Roxas distributes garlic to ward off 'con-asswang'

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Manuel Roxas II on Wednesday distributed garlic garlands to his colleagues in the Senate to ward off what he called as “con-asswang," which will suck dry the Filipino people. In a privilege speech, Roxas said he coined the word from the constituent assembly being pushed by the House of Representatives and aswang (ghoul), the mythical nocturnal, flying creature, which sucks the blood and eats internal organs of its victim. “Sa probinsiya ko, sa Capiz, kilala namin ang aswang. At ang pinaka-mabisang panlaban sa mga aswang ay bawang ... Kagabi ay kitang-kita natin ang kaaswangan nila. Balak nilang amyendahan ang Saligang Batas nang hindi kasama ang Senado. (In my province in Capiz, we know what aswang is and the best weapon to kill it is garlic … Last night, we saw how ghoulish the House became, they wanted to amend the Constitution without the Senate)," Roxas said. He said the Senate had already approved a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that any attempt by the House to unilaterally propose amendments to the Constitution without the approval of the Senate is unconstitutional. He said to further strengthen the lawmakers, both in the Senate and the House, who opposed the “conass," he sent them garlic garlands. “Itong Cha-cha na ito, patay na pero pilit na binubuhay pang muli. Wala nang katawan, wala nang suporta ng taumbayan, pero pilit na binubuhay muli (This Charter change is already dead without the support of the people but some are still trying to revive it)," Roxas said. He believed the insistence of the House is because of the support of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a charge Malacanang officials denied. With this, Roxas challenged Mrs Arroyo to reject and categorically disown the “con-ass" being pushed by his allies. “Madam President, walang maniniwala na ang con-asswang na ito ay hindi iyo. Magpakatotoo ka. Ito ay nangyari lamang dahil pinakawalan mo ang con-asswang na ito (No one believes that this con-ass is not yours. Be true to your self. This happened because you released the con-ass). You are responsible for this plague that has befallen us," the senator said. He said he authored the resolution expressing the Senate’s opposition to the Senate-less con-ass and insisting on its unconstitutionality. In the resolution, the Senate urges President Arroyo to uphold her constitutional duties by rejecting House Resolution 1109 and ordering her allies in the House to stop its disrespect to the constitutional processes. Roxas said Mrs. Arroyo has the constitutional and moral duty to assure that Filipino people that she is not involved in the “foolishness" of her House allies. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV