Explanation of
Vote on the Justice Committee’s Report on the Impeachment
Complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Delivered by Anakpawis
Rep. Crispin B. Beltran
Sept. 5, 2005
The Failure of
the so-called Rule of Law and the Impeachment Complaint
Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues, hindi na
ako magkukunwari at magsasabing may pag-asa pa ang impeachment complaint.
Malinaw na pinaslang ito nung nakaraang linggo, at ngayon at ililibing na
ito dito sa Konggreso. All the same, Mr. Speaker, despite the shocking
murder of the impeachment complaint against Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
the campaign to remove and replace the corrupt and illegitimate
presidency is far from over.
If anything, the fight is only beginning.
The defeat of the amended impeachment complaint serves as further reason
to intensify and strengthen the protests. The junking of complaint
constitutes a serious and unforgivable attack against the Filipino people
and their right to know. Mrs. Arroyo’s allies in the House have been
relentless in their moves to keep the truth out, and in doing so they have
unwittingly set off a chain reaction of events that will inevitably lead
to an upheaval that will shake of Malacanang’s very foundations.
It is the belief of this Representation
that allies of the President carried the immoral and unjust agenda to have
a most substantial and most credible impeachment complaint dismissed at
the flimsiest, weakest technical excuses and standards. No one was fooled
or taken in by this ruse. No one, not even amongst their ranks, for a
moment believes that these efforts were not pushed or influenced by the
executive so desperate to cling to an office she never had the legal right
to occupy.
Mr. Speaker, the president’s allies can
gloat, but they will not have the last laugh. All sectors of the Filipino
people opposed to corruption, abuse of authority and against electoral
fraud are outraged by the run -around the leaders of the Majority bloc and
allies of the president made in deliberating over the impeachment
complaint.
Mr. Speaker, history is what compels this
Representation to insist that President Arroyo and her allies are mistaken
if they believe that the crisis is over. The murder of the amended
complaint convinces more Filipinos that the process and rule of law are
often reduced to catch phrases, empty words that carry no weight because
they are essentially controlled and manipulated by a powerful few.
Samantala, Mr. Speaker, kailangan
banggitin na rin ang iba pang kadahilanan kung bakit may malakas na
nananawagan sa pagpapatalsik kay Ginang Arroyo mula pagkapangulo.
Wala syang nagawa upang pigilan ang
pagtaas ng presyo ng langis at iba pang produktong petrolyo. Wala syang
ginagawa upang pigilan ang pagsirit ng presyo ng mga batayang produkto
tulad ng bigas, kape, asukal, karne, isda at gulay.
Hilahod na rin sa hirap ang taumbayan
dahil sa taas ng singil sa kuryente, tubig, at renta sa bahay. Libo-libong
kabataang estudyante ang hindi makapag-aral dahil sa taas ng matrikula.
Milyon-milyon ang walang kakayanang magpagamot o magpatingin man lang sa
mga ospital dahil sa taas din ng singil sa serbisyong pagkalusugan.
Napakamahal din ng gamot. Napakaraming walang trabaho. Laganap ang human
rights violations na ginagawa ng Armed Forces of the Philippines at iba
pang mersenaryong pwersa ng gobyerno. Kinakain naman ng bakulaw na
kurapsyon at dambuhalang utang panlabas ang bilyon-bilyong kita ng
pamahalaan na mula sa buwis-dugo ng mamamayan.
Mr. Speaker, aabutin tayo kahit hanggang
bukas makalawa kung pag-uusapan natin ang mga kahinaan at kakulangan ng
gobyerno sa mamayan. Pero may apat na salitang maglalarawan pa ng dagdag
na pahirap sa taumbayan na kagagawan din ni Pangulong Arroyo: Expanded
Value-Added Tax o EVAT.
Ito at ang mga akusasyong nakalahad sa
amended complaint ay mga matitibay na dahilan kung bakit malakas ang
panawagan para sa pagpapalit ng presidente at pamunuan. Ito rin ang mga
usaping pilit winalis ng mga kaalyado ni Pangulong Arroyo sa ilalim ng
floor-to-floor rug ng bulwagang ito.
Mr. Speaker, honorable colleagues, for
this representation there is no other option left for the people to take
given that Mrs. Arroyo has flatly refused to resign or allow herself to be
impeached. Sa mga susunod na araw at linggo, masasaksihan ng buong bansa
at ng mundo kung ano ang nalalabing solusyon ng taumbayan sa isang
problemang ayaw bumaba sa pwesto, magpa-impeach o magpa-imbestiga man
lang.
Mr. Speaker, mga kapawa kinatawan,
magkita-kita na lamang po tayo sa lansangan, sa lunsaran ng mga protesta
ng mamamayan. I vote No to the Justice Committee’s report No. 1012.
Maraming salamat.
Posted by
Bulatlat
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