Cha-cha rush: An act of greed, self-preservation

Forcing the issue of Charter Change will be costly for Mrs. Arroyo. Charter Change at this point will not resolve our country's political and economic woes. Therefore, Gabriela Women's Partylist, along with other allied Partylists, is filing a resolution to oppose Charter Change and initiatives to cancel the 2007 elections. The moves to hasten Charter amendments are indicative of Mrs. Arroyo's greed and her acute desperation to hold on to power.

Indeed, desperate times call for desperate measures. Mrs. Arroyo seems so desperate to stay in power that she is set to bribe all elected government officials, members of Congress included, with no-el and term extensions. She has once robbed the people of our right to vote and she could very well do it again. The Charter proposals to shift to a parliamentary form of government also provide for the installation of an "interim prime minister" that will be under the supervision of Mrs. Arroyo. This obviously and shamelessly guarantees Mrs. Arroyo and her lackeys continued domination and plunder.

The people's worsening poverty and the imposition of regressive taxes amid unresolved issues of illegitimacy and corruption are the nation's primary concerns and not Charter Change. Rushing the Chacha to avoid culpability may be seen as a confirmation of her guilt and speed up her removal from power. Forcing Chacha will fuel unrest. We cannot allow another year, much less three more years of Mrs. Arroyo.

Reference:
Kaira Zoe K. Alburo
Provincial Spokesperson
Gabriela Women's Party