NR012405: The people will not benefit in any way from Council of State meet (English/Tagalog)

From the Office of Anakpawis Representative Crispin B. Beltran **
Reference*: Rep. Crispin Beltran (+63)927.871.1080
Lisa C. Ito, Public Information Officer (+63)927.796.7006
*Tel*. *# (+632) *931-6615 *Email*: crispinbeltran@gmail.com
*URL*: http://www.geocities.com/ap_news



*News Release*

*January 24, 2006 *



*The Filipino people will not benefit in any way from Council of State Meet,
****activist lawmaker says *

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran criticized today's Council of State
Meet sponsored by Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as an "empty carnival full
of fanfare and devious plans for the nation", adding that the Palace has so
far not succeeded in providing a credible and legitimate mandate for this
event.



"The Filipino people will not benefit in way form the plans Arroyo and her
coterie of supporters intend to present at the Council of State meet. They
will mainly be consolidating support for GMA's proposed Charter Change,
which is the true intention behind the Palace's calls for unity and
political and economic reforms," Beltran added.



Beltran was among the public officials who did not to attend the Council of
State meet today.



"It's not surprising why many senators, congressmen and women, and other
public officials have snubbed this Council of State meet. This convergence
of forces has been previously exposed as another devious scheme to promote
public acceptance of Arroyo's Cha-Cha," he said.



The activist lawmaker expressed dismay and alarm at the proposed Charter
Change to be discussed at the meeting. "We oppose the Palace's proposed
Cha-Cha because this will only prolong the term of a fake, inutile,
pro-imperialist, fascist and anti-poor President and shuffle the
Constitution according to the whims and wants of foreign institutions and
corporations," he said.



"If we take a look at the proposed amendments of both the House Committee on
Constitutional Amendments and the Consultative Commission, we can generally
see that Gloria's Cha-Cha aims to primarily accomplish the term extension of
Pres. Arroyo until 2010 at the very least, facilitate the return of the US
bases and American troops on Philippine soil, strip off civil liberties and
human rights especially for civilians who are calling for Arroyo's ouster.
These so-called 'political and economic reforms' that Gloria's Cha-Cha want
to achieve will bring nothing but more turmoil and poverty to our country,"
he said.



"A social, economic, and political crisis looms if this kind of Charter
Change pushes through," he added.



Beltran clarified that "it is true that there are many things that can and
should be changed about the current Constitution, but not in the same way,
process, and spirit as Gloria wants her Cha-Cha to proceed. Existing
provisions on national patrimony, economic sovereignty, and civil liberties
should be strengthened, for example. But the nature of the proposed
amendments clearly shows that this particular call for Charter Change aims
to accomplish only a sell-out Constitution and de facto Martial Law," he
said. ###



*Balita Enero 24, 2006 *



*Mamamayang Pilipino pa rin ang dehado sa Council of State Meet– Rep.
Beltran *



Isang karnabal o palabas lamang itong Council of State Meet na ipinapatawag
ng Palasyo ngayong araw, pahayag ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran.



"Mamamayan pa rin ang dehado. Walang maaasahang makabuluhang patakaran ang
mabubuo mula sa pagpupulong na iyon. Gagamitin lang ang Council of State
Meet upang konsolidahin ang suporta para sa gustong Charter Change ni Gng.
Arroyo," ani Beltran.



Kabilang si Beltran sa mga pampublikong opisyales na hindi dadalo sa
nasabing pulong mamaya.



"Hindi nakapagtataka kung bakit maraming senador, kongresista, at maging mga
ibang publikong opisyales ang umiisnab sa pulong ni Arroyo. Noon pa man ay
nailantad itong Council of State meet bilang isang mapalinlang na iskema
upang gawing katanggap-tanggap sa publiko ang Cha-Cha," aniya.



Nagpahayag ang aktibistang mambabatas ng kaniyang dismaya sa mga mungkahing
pagbabago sa kasalukuyang Saligang Batas, na tatalakayin sa Council of State
meeting. "Tutol ako sa mungkahing Cha-Cha ng Palasyo dahil walang ibang
layunin ito kundi patagalin pa sa poder ang peke, inutil, papet, pasista, at
pahirap na Presidenteng Arroyo sa pamamagitan ng pagbabago ng ating Saligang
Batas alinsunod sa mga dikta ng Estados Unidos at mga dayuhang institusyon
at korporasyon," aniya.



"Kapag sinuri natin ang mga mungkahing amendments ng House Committee on
Constitutional Amendments at ng Consultative Commission, makikita na walang
ibang layunin ang Cha-Cha ni Gloria kundi panatilihin pa ang sarili sa
puwesto, ialok ang natitirang lupa, industriya, at likas-yaman ng bansa sa
mga dahuyang korporasyon, ibalik ang mga tropang Amerikano at US bases, at
alisan ng karapatang-pantao ang mga puwersang nanananwagan sa pagpapatalsik
ni Arroyo. Itong mga 'political and economic reforms" na nais makamit ng
Cha-Cha ay walang ibang idudulot sa ating bayan kundi kaguluhan at dagdag na
kahirapan," aniya. "Magbabadya ang isang social at pulitikal na krisis kung
ipagpapatuloy pa ang Cha-Cha", banta ni Rep. Beltran.



Nilinaw ni Beltran na "totoo na maraming dapat at pwedeng baguhin sa
kasalukyang Saligang Batas, pero hindi sa paraan, porma, at diwa ng Cha-Cha
ni Gloria. Dapat patatagin at dagdagan, halimbawa, ang mga probisyon na
nagpapalakas sa ating pambansang soberanya, patrimonya, at civil liberties.
Ngunit malinaw sa mga isinumiteng proposed amendments na hindi ito ang
tunguhin ng Cha-Cha ni Gloria," aniya. "Isang sell-out Constitution at *de
facto* Martial Law ang nais makamit ng mga nagmamaniobra para baguhin ang
Saligang Batas sa agarang panahon," dagdag niya. ###