Two-headed monsters in the House

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita are either making major clowns of themselves or they must think the public is extremely daft.

Dureza has retracted and apologized, taking all the blame on himself, for unwittingly making a public prayer hoping that the President stays on in Malacanang for more years beyond her constitutional (although still legally questionable) 2010 deadline. Ermita, meanwhile, backed his palace colleague saying he himself is “close enough” to the President to know for sure that she has absolutely no intentions to extend her term through a constitutional change.

But alas, all signs and movements elsewhere are pointing to the other direction, particularly in the House of Representatives.

Just as the previous week was closing, reports finally went off the press about the mounting efforts in Congress to collect the necessary number of signatures to push for a Constitutional Assembly that will, in turn, work on a charter change that is obviously intended to keep the Arroyo power. And who is reportedly behind the signature drive? No other than the congressmen-sons of the President. That could not be closer than Ermita ever hope to get.

At the same time, talks are rife in the halls of Congress that the latest impeachment complaint against the President, initiated by among others Jose de Venecia III, son of 4th District Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr., is being readied to be, again, thrown out the window.

What we are clearly seeing in the House now is a two-headed monster that is smoldering for a menacing attack – on the constitution, the Filipino people, and democracy.

So who are the Malacanang officials kidding? The public is certainly not finding them funny.

Yes, majority of the public, especially if we are to believe the consultations recently undertaken by the Congressmen in their respective districts, do want some transformation in our ailing democratic system through changes in the constitution . But not now, and not by the current powers that be who undeniably have monstrous personal agendas.

We call on Representatives Arthur Celeste, Victor Agbayani, Rachel Arenas, Mark Cojuangco and Conrado Estrella III to stand up for what is just and right for our people, not for themselves, not for Mrs. Arroyo and her family alone. (Rep. Joe de V has already manifested his objection to the planned Cha-Cha).

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