This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 25, July 31-August 6, 2005
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 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 © 2004 Bulatlat
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