Roxas' Privilege Speech on Con-AssWang

Sa probinsiya ko, sa Capiz, kilala namin ang ASWANG. At ang pinaka-mabisang panlaban sa mga ASWANG ay bawang.

Ngayong umaga, nag-desisyon ako na isuot ang kwintas ng bawang na ito para maitaboy ang ASWANG na tinatawag na Constituent Assembly o CON-ASSwang.

Kagabi ay kitang-kita natin ang kaaswangan nila. Balak nilang amyedahan ang Saligang Batas nang hindi kasama ang Senado. Pero pinapaalala ko lang sa kanila na noong a-kinse ng Disyembre nitong nakaraang taon, ipinasa na natin dito sa Senado ang isang resolusyon na labag sa Saligang Batas ang balakin ng Kamara.

Para tumibay lalo ang loob ng Senado, pinadalhan ko din ang mga kagalang-galang na mga kasamahan dito sa Senado at sa Kongreso na buong-tapang na nilalabanan ang Con-ASSWANG na ito

Itong Cha-Cha na ito, patay na pero pilit na binubuhay pang muli. Wala nang katawan, wala nang suporta ng taumbayan, pero pilit na binubuhay muli.

Madame President, noong isang lingo, buong ngiti kayo kasama ang mahigit na dalawandaang miyembro ng Kongreso na kasapi ng Lakas-Kampi merger. Lahat nang mga bumoto pabor sa resolusyon na ipasa ang Con-ASSwang na ito ay miyembro ng iyong Partidong Lakas-Kampi.

Madam President, walang maniniwala na ang Con-ASSwang na ito ay hindi iyo. Magpakatotoo ka. Ito ay nangyari lamang dahil pinakawalan mo ang Con-ASSwang na ito. You are responsible for this plague that has befallen us.

Ilang milyong Pilipino ang nabubuhay ng wala o kulang ang kanilang gamut, pagkain at edukasyon dahil sa kasakiman sa kwarta't kapangyarihan ng mga aswang sa paligid natin? Lahat nang kalokohang ito - para sa Gloria Forever Constitution!

Pero sa lahat ng pangyayaring ito, hindi ko pababayaang sipsipin nila ng todo ang dugo ng ating taumbayan. Hindi lang bawang ang kailangan natin para labanan ang mga aswang na ito.

Kailangan nating magsama-sama ng taumbayan para labanan ang Con-ASSwang ni Gloria. Ipangako natin muli sa taumbayan na itong Gloria Forever Constitution na ito ay siguradong mamamatay at 'di na mabubuhay para sipsipin pa ang buhay ng ating bansa.

Ngayong araw na ito ay magsasampa ako ng isang resolusyon - a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate asking the President to affirm, CATEGORICALLY, that the House convening itself as a constituent assembly on its own is unconstitutional.

Nananawagan ako kay Pangulong Arroyo na magpakatotoo at patunayan sa buong bayan na hindi siya ang nasa likod nitong Con-ASSwang na ito at utusan ang kanyang mga alipores sa Kongreso na tigilan na ang kalokohang ito.

Madam President, tayuan mo ito o itakwil mo! Magpakatotoo tayo!

Thursday, June 4, 2009 | posted in charter change, constituent assembly, joaquin bernas, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas dares GMA: reject, disown Senate-less "Con-AssWang"

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today vowed to thwart President Arroyo’s bid to perpetuate herself to power beyond 2010 through a Gloria Forever Constitution railroaded by her allies at the House of Representatives on Tuesday night.

The Visayan senator came to the Senate session wearing a garland of "bawang" (garlic) to scare away what he called the "Con-ASSwang" from the lower house.

"Hindi ko pababayaang sipsipin nila ng todo ang dugo ng taumbayan. Hindi lang bawang ang kailangan natin para labanan ang mga aswang na ito. Kailangan nating magsama-sama para labanan ang Con-ASSwang ni Gloria," he said in a privileged speech.

"Ngayong hapon, nag-desisyon ako na isuot ang kwintas ng bawang na ito para maitaboy ang aswang na tinatawag na Constituent Assembly o Con-ASSwang. Para tumibay lalo ang loob ng Senado, pinadalhan ko din ang mga kagalang-galang na mga kasamahan ko sa Senado at sa Kongreso na buong-tapang na nilalabanan ang Con-ASSwang na ito," he added.

Roxas also challenged President Arroyo to reject and categorically disown the illegal Con-Ass railroaded by her House allies.

"Madame President, walang maniniwala na ang Con-ASSwang na ito ay hindi iyo. Magpakatotoo ka. Ito ay nangyari lamang dahil pinakawalan mo ang Con-ASSwang na ito. You are responsible for this plague that has befallen us. Tayuan mo ito o itakwil mo!"

Roxas authored a resolution expressing the Senate’s opposition to the Senate-less Con-Ass and insisting on its unconstitutionality.

"Now, therefore, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved, to express the sense of the Senate urging President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to uphold her constitutional duties by rejecting House Resolution No. 1109, affirming that the House of Representatives convening as a constituent assembly independent of the Senate is patently unconstitutional and by ordering her allies in the House of Representatives to stop such blatant disrespect of constitutional processes," the resolution read.

He insisted President Arroyo has the "constitutional and moral duty" to assure the Filipino people that she is not involved in the "foolishness" of her House allies.

He stressed that "in unilaterally convening itself as a constituent assembly through House Resolution No. 1109, the House of Representatives unlawfully disregarded the bicameral nature of Congress and blatantly disregarded the Senate of the Philippines as a co-equal body in the legislative branch of the government in violation of the sacred law of the land – the 1987 Philippine Constitution."

He cited the legal maxim of ut magis valeat quam pereat and said that "a complete reading of the 1987 Constitution would readily reveal that both the Senate and House of Representatives are intended to act and vote separately in all the measures that they are required to pass upon."

He also noted the opinion of constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas that the requirement of separate voting is apparent in the bicameral character of Congress.

Senators have unanimously adopted on December 15 last year Resolution No. 154 declaring as unconstitutional any attempt by the House of Representatives to unilaterally propose amendments to or revision of the Constitution without the approval by ¾ of the Senate voting separately.

Malacañang allies at the House of Representatives railroaded the approval of House Resolution No. 1109 late Tuesday night allowing the convening of a Constituent Assembly even without the participation of the Senate to introduce amendments to or revise the Constitution.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 | posted in charter change, constituent assembly, joaquin bernas, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president | 0 comments [ More ]