No to CON-ASS

‘No to Cha-Cha, No to Gloria’
Left, right, and center join to denounce her bid to extend stay

BY ASHZEL HACHERO and JP LOPEZ

A CROSS-SECTION of society showed up yesterday in Makati City’s business financial district to show their opposition to moves of President Arroyo’s allies to extend her hold on power by amending the Constitution.

Organizers said the rally gathered up to 15,000 participants, including members of militant, student, and Church groups, and political figures. But the police said the crowd to have peaked at only 6,000.

The crowd during the 5 to 8 p.m. rally at Paseo de Roxas and Ayala avenues was bigger than the anti-Cha-cha rally held last December also in Makati, which organizers said had some 10,000 participants.

Towards the end of the rally, actress Bibeth Orteza read a "people’s resolution" denouncing House Resolution 1109, and called for a viva voce vote among the participants.

HR 1109 was passed by Arroyo’s allies last week without Senate participation. It calls on Congress to convene into a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution.

They protesters brought effigies and streamers and banners saying "No to Cha-Cha, No to Gloria Forever."

The protesters started converging toward the rally site at about 4 p.m., under a shower of confetti from buildings on Ayala ave.

Rally organizers set up a stage where speakers took turns assailing the administration-led efforts to amend the Charter, which they said would eventually pave the way for the extension of the term of President Arroyo and other elected public officials.

Makati Mayor and United Opposition president Jejomar Binay said yesterday’s rally was just a prelude to much larger protests in the coming days.

"Kailangang ipakita natin sa rehimeng Arroyo na hindi tayo papayag na ameyandahan at salaulahin an gating Konstitusyon dahil sa kanilang mga pansariling interes," he said.

Former Palace ally Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. said Arroyo is intent on staying beyond her term.

Rally speakers said amendments to the Constitution could not be trusted in the hands of 117 "irresponsible" congressmen who approved, "like a thief in the night," House Resolution 1109 convening Congress into a constituent assembly.

The faces of the 177 congressmen were flashed on three wide screens at the stage.

During an interfaith rally that preceded the protest action, Bishop Solito Toquero of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines said it has been the position of their group that now this is not the proper time to amend the Constitution.

"Hindi po tayo sigurado sa mga kasalukuyang nakaupo sa Kongreso na nag-apruba ng House Resolutiom 1109. Di po tayo sigurado sa mga iresponsableng nakaupo ngayon," he told the cheering crowd.

Sr. John Mananzan of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines said: "Tinatawagan ko ang mga babaylan at mga anito! Isinusumpa natin ang kawalanghiyaan at katiwalian ng administrasyong ito!"

Bayan chair Carol Araullo said "this unity among various groups and personalities has been caused by the very real threat of having Arroyo stay in power. It is somehow to the credit of Mrs. Arroyo and her cohorts that the nation urgently comes together in protest," she said.

Senators Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas, Richard Gordon and Maria Ana Consuelo Madrigal were given 30 seconds each to speak.

Other senators seen in the rally were Panfilo Lacson, Rodolfo Biazon, Benigno Aquino III and Pia Cayetano.

"Malacañang’s spokespersons have taken turns in defending the President, insisting that Mrs. Arroyo had no knowledge or blessing of the plot to force Con-Ass in the House. And yet she has not done anything to rein in her allies in Congress from pursuing their political adventurism," she said.

Among other personalities who attended the rally were f Jun Lozada, Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, Sen. Franklin Drilon, Bayan Muna party list Rep. Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza of Gabriela, Teddy Casiño of Bayan Muna, Rafael Mariano of Anak-Pawis, former Rep. Nereus Acosta, former Vice President Toefisto Guingona and his son, Bukidnon Rep. TJ Guingona, former Philippine Tourism Authority chief Nixon Kua, Fernando Poe’s daughter Grace Poe Llamanzares, Armida Siguion-Reyna, Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, former Trade secretary Cesar Purisima, former Education secretary Florencio Abad, Gina de Venecia, Leah Navarro, Vicente Romano, former Social Welfare secretary Corazon Soliman, former Tourism secretary Narzalina Lim, and former DOTC undersecretary Josefina Lichauco.

Among participating groups were the rightist military group Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabayan; leftist militants Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, and Anakbayan; Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO), Alliance of Progressive Labor, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines , Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, Union of the Masses for Democracy and Justice, Akbayan and many others.

The United Opposition (UNO), Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Progress Movement (FPJPM), Nationalista Party, Concerned Citizens’ Movement, Black and White Movement, Stop Cha-cha Coalition, Sanlakas, Liberal Party, AMRSP and other religious groups, Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya, and Bangon Pilipinas led by Jesus is Lord leader Brother Eddie Villanueva also attended the rally.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said similar mass actions were held in Baguio, Calamba City, Lucena City, Batangas City, Nasugbu, Bacoor, Dasmarinas and Silang Cavite, Antipolo City, Cebu City, Tagbilaran City, Sorsogon, Naga, Legazpi, Davao City, Bacolod, Iloilo, General Santos City, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro City, Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Surigao City. MALAYA

Supreme Court sits 32 more party list solons

SC sits 32 more
party list solons
Says 20% mandated representation
by Charter must be followed

BY EVANGELINE DE VERA

THE Supreme Court yesterday allowed 32 more party list representatives to sit in the House of Representatives to comply with a constitutional requirement that 20 percent of House seats should be allotted to party list-groups.

In a 35-page decision penned by Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, the Court en banc struck down for being unconstitutional the 2 percent threshold in the distribution of additional seats in relation to the distribution of additional party list seats under R.A. 7941 (Party List System Law).The decision is immediately executory.

The 2 percent threshold presents an unwarranted obstacle to the full implementation of party list representation and prevents the attainment of "the broadest possible representation of party, sectoral or group interests in the House of Representatives," the SC said.

The high court, in its ruling, set the guidelines for parties running for the remaining party list slots in Congress.

The majority decision expands to 55 seats the number of allocated party list seats. At present, only 23 seats are filled from 17 winning party list groups.

The 17 qualified party list candidates, or the "two-percenters," are the party list candidates that are "entitled to one seat each," or a guaranteed seat in the first round of seat allocation.

The high court partially granted the petition filed by the Barangay Association for National Advancement and Transparency’s (BANAT) and set aside the ruling of the Commission on Elections en banc, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, which was promulgated on Aug. 3, 2007.

The assailed Comelec resolution approved the recommendation of Alioden D. Dalaig, head of the National Board of Canvassers (NBC) Legal Group, to deny the petition of BANAT for being moot. BANAT filed before the Comelec en banc a petition to implement the constitutional provision.

Under the ruling, the SC decided to continue its earlier ruling disallowing major political parties from participating in the party list elections, directly or indirectly.

While the SC left the computation to the Comelec, the Court ruling entitles at least four parties which already have two seats to an additional seat, namely, Bayan Muna, Cibac, Gabriela and Apec.

Those who benefited from the SC ruling were party list groups FPJPM, Uni-Mad, ABS, Kakusa, Kabataan, Aba-ako, Alif, Senior Citizens, AT, Veterans’ Federation of the Philippines, Anad, BANAT, Ang Kasangga, Bantay, Abakada, 1-Utak and the TUCP.

Others that would have additional one seat from their lone representation at this time are A-Teacher, Alagad, Coop-Natcco, Butil, Batas, ARC, Anakpawis, Abono, Anak Mindanao, Agap and An Waray.

Under the new formula, the SC said that the percentage of votes garnered by each party list candidate is arrived at by dividing the number of votes garnered by each party by 15,950,900, the total number of votes cast for party list candidates.

The SC said there are two steps in the second round of seat allocation. First, the percentage is multiplied by the remaining available seats, 38, which is the difference between the 55 maximum seats reserved under the party list system and the 17 guaranteed seats of the "two-percenters."

"The whole integer of the product of the percentage and of the remaining available seats corresponds to a party’s share in the remaining available seats. Second, we assign one party list seat to each of the parties next in rank until all available seats are completely distributed. We distributed all of the remaining 38 seats in the second round of seat allocation," the SC said.

"Finally, we apply the three-seat cap to determine the number of seats each qualified party list candidate is entitled," the SC added.

Applying the procedure of seat allocation, there are 55 party list representatives from the 36 winning party list organizations, the Court ruled.

The SC, on the other hand, affirmed its previous ruling in Veterans Federation Party v. Comelec disallowing major political parties from participating in party list elections.

However, because the formula in Veterans has flaws in its mathematical interpretation of the term "proportional representation," the SC felt compelled to revisit the formula for the allocation of additional seats to party list organizations.

The Court noted that since the 14th Congress of the Philippines has 220 district representatives, there should be 55 seats available to party list representatives to comply with the constitutional requirement of 20 percent of the total number of House membership (district seats plus party list seats).

Under the party list law, and the deliberations of the Constitutional Commission, major political parties may coalesce with certain sectors to be able to join in party list elections.

"However, by a vote of 8-7, the Court decided to continue the ruling in Veterans disallowing major political parties from participating in the party list elections, directly or indirectly.

Those who voted to continue disallowing major political parties from the party list elections joined Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno in his separate opinion.

"On the formula to allocate party list seats, the Court was unanimous in concurring with this ponencia," the Court said. MALAYA 04/21/2009

Commission on Appointments confirmation costs P5 M

Outgoing Negros Oriental Rep. Herminio Teves has opened can of worms in the Commission on Appointments. It appears that House Speaker Jose De Venecia is tolerating such CA confirmation bribery. The 14th Congress should oust traditional politico Rep. Jose De Venecia. The country needs competent and progressive leader in the House of Representatives.



CA confirmation costs P5 M – Teves

By JESS DIAZ
The Philippine Star

A Cabinet member who wants to be confirmed by the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) has to shell out at least P5 million to win confirmation, outgoing Negros Oriental Rep. Herminio Teves disclosed Thursday.

Teves told reporters that he has personal knowledge of the corrupt practice of some CA members – who he clarified were congressmen, not senators – because his son Finance Secretary Margarito Teves was one of the victims of these lawmakers.

Teves said he informed some senators about the congressmen’s demand and that the senators were surprised.

Meanwhile, the lone opposition member in the CA House contingent, Rep. Rolex Suplico, dared Congressman Teves to name names.

“He should identify those he claims to have asked for money or other concessions, in fairness to the congressmen sitting in the CA,” Suplico said.

The elder Teves said his colleagues had asked him if his son could come up with the amount needed so the Cabinet member could get confirmed.

“I told them that Gary (Secretary Teves’ nickname) would never give in to their demand. After hearing that, they asked me if I could give them the money,” the 87-year-old Teves, who is ending his nine years as a House member on June 30, recounted.

“I told them that I could come up with the amount they needed to confirm my son, but asked if they were not ashamed to demand and accept money from their own colleague. They never came back to me,” he said.

Teves said another victim was Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri.

He met Neri by chance at a restaurant on Wednesday night and they talked about the problems Neri and Secretary Teves encountered in the CA confirmation process.

“Secretary Neri complained that members of the House contingent in the CA demanded P5 million from him, and that he reported the matter to Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.,” he disclosed.

Both Neri and Secretary Teves have been bypassed by the CA, which has the power to confirm or reject Cabinet appointments and major promotions in the military and diplomatic service.

Rep. Teves said even generals seeking confirmation for their promotions are being asked to pay huge amounts.

He said some congressmen who demanded money from Cabinet members and generals ran in the May 14 elections but lost.

Others were third-term House members like him who were not qualified to seek re-election but who fielded their wives in their districts to be their successors. Unfortunately, their wives lost, he said.

Reached by The STAR for comment, Neri confirmed that he indeed had a chance meeting with Congressman Teves on Wednesday night.

“We discussed the delay in the confirmation process, but I did not tell him CA members demanded money from me. I can however admit that I complained to the Speaker about such delay,” he said.

Rep. Teves’ revelation is the first confirmation of rumors floating that some CA members, particularly those coming from the House of Representatives, have been demanding concessions, in cash or in kind, but usually in cash, from those seeking approval for their appointments or promotions.

Concessions in kind include contracts for supplies or infrastructure projects, use of equipment and facilities, including planes, free transportation and fuel, including aviation gas, and appointment quotas for relatives, friends and protégés.

Another Cabinet member who did not win CA confirmation was former agriculture secretary Domingo Panganiban. There were reports that certain members of the House contingent were demanding P5 million to P10 million worth of projects for each of them.

Panganiban was not confirmed and President Arroyo eventually

gave back the agriculture portfolio to Arthur Yap.

The CA is a 25-member constitutional body chaired by the Senate president, with the head of the House contingent as its vice chairman. There are 12 senators and 12 congressmen in the commission.

The House contingent is headed by Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr., who lost in his senatorial bid. Its members are Reps. Jesus Jurdin Romualdo of Camiguin, Eduardo Veloso of Leyte, Marcelino Libanan of Eastern Samar (now immigration commissioner), Prospero Amatong of Compostela Valley, Manuel Ortega of La Union, Rafael Nantes of Quezon, Antonino Roman of Bataan, Aurelio Umali of Nueva Ecija, Victor Sumulong of Antipolo City, Harlin Habayon of Northern Samar and Rolex Suplico of Iloilo.

Suplico, the lone opposition congressman in the House contingent, urged Rep. Teves to name names.

Asked about a meeting the House contingent had with Rep. Teves, Secretary Teves, then Internal Revenue Commissioner Jose Buñag, and Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales late last year, Suplico admitted he attended such a conference.

“I came late and left after complaining to Secretary Teves about an anomalous loan the Land Bank branch in Iloilo extended to the provincial government,” he said. He and Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas are political enemies.

Suplico, who won as Iloilo vice governor in last month’s elections, said he heard nothing from his colleagues because he stayed only for a short while in the meeting.

The STAR had learned that the meeting was held at a restaurant owned by Libanan and located in a building fronting the ABS-CBN complex in Quezon City. Discussed was Secretary Teves’ confirmation. It was not known why Buñag and Morales were also present.