the President’s men and women sought to undermine the complaint by throwing in various unnecessary prejudicial questions in its way, and by threatening or bribing those lawmakers who would’ve wanted to sign the complaint.
Mr. Speaker, history is what compells this Representation to insist that Pres. Arroyo and her allies are mistaken if they even for a moment believe that that the crisis is over. The unceremonious junking of the amended complaint serves to convinced mor Filipinos that the process and rule of law are often reduced to catch phrases, empty words that carry no weight because they they are essentially controlled and manipulated by a powerful few.
It needs to be said again: the junking of the amended complaint is an insult and attack against the Filipino people’s demand that investigations into the charges of corruption, betrayal of public trust and electoral fraud against Pres. Arroyo be conducted. Everyone wants to know the truth – the details and nitty gritty of the controveries surrounding the President,and people will never be satisfied with Mrs. Arroyo and her spokespersons’ droning denials.
Samanatala, Mr. Speaker, kailangan banggitin na rin ang iba pang kadahilanan kung bakit may malakas na nananawagan sa pagpapatalsik kay Ginang Arroyo mula pagkapangulo. Wala syang nagawa upang pigilan ang pagtaas ng presyo ng langis at iba pang produktong petrolyo. Wala syang ginagawa upang pigilan ang pagsirit ng presyo ng mga batayang produkto tulad ng bigas, kape, asukal, karne, isda at gulay. Hilahod na rin sa hirap ang taumbayan dahil sa taas ng singil sa kuryente, tubig, at renta sa bahay. Libo-libong kabataang estudyante ang hindi makapag-aral dahil sa taas ng matrikula. Milyon-milyon ang walang kakayanang magpagamot o magpatingin man lang sa mga ospital dahil sa taas din ng singil sa serbisyong pagkalusugan. Napakamahal din ng gamot. Napakaraming walang trabaho.Kinakain naman ng bakulaw na kurapsyon at dambuhalang utang panlabas ang bilyon-bilyong kita ng pamahalaan na mula sa buwis-dugo ng mamamayan.
Mr. Speaker, aabutin tayo kahit hanggang bukas makalawa kung pag-uusapan natin ang mga kahinaan at kakulangan ng gobyerno sa mamayan. Pero may apat na salitang maglalarawan pa ng dagdag na pahirap sa taumbayan na kagagawan din ni Pangulong Arroyo: Expanded Value-Added Tax o EVAT.
Ito at ang mga akusasyong nakalahad sa amended complaint ay mga matitibay na dahilan kung bakit malakas ang panawagan para sa pagpapalit ng presidente at pamunuan. Ito rin ang mga usaping pilit winalis ng mga kaalyado ni Pangulong Arroyo sa ilalim ng floor-to-floor rug ng bulwagang ito.
Mr. Speaker, honorable colleagues,this representation there is no other option left for the people to take given that Mrs. Arroyo has flatly refused to resign or allow herself to be impeached. Sa mga susunod na araw at linggo, masasaksihan ng buong bansa at ng mundo kung ano ang nalalabing solusyon ng taumbayan sa isang problemang ayaw bumaba sa pwesto, magpa-impeach o magpa-imbestiga man lang.
We have learned yet another valuable lesson in politics: The rule of law is only as reliable as those who swear to uphold it. In the case of the impeachment process, the President’s allies dismissed the truth at the expense of the law and the Filipino people’s interest and demand for justice.” Magkita-kita na lamang po tayo sa lansangan, sa lunsaran ng mga protesta ng mamamayan. I vote no to the Justice Committee’s report No. ______. Maraming salamat. #
posted at 7:06 PM
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