This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 20, June 27, 2006
Ex-VP Guingona, Gov't Employees Unions File
Another Complaint Against GMA
BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN
Former
vice president Teofisto Guingona, along with other 16 private
co-complainants, filed another complaint at the office of House’s
secretary general Roberto Nazareno. The complaint was endorsed by no
less than his son, Rep. Teofisto Guingona III.
Although Nazareno
arrived late, the complaint filed by Guingona which he received at 9:07 a.m. was
still the first for this day.
The younger
Guingona said they are making sure that the citizens’ impeachment complaint
would be filed first if indeed what lawyer Oliver Lozano said was true, that he
filed his impeachment complaint on June 27 last year.
“Hindi lang ako
nandito para sumuporta kundi maging isa sa mga complainants,” (I am not here
merely to support but to be one of the complainants.) said the former vice
president. “I think in the coming months, there will be overwhelming pressure
(on Congress).”
Gungona was hit by
water cannons, together with other protesters, in a rally in Mendiola in
defiance of the Calibrated Preemptive Response (CPR) policy by the Arroyo
administration, which was later declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court.
“That is not the
way to run the government,” said Guingona, “which is contrary to the way of the
people.”
Among his
co-complainants was Ferdinand Gaite, the national president of the Confederation
of Unions for the Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage).
Gaite said even
government employees are also victims of “dictatorial powers” of their boss,
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He cited the CPR and Presidential
Proclamation 1017 that were used by the Arroyo administration as justification
for “violently dispersing” protesters who include restive government employees.
He also cited other alleged repressive issuances such as Executive Order 366,
which resulted in the widespread streamlining of government agencies.
Lawyer Neri
Colmenares said that it is “technically” another complaint but it has almost the
same content as the complaint filed on June 26. He said that separate complaints
will be filed on Wednesday and Thursday by other groups.
Colmenares added
that by next week, a complaint of intervention will be filed at Nazareno’s
office. With this, anybody will be free to sign the complaint at the secretary
general’s office, he said.
“This is to
accommodate more citizens and people’s organizations,” he said.
But House majority
leader Prospero Nograles earlier said that no matter how many complainants sign
the complaint, it should still be endorsed by 79 lawmakers.
“That is very
strange for a supposed representative of the people to say that it does not
matter what the people say for as long as you do not have the support of the
members of the House of Representatives, especially from the majority party, walang
mangyayari sa complaint n’yo,” (nothing will happen to your
complaint) said Colmenares.
“They should
listen to the voice of their constituency at hindi lang daanin sa numero,” (and
not to merely use their numbers) he added.
Exactly one year
ago today, President Arroyo made a public apology for her “lapse in judgment”
for speaking over the phone with a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official.
Guingona said that the president should “reexamine her conscience.”
“Words of apology
that do not come from the soul do not have any meaning,” he said. Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
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Posted 10:34 a.m. June 27, 2006