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| Charter Change will not happen—RP Sen. Chiz Escudero |
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EAGLE ROCK—Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Saturday, February 7, told Filipino-Ams during a symposium held at the Philippine Village Center, that he personally believes the much talked-about charter change would not go through, and that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is putting the issue on center stage because it helped maintain the image that she was not a lame duck president even though her term is about to end in 2010.
"President Arroyo would not lose by encouraging a discussion of charter change," the 39-year-old junior Senator from Sorsogon told members of the United Bicolandia, an association headed by businesswoman and civic leader Zeny Zabocor.
"Because if cha-cha is not being talked about, her cronies—in the Congress, in the Senate, and the local officials—would have already abandoned her," Escudero said. Speaking almost exclusively in impeccable Tagalog, the junior senator added that those cronies had wanted to leave the President a long time ago, but that they are making sure that if, indeed, charter change happened, those same politicians would still be with her.
"There is no possibility—in my opinion—that charter change will push through," Escudero assured. "There is no possibility in the Congress; there is no possibility in the Senate; there is no possibility in the Supreme Court; and there is no possibility that the Filipino people would welcome and accept it," he added. Escudero theorized that the administration is pushing it until this coming August so that the politicians who want to run (for President) in 2010, and who are already spending campaign money this early, would be hurt by their expenditures, and would fight to have the 2010 elections held.
"And so to save those expenses, these politicians would want the elections to push through in 2010," Escudero revealed. "So therefore, President Arroyo should not stop the elections because an election is the best economic stimulus package that could happen in the Philippines."
"No matter how bad the economy is; no matter how businessmen refuse to spend; I am assuring you, when elections come, hidden money will surface; and that’s the most beautiful stimulus package that we can achieve," Escudero said. "The Philippines must be really lucky, because whenever we need money, it happens in an election year and money will come out; a lot of people will find jobs; and there will be a lot of construction activities that will help roll out and turn the economy in the country," Escudero said.
As Chairman of the Philippine Senate’s Constitutional Amendments Committee, Escudero promised that he would not allow a charter change to happen under President Arroyo’s watch. "Let me refresh your memory with a little history lesson. The first time they pushed cha-cha was in 1997, then 2006; now they are pushing it again in 2009," Escudero began. "What is the common denominator of the push for cha-cha in ’97, 2006, and 2009? Those who won in ’88 and ’87, and in ’92 and ’95, they would graduate in 2008. Now President Arroyo’s term is ending in 2010, and cha-cha is being pushed in 2009. The motive isnot for the nation’s interest; it’s for politicians who do not want to leave their positions when their terms end," Escudero commented.
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