Ex-SolGen, former Arroyo execs join anti-Cha-cha drive
06/22/2006 | 06:10 PM
Former Solicitor General Alfredo Benipayo joined Thursday other former allies of President Arroyo in spearheading a new group opposed to government’s Charter change initiatives.
Benipayo, former presidential adviser Susan Ople, former Development Bank of the Philippines chairman Vitaliano Nañagas II and former adviser Ricardo Romulo signed a manifesto of the newly-launched "One Voice" movement.
Benipayo quit his post as solicitor-general last March after he purportedly faltered in defending Malacañang on the issue of Proclamation 1017, which placed the country under a state of national emergency last February 24.
The issuance of PP 1017 led to warrantless arrests and raids and was questioned by members of the political opposition before the Supreme Court. The high court upheld PP 1017 but deemed the resulting crackdowns unconstitutional.
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), former Elections Chairman Christian Monsod and his wife, economist Solita Monsod, and former Senator Vicente Paterno also signed the manifesto.
Other signatories included Catholic bishops, officials of various universities and non-government organizations.
The "One Voice" movement claimed "real" change, not constitutional revisions nor a shift to a parliamentary form of government, would sufficiently address the political crisis that started to drag the Arroyo presidency middle of last year.
"We don't need the proposed Charter change ... Let us bring back the Filipinos' trust on our institutions, [the character of] our people and our democracy," the group's online manifesto read in Filipino.
It added that the public prefers the present constitution rather than a new one that would only create a "super president with additional Prime Minister powers."
"Constitutional reforms are best done through a more transparent constitutional convention after the 2007 elections, where any changes will not benefit those in power today," it added.
It pressed for a "strong" social reform program, with "sharper focus on safety nets especially in education, food security, health and housing, strict implementation of agrarian reform and environmental laws, serious and sustained fight against graft and corruption and increased representation in Congress and local governments for marginalized sectors."
It also called for a "trustworthy" electoral system and a "credible" 2007 election.
Other initial signatories of the movement included former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III; National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) officials Baltazar Endriga; Ricardo Guevarra; Vicente Jayme; Telibert Laoc; Damaso Magbual; Ma. Corazon Akol;
Bishops Businessmen's Conference officials Raul Concepcion; Mary Belle Beluan, Meneleo Carlos Jr.; Ernesto Aboitiz;
Archbishops Ramon Arguelles (Lipa); Antonio Ledesma (Cagayan de Oro); John Du (Dumaguete); Oscar Cruz (Lingayen-Dagupan); Leonardo Legaspi (Caceres); Deogracias Iñiguez (Caloocan); Orlando Quevedo (Cotabato); Florentino Lavarias (Iba); Rex Reyes Jr, NCCP; Fr. Daniel Patrick Huang, provincial superior of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus; Fr. Albert Alejo;
Father Bienvenido Nebres (Ateneo de Manila University); Fr. Antonio Moreno (Xavier University); Fr. Tarcisio Ma. Narciso (Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat San Beda); Ester Garcia (president of the University of the East); Luis Guia (president of Lawyers League for Liberty/ Libertas); Armando Harilla (national coordinator of Task Force Mapalad); and Antonio La Vina (dean, Ateneo School of Government).-GMANews.TV
Benipayo, former presidential adviser Susan Ople, former Development Bank of the Philippines chairman Vitaliano Nañagas II and former adviser Ricardo Romulo signed a manifesto of the newly-launched "One Voice" movement.
Benipayo quit his post as solicitor-general last March after he purportedly faltered in defending Malacañang on the issue of Proclamation 1017, which placed the country under a state of national emergency last February 24.
The issuance of PP 1017 led to warrantless arrests and raids and was questioned by members of the political opposition before the Supreme Court. The high court upheld PP 1017 but deemed the resulting crackdowns unconstitutional.
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), former Elections Chairman Christian Monsod and his wife, economist Solita Monsod, and former Senator Vicente Paterno also signed the manifesto.
Other signatories included Catholic bishops, officials of various universities and non-government organizations.
The "One Voice" movement claimed "real" change, not constitutional revisions nor a shift to a parliamentary form of government, would sufficiently address the political crisis that started to drag the Arroyo presidency middle of last year.
"We don't need the proposed Charter change ... Let us bring back the Filipinos' trust on our institutions, [the character of] our people and our democracy," the group's online manifesto read in Filipino.
It added that the public prefers the present constitution rather than a new one that would only create a "super president with additional Prime Minister powers."
"Constitutional reforms are best done through a more transparent constitutional convention after the 2007 elections, where any changes will not benefit those in power today," it added.
It pressed for a "strong" social reform program, with "sharper focus on safety nets especially in education, food security, health and housing, strict implementation of agrarian reform and environmental laws, serious and sustained fight against graft and corruption and increased representation in Congress and local governments for marginalized sectors."
It also called for a "trustworthy" electoral system and a "credible" 2007 election.
Other initial signatories of the movement included former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III; National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) officials Baltazar Endriga; Ricardo Guevarra; Vicente Jayme; Telibert Laoc; Damaso Magbual; Ma. Corazon Akol;
Bishops Businessmen's Conference officials Raul Concepcion; Mary Belle Beluan, Meneleo Carlos Jr.; Ernesto Aboitiz;
Archbishops Ramon Arguelles (Lipa); Antonio Ledesma (Cagayan de Oro); John Du (Dumaguete); Oscar Cruz (Lingayen-Dagupan); Leonardo Legaspi (Caceres); Deogracias Iñiguez (Caloocan); Orlando Quevedo (Cotabato); Florentino Lavarias (Iba); Rex Reyes Jr, NCCP; Fr. Daniel Patrick Huang, provincial superior of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus; Fr. Albert Alejo;
Father Bienvenido Nebres (Ateneo de Manila University); Fr. Antonio Moreno (Xavier University); Fr. Tarcisio Ma. Narciso (Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat San Beda); Ester Garcia (president of the University of the East); Luis Guia (president of Lawyers League for Liberty/ Libertas); Armando Harilla (national coordinator of Task Force Mapalad); and Antonio La Vina (dean, Ateneo School of Government).-GMANews.TV
