Consumers Domain
We told you so
"The picture makes a promise
The flesh lets it be broken..."
-- from "Broken" by Tracy Chapman
After a long wait the Supreme Court last week handed down a decision on the controversial Executive Order 464. E.O 464 was issued by Gloria Arroyo last year to block the appearance of government officials and military officers in Congressional hearings that investigate her administration's anomalies.
E.O. 464 was simply part of the overall mix of the administration's concoction along with CPR (Calibrated Preemptive Response), State of Emergency and Cha-Cha (Charter Change) to suppress dissent, stifle the truth and ensure the survival of Gloria Arroyo amidst scandals and massive corruption.
While the SC decision is clearly trying to cushion the impact against Gloria Arroyo, it nevertheless is a welcome conclusion that stresses what is actually an obvious fact - that the EO 464 is downright unconstitutional. That the power to investigate and summon government officials to hearings in aid of legislation is a power of Congress that cannot be violated. That the right of the people to information and make the government accountable is a unchallengeable principle in a democracy. Yup, we told you so.
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Gloria Arroyo has been trumpeting the gains of her administration in the realm of the economy. Our economy she said is going strong and is poised to take off. But a closer look at the grassroots will show that it is the people who suffers from the economic window dressing and palliative solutions being sponsored by this administration.
Take for example the increase in taxes courtesy of the expanded Reformed VAT, which we have opposed. Aside from increasing the burden of the taxpayers, especially the poor ordinary workers, this new VAT, as expected, further aggravates the situation as it further pushes up the cost of petroleum products. Another series of oil price hikes (OPH) is upcoming and no amount of declaration that our economy is strong will change the fact that more Filipinos are dying of hunger.
Now Gloria Arroyo is thinking of suspending the implementation of the VAT on petroleum products. Tsk, tsk, we told you so! And to cover up for the foregone revenue, the solution that is most likely to be implemented is to cut government spending on social and economic services.
Allocation for debt servicing would surely not be touched as this government continues to bow to the demands of international financial institutions like WB, IMF and ADB. And certainly not the allocation for pork barrel as it is an important tool for Gloria Arroyo to buy continued support from corrupt trapos (traditional politicians).
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There is one more thing that keeps on playing on my mind that begs to be released in writing. I just couldn't stomach the findings of the military fact-finding report that was prepared by the AFP fact-finding board headed by Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga.
With all the damning evidence against them, the report simply absolved high-ranking generals of involvement in the manipulation of election results in the May 2004 national elections in favor of Gloria Arroyo. These generals mentioned in the "Hello Garci" recordings are now being pampered by the Arroyo administration.
What makes this investigation and its resulting report anomalous and questionable is that it was kept from the public for months only to come out clearing everyone! The report's main argument is that no one among those who were summoned by the investigating panel categorically linked any of the generals to cheating. But accounts are coming out that several junior officers who have direct knowledge of the cheating and have signified their willingness to testify have not been summoned at all.
What a convenient way indeed. Gloria Arroyo has shown once again how she can manipulate the game for her selfish ends. We told you so...
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