Gabriela Solon Vows to Block Chacha Via Con-Ass

“House Resolution 737 should be recommitted to the Committee on Constitutional Amendments since there were no sufficient and thorough public hearings on it. The various interest groups like the farmers, indigenous peoples, and workers were not heard at the committee meeting.”

Thus said Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Liza Maza, as plenary deliberations on Committee Report 1762 on House Resolution 737 begin today.

It can be recalled that only a few resource persons were given the chance to speak up during the public consultation on charter change. Various interests groups were not invited.

The Gabriela solon pointed out that Speaker Nograles’ Resolution 737 goes beyond amending parts of the Constitution to allow foreigners to fully own land and other properties in the Philippines. Apparently, it becomes a spring board for the controversial charter change via con-ass Resolution of Camarines Sur Rep.Luis Villafuerte of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI).

“This is just malignly shameful. As President Arroyo’s allies are drooling on extending her term beyond 2010, the Filipino people are all the more angered and disgusted. One thing is clear: the Filipino people rejects Arroyo’s term extension and any moves to railroad this should be stopped,” Maza stressed.