Will Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Arroyo stand down from the plans to force the convening of a Senate-less Constituent Assembly that’s widely suspected to be part of the plot to keep her in power beyond 2010 by amending the 1987 Constitution?
Her Finance Secretary, Gary Teves, says so.
Matias Defensor, the Justice Committe chair and one of her main allies in the House of Representatives, is sounding the retreat while and one of the main torch bearers of that blasted HR 1109, Rep. Rodolfo Antonino, wants to cut a deal for them to suspend action on the resolution in exchange for the No To Con-Ass protests to stop.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/164696/Arroyo-to-House-allies-Put-con-ass-on-hold
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/06/11/09/solon-offers-deal-stop-protests-well-suspend-con-ass
But we will be foolish to immediately ‘buy’ these statements until they are matched with action.
The indications of a possible GMA retreat follow the June 10 street protests in Makati, Cebu, Davao and other cities that denounced HR 1109 as a “shameful and naked” attempt to change the Constitution to fit one woman’s agenda.
As usual Mrs. Arroyo has left it to her minions to try to wave away the protests as “political noise.”
These statements by Messrs Teves, Defensor, and Antonio will have real import only when the Con-Ass Con Game packs up and leaves town.
To loop this off, here’s what the new survey of the Social Weather Station says: 43 in every 100 Filipinos suspect GMA has no intention of stepping down next year:
The First Quarter 2009 Social Weather Survey, fielded over February 20-23, 2009, found that 43% of voting-age Filipinos disagree, and only 31% agree, with the statement, “Tapat si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa kanyang balak na pagbaba sa pwesto sa 2010″ ["President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sincerely intends to step down in 2010"].
Others (26%) are undecided about this matter.
This is more skeptical than in the September 29-October 4, 2008 SWS survey, which found that 39% disagreed and 33% agreed with the same test statement. Twenty-seven percent were undecided.
Disagreement about the President’s sincerity rose by 11 points in Mindanao, from 30% in October 2008 to 41% in February 2009, and by 5 points in the Visayas, from 32% to 37%.
It barely changed in other areas: it went from 52% to 51% in Metro Manila, and from 43% to 44% in Balance Luzon.
It eased by 13 points in class ABC, from 53% to 40%, while it rose by 5 points in class D or the masa, from 38% to 43%, and by 3 points in class E, from 38% to 41%.
Survey background
The First Quarter 2009 Social Weather Survey was conducted over February 20 – 23, 2009 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, ±6% for area percentages). The area estimates were weighted by National Statistics Office medium-population projections for 2009 to obtain the national estimates.
The survey item measuring public opinion on the sincerity of the President to step down in 2010 is not commissioned, but is done on SWS’s own initiative and released as a public service.
Against this backdrop, a somewhat graceful exit may be presenting itself to GMA.
She can take it or arrogantly push the envelope to see where this dangerous Con-Ass enterprise leads.
Popularity: 1% [?]
I think GMA needs to step out and categorically declare what her intentions are. Go on prime time TV. Talk to the nation, clear the air.
Yep. Like a leader who recognizes unrest among her people, and wants them to be well, and feel confident in the leader . . .
Joe
I agree
GMA, Mar Roxas, Legarda, others are doing the same thing — waiting for the appropriate time to announce next steps.
There’s nothing I’d like more than to sing her hossanahs.
But she make’s it hard.
Ding may pangatlo pa, step up.
O, ayan, “sound-the-retreat” na pala, eh. :roll:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/164696/Arroyo-to-House-allies-Put-con-ass-on-hold
upn,
Curious for Teves to be the one ‘announcing that, right?
Remember how Malacanang says “it cannot interfere in the actions of the lawmakers who, according to deputy spokesperson Fajardo “are independenr, and intelligent”?
BTW, that link is in the post itself, but thanks pa rin.
Bong,
Pangatlo? Sorry just awoke from siesta. :)
The latest by GMAnews and ABSCBN seem to self-serving and self-congratulatory news items to claim that their efforts and the small-sized rallies re anti-1109 have extracted concessions from the pro-1109 bloc.
And the Finance Secretary shows his funny bone, too, offering nothing to the anti-1109 while getting air-time for this :
to impose a five-centavo tax on telecommunication companies through metering
We will give Gloria Arroyo and her cahoots pressures on all sides until they will pull their hairs and until their eyes bulges.THESE PEOPLE DESERVE WHAT THEY ARE GETTING!
And now this:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090613-210241/Arroyo-seeking-House-seat-in-2010