Arroyo Allies Warned VS Gloria Forever Constitution

MIDSAYAP, NORTH COTABATO – Senator Mar Roxas leads local leaders in sewing up a torn Philippine flag, as if mending a torn nation coming from the administration’s mis-handling of the peace process in Mindanao. With him is Grace Gupana, who spearheaded the creation of the flag, which is the biggest in the Philippines according to the Guinness Book of World Records, picture at right.

The Arroyo Administration has alienated most of the nation because of its failure to live up to its social contract with the Filipino people to provide the country with good governance, Sen. Mar Roxas said last week.

And forcing the people to accept a “Gloria Forever Constitution” will backfire and condemn the Arroyo Administration as history’s most power-hungry and inept government, Roxas warned in a speech during the week before the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines.

This is the reason why Filipinos eagerly await the elections in 2010 rather than the impending Charter Change moves in Congress by President Arroyo’s allies who want a “Gloria Forever Constitution,” Roxas pointed out.

“We have a social contract … However, that contract is now broken. That social contract is so broken that is why so many of our kababayans feel alienated from general society and from their government. That is why so many of our youth feel detached from what is happening here in our country,” he added.

Instead of engaging in programs to cater to the “real” needs of the people, “the government is busy being corrupt”, Roxas pointed out. “The government collects big amount of taxes. But what do we see? The Filipino generals who buy expensive watches, fertilizer supposed to be for rice and corn but it was for flowers and ornamentals. It was not only overpriced, it did not reach the farmers, the NBN-ZTE $300million to interconnect the nation project, but the reality was a government intercom system only,” he said.

Roxas bewailed the government’s failure to prepare for the effects of the US-led global financial meltdown, which is slowly creeping into the Asian economy.

“What is our government doing in the midst of this? Nothing. It is fixated on Chacha. So we wonder, how come the trust ratings of the government and of the leaders are so low? It’s because we have problems and yet those that have been given power to address and fix these problems are not doing so,” he added.

The Ilonggo senator said Filipinos could contribute in reforming the government by participating in the 2010 national elections. Voters should choose someone who has a good track record, someone sincerely interested in helping the people, and someone who has a vision for the country.

“In the coming election, the citizens has the right to choose their leaders. Leaders who are honest, straight forward, not corrupt, who has the vision for our country, and capable to implement development plan,” Roxas stresses. /MP