Nationwide protests
against new version of proposed Charter:
RBH No. 15 is the
evil spawn of the Duterte-GMA alliance
Press Release
October 19, 2018
QUEZON CITY –
Protests in several key cities and urban areas were held today to
condemn the Resolution of Both Houses No. 15 (RBH No. 15), a new
version of proposed changes in the Constitution sponsored by House
Speaker Gloria Arroyo, along with 21 other lawmakers.
“Duterte has long since
harped on Cha-cha and federalism as the solution to the misery and
poverty of the Filipino people. But with RBH No. 15, his ulterior
motives are brought to the fore. Their version of Cha-cha is
self-serving to say the least. It would not address the urgent
concerns of the workers and the poor – skyrocketing inflation,
starvation wages, contractualization, the continued defunding of
social services in the national budget,” Partido Lakas ng Masa
Coalition (PLM Coalition) spokesperson, Leody de Guzman said.
He added, “RBH No. 15
paves the way for a more liberalized plunder of the national economy
and the nation’s coffers, by foreign monopolies and political
dynasties. It is an evil spawn – a Cha-cha, ‘nak – between Gloria
Arroyo - a rabid pro-capitalist economist before she became
president - and Rodrigo Duterte - the warlord from Davao and current
resident of Malacanang”.
Deleted: Prohibition on
political dynasties and term limits of public officials
The labor leader explained
that RBH No. 15 removed the prohibition on political dynasties after
failing to enact an enabling law to implement the ban on dynasties
for more than three decades.
“Without this, voters will
be forced to choose the lesser evil among political clans, or
between rival siblings of a ruling dynasty, in the upcoming May 2019
elections,” he expounded.
The RBH No. 15 also junked
the prevailing term limits for public officials. “The term limit
brought discomfort to political dynasties as they were forced to
transfer position to their spouse or their children in order to
maintain in power. The Duterte-GMA Cha-cha sought a Gordian Knot
solution to this overriding concern of political dynasties”.
Deleted: Entire articles
on “National Economy and Patrimony” and “Social Justice and Human
Rights”
The RBH No. 15 also junked
the entire section of the Constitution on “National Economy and
Patrimony”. De Guzman said, “The spirit of the prevailing highest
law of the land is ‘the Philippines for Filipinos’, hence the 40%
limit on foreign corporations in select industries including their
ownership on our resources – natural and man-made. This view is
obsolete for neoliberal economists like Gloria Arroyo. Now, as if
the liberalization of the local economy is not enough, they want a
more liberalized set-up to entice more foreign investors to own our
country. This proposal is very dangerous, if not treacherous,
especially with the expansionist drive of Chinese capital,
particularly in Southeast Asia”.
The labor leader, who is
also running for the senate, elucidated, “Even though the 1987
Constitution has defects, it has an entire article on ‘social
justice and human rights’ it gave recognition to structural
injustices in Philippine society. Hence, the creation of an entire
article containing the rights of labor, agrarian reform and natural
resources, urban land reform and housing, health, women, and the
role of people’s organization, in order to protect the majority poor
from abuses by the rich and the powerful”.
“Yet, the existing Charter
merely granted a nominal recognition to these rights because
political power remained concentrated in the hands of the elite. The
civilian population is virtually taken out of the political sphere
in between elections. In RBH No. 15, some of these rights are
scattered throughout the proposed constitution. But without
recognition to the principle of social justice and the existence of
structural injustices, these rights become ineffectual and
illusory”.