Private Complainants Say Gloria Teaches Wrong Values

Ten private citizens beef up the number of complainants in the impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Two of them share their views on why the president should be booted out of office in an exclusive interview with Bulatlat.

BY DABET CASTAÑEDA
Bulatlat

FILED: Opposition solons file impeachment complaint vs GMA, July 25.                            Photos by Aubrey Makilan

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s apologists say the impeachment complaint lodged against her at the House of Representatives on July 25 is just a scheme of a bunch of politicians out to grab power. But the fact that 10 private citizens and 19 people’s organizations comprise the bulk of impeachment complainants show that the issues raised against the president originate from a constituency who have lost trust in her leadership.

The 10 private individuals are Dr. Melba Padilla Maggay, PhD., award winning writer, social anthropologist, activist and President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the evangelical group Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC); Nicanor Perlas, an environmentalist; Fr.Robert Reyes, activist priest; Dr. Jonathan Exiomo, ThD., President of the Alliance Graduate School; Prof. Averell Aragon, Theology and Church History professor; Rev. Winston Pinzon, an evengelical church minister; University of the Philippines (UP) Prof. Mary Janette Pinzon; Mifflin Ann Garcia and Raquel Arpojia, ISACC staff; and Dr. Ma. Dominga Padilla, M.D.

People’s organizations include the party-list Bayan Muna (people first), Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Migrante International, Counsels for the Defense of Liberties, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Gabriela Women’s Party, Plunderwatch, Karapatan, the National Peace conference, and nine groups of people who belong to communities along the railways.

The impeachment complaint has three grounds: culpable violations of the Constitution, bribery and graft and corruption and betrayal of public thrust.

The president will be tried for but not limited to the following offenses: 1) she undermined the independence of the Commission on Elections (Comelec); 2) cover up of electoral fraud evidence; 3) killings of political dissenters; 4) overpricing of the NorthRail project; 5) release of Philhealth cards for electioneering; 6) use of fertilizer funds (Ginintuang Masaganang Ani – GMA or golden bumper harvest) for her election campaign; 7) jueteng payoff; 8) electoral fraud; 9) concealment of the “Jose Pidal” properties; and 10) the massacre of seven farm workers at Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac.

The amended complaint was filed before the House secretary general on July 25, a few hours before the president delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in a joint session of the House and the Senate.

Values

Mifflin, 40, a mother of two (ages 6 and 13) is one of nine individual complainants. “The level of frustration (with the Macapagal-Arroyo administration) is immense,” she told Bulatlat.

As the highest official of the land, Mifflin said the president should be the model of truth and justice. But this fact was tarnished when alleged wiretapped conversations between Macapagal-Arroyo and election official Virgillo Garcillano were revealed in public thus giving credence to persistent accusations that she cheated her way to the presidency.

“I teach my kids the value of honesty but our president is like this? Is this what my kids will learn from her?” she said as she admits to being “exasperated” about the whole scenario.

Mifflin’s husband studies nursing abroad. Fighting back tears, she said they thought of migrating to another country because of the political tension in the Philippines.

Another private complainant, Professor Aragon said he has long lost confidence in the president for lying “not once but several times.” The first big lie, the theology professor recalls, was when the president announced she would not run for office in the 2004 elections.

He added that a simple “sorry statement,” which the president delivered via national television on June 27, could not heal the wounds of the nation that has been shredded by the present crisis.

“Her apology was very vague and it has made things worse,” he told Bulatlat. “Hanggang duon na lang ba?” (Is that it?)

He said there is no real repentance if the president will not be held accountable for the dirty and bloody May 2004 elections.

Ulterior motive

Aside from the election cheating issue, Mifflin said she feels strongly about the complaint regarding the use of public funds for electioneering. This includes the release of the health cards (Philhealth) bearing the president’s picture during the campaign period. The fund for this was allegedly siphoned off from the Overseas Filipino Workers’ (OFW) fund.

“Ang kapal!” (The nerve!) Mifflin said. “She’s doing this in the guise of helping the poor but her ulterior motive is to protect her own interest.”

The two complainants also chided the president for trying to cause a delay to the impeachment proceedings. Reports have it that the president and her allies in the House are “bribing” congressmen to convince them not to endorse the amended complaint.

On the day it was filed, 41 House members endorsed the amended complaint. It needs 38 more signatures more to reach 79 (or 1/3 of the 236-member Congress) and for the Articles of Impeachment to be transmitted to the Senate for trial. The 23-member Senate would act as jury.

“Ang kinatatakutan ko ay parang walang mangyayari” (I fear that nothing will come out of it), Aragon said. “The party in question is in power and she would do anything to evade prosecution.”

Meanwhile, the last three days after the SONA saw members of the House debate on the new set of the Rules on Impeachment.

On the House’s first regular session day that formally opened morning of July 25, Speaker Jose de Venecia immediately referred the original impeachment complaint to the Committee on Justice for deliberation. The complaints referred to the committee were filed by lawyer Oliver Lozano on June 27 as well as the supplemental complaints that followed, the amended Lozano complaint and the reply submitted on July 19 by lawyer Pedro Ferrer, the president’s counsel.

The committee has up to 60 working days to determine if the complaint is sufficient “in form and substance.” However, the House could only start deliberations on the impeachment complaint after it has adopted its own set of rules of impeachment.

The justice committee, which is chaired by administration Rep. Simeon Datumanong, has 60 members while the Committee on Rules, the most powerful House committee, has 55 members. The rules committee is chaired by Majority Leader Rep. Prospero Nograles.

The debate

The current bone of contention is whether to allow the plenary to immediately transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate as soon as the endorsement musters 79 signatures. This is what the Opposition calls a “creeping impeachment.”

However, Bicol Rep. Edcel Lagman, the major sponsor of the draft rules, says that 79 endorsers are needed in the initiatory filing. This means that if the impeachment complaint is endorsed by less than the required number of House endorsers, it should go directly to the Committee on Justice. The committee should then determine if the complaint is sufficient “in form and in substance.”

After deliberations, the committee should then submit a report to the House plenary which in turn will submit it to the members for voting. If the votes by then reach 79, the Speaker should transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.

Structural change

Like most Filipinos, both Aragon and Mifflin are eager to start the impeachment proceedings. Any delay, they said, would only confirm their fears that the president does not want to face the charges against her.

“I filed a complaint so that in my own little way I know I’ve done my share,” said Mifflin. A look at the complaint would show she filed it also in behalf of her children.

“I hope we’ll just get through with the impeachment and go on with our life,” Aragon said.

Both also expressed they would “closely watch” the proceedings and would make sure their complaints would not land on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, Mifflin said she shares the sentiments of the middle forces who have not chosen to take to the streets at this point. “After two people powers, it seems we have not learned our lesson,” she said in tears adding she and her family took part in the people power revolts in 1986 and 2001.

Asked what she would do if the impeachment trial backfires, Mifflin said she is still uncertain because there were no clear options presented to the public. “I wish I had an answer for that,” she said.

Although both believe in Constitutional succession, Aragon said a mere changing of the guards would never be enough for a country as divided as the Philippines and a system as rotten as such.

“Kung tao lang papalitan tapos ganun pa rin ang sistema, lalamunin din ng sistema ang taong magaling” (If leaders are changed but not the system, the system will just coopt the leaders), he said. He believes both personal and structural change should work hand in hand for the nation to move forward. Bulatlat

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