‘Black-Suede-ing’ The Filipino

Written on Monday, June 9th, 2008 at 9:08 am | by Ding G. Gagelonia

The father of the local government code and foremost advocate of the shift to a federal system of government, Senator Aquilino ‘ Nene’ Pimentel, is sounding the alarm bells over what he sees is an insidious maneuver by legislative minions of the sitting president, wittingly or unwittingly.

As the Business Mirror reports. Pimentel (who was President Cory Aquino’s first, and controversial, secretary of local government) is opposing “any move to extend the the term of President Arroyo by using the proposed federal system as contained under Joint Resolution 10 that was backed by at least 16 senators.”

The Business Mirror report, by-lined by veteran political correspondent Butch Fernandez, says Pimentel “voiced fears such a move will only undermine or even spell the death of the federalism proposal because it is obvious that the Filipino people want to directly elect a new Chief Executive.”

So Pimentel has good reason, indeed to sound the alarm.

But what the good senator does not say, however is the other danger: that when Congress is convened as a constituent assembly to tackle the federal system the temptation will only be too strong for our lawmakers-cum-framers-of-the-new-Constitution to resist lifting the term limits on themselves… along with local executives!

Is such rewriting comes to pass, what will it really do to our supposed representative democracy. Will this be an act of political sodomy? An all too obvious ‘black suede-ing’ of the Filipino electorate??!!

Another element that could creep in once the full blown overhaul of the Constitution is left to the learned men and women of a constituent assembly, instead of a separately elected Constitutional Convention, is the sell-out of our national patrimony.

Of course, some analysts are correctly saying that this sell-out is already taking place, albeit on a piece meal basis, as evidenced by the events in the Spratlys and the way parts of the former Subic Naval Base, including its virgin forests, are being covered by long term leases to foreign interests

All in tribute to the altar of money, money. money.

Did we hear somebody shout rape?

Note: The author simultaneously posted this piece on midfield.wordpress.com

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About The Author: Ding G. Gagelonia is a journalist of some 30 years, having worked in both radio and TV news and public affairs since his teens. Ding Gagelonia now writes independently and does corporate communications consulting. He has two kids, Felice and Luis. His journalist blog is at midfield.wordpress.com

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Comments

3 Responses to “‘Black-Suede-ing’ The Filipino”

  1. Pochero on June 9th, 2008 2:51 pm

    If Pimentel truly has our best interests in mind, then he himself should torpedo the federalism proposal as a vehicle for extending Arroyo’s term.

  2. cvj on June 9th, 2008 5:51 pm

    Anyone who shouts ‘rape’ risks being sued for libel.

  3. PSImeon on June 9th, 2008 8:58 pm

    A re-write of the Constitution at this late stage? It’s Mission Impossible.

    So little time. So many imponderables. And there’s only one agenda. “What’s in it for us?”

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