Militant lawmakers to boycott Arroyo's last SONA

MANILA, Philippines - Eight militant lawmakers on Monday announced that they would boycott President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's ninth and last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27. In a joint statement, the left-wing party-list representatives said they would rather join the protest actions outside the Batasan Pambansa Complex in Quezon City than listen to President Arroyo's "hallucinations." “As in all her eight previous SONAs, Gloria tries to foster the illusion that the Philippines is on the verge of becoming an industrialized country, with hallucinations of faster economic growth through ambitious, unrealistic growth area development plans," the group said. The progressive party-list bloc consists of Bayan Muna Reps. Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, and Neri Colmenares; Gabriela Reps. Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan; Anakpawis Reps. Rafael Mariano and Joel Maglunsod; and Kabataan Rep. Raymond Palatino. The group also called on their colleagues to boycott the SONA as they reiterated their suspicion that pro-administration lawmakers at the House of Representatives would try to convene Congress into a constituent assembly minus the Senate to amend the 1987 Constitution. Speaker Prospero Nograles has denied any such plan after the SONA. "The men and women of the 14th Congress should finally heed the people’s call to withdraw their support for the most unpopular president who has done the country so much ruin in all her years in power through plunder, high-end graft and corruption, widespread election fraud, high prices of oil and consumer goods, extrajudicial killings, torture and other widespread human rights violation," the group said. Unconvinced The opposition meanwhile remains unconvinced with the statement of Nograles that they would not convene a constituent assembly right after the SONA. United Opposition (UNO) president and Makati mayor Jejomar Binay said they are prepared to counter any attempt of President Arroyo’s allies to convene Congress into a constituent assembly. “The assurances do not sound reassuring enough for us in the opposition to relax our vigilance," Binay said, without specifying how they would counter such move. Critics of President Arroyo, including the progressive bloc, had alleged that her allies in the House of Representatives are attempting to amend the Charter in order to extend her stay in power. Malacañang has denied the allegations. The opposition lawmakers urged their colleagues to withdraw support for House Resolution 1109, which calls on Congress to convene itself into a constituent assembly. The measure was approved by the House even without the Senate last June 2. Nograles had earlier said he would consult with the majority in a caucus before the SONA regarding the House's next step. - GMANews.TV