Archive for December 15th, 2008
Arroyo hands off on Charter change mode
Congress will decide on the matter, he says
MANILA, Philippines — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has “no choice” on the mode by which the 1987 Constitution would be amended and would leave the decision to Congress, her spokesman said Monday.
“Wala hong choice ang Presidente, dahil hindi na siya nakikialam, dahil yung constitutional amendments na yan, nasa Kongreso na yan, sila na yung magdedesisyon [The President has no choice because she does not interfere in constitutional amendments. The matter is with Congress, and the lawmakers will decide],” Press Secretary Jesus Dureza told state-run radio station Radyo ng Bayan.
“Eventually, the people will make the ultimate decision because this will be submitted to a plebiscite. Whatever the decision of Congress is, the people, ultimately, [have the] sovereign power,” said Dureza, amid mounting calls for the President to declare her stand on the debate between a constitutional convention or constituent assembly to amend the 1987 Charter.
Last Friday, thousands marched to the Makati City financial district to denounce moves by Arroyo’s allies in the House of Representatives to convene themselves into a constituent assembly to rewrite the Charter.
While the pro-Arroyo majority said they would revise only the economic provisions, the President’s critics raised fears that Charter change would pave the way for her stay in power beyond 2010 when her term would officially end as provided under the Constitution.
Arroyo has kept mum on whether she would be pushing for a constituent assembly or a constitutional convention, where delegates who would revise the Charter would be elected. She also has not said whether she wanted the amendments to the Constitution before or after 2010.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Gov’t to intensify anti-corruption drive
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has vowed to step up its anti-corruption drive despite failing to secure a large-scale grant from the United States Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC), which has been hinged on how effective a government was in fighting corruption.
The MCC said the Philippines remained eligible for a grant or “compact,” but said that it would need to pass certain criteria first, according to reports.
“The government vows to further intensify its campaign against corruption. We need to show [this to] the international community, but most of all, [to] our people,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said in a statement.
Fajardo said that, among others, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo doubled the budget of the Ombudsman as early as 2007, signed into law Republic Act 9485 of the Anti-Red Tape Act, and pressed Congress to pass a comprehensive anti-corruption law.
“For our efforts to succeed, we need the support and vigilance of everyone,” she said.
A newspaper report said the Philippines failed to score above the median in 14 out of 17 anti-corruption “indicators” set by the MCC.
Arroyo’s administration has been besieged with allegations of massive corruption, the most recent of which was the bribery scandal surrounding the $329-million contract between the government and China’s ZTE Corp. for the botched national broadband network (NBN) project.
The controversy spawned another failed impeachment attempt and wave of street protests calling on the President to step down.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Deadline all the time 