Christian Life Community of the Philippines

Spreading the Ignatian Fire

CLCP Statement on House Resolution 1109 and Con-Ass

Late Tuesday evening, 2 June 2009, the House of Representatives, in the last few days before its recess, with the tacit approval of Malacanang, railroaded the approval of House Resolution 1109 which serves the self-interests of the current administration, instead of prioritizing urgent social justice issues.

House Resolution 1109 opens the door for Congress to constitute itself into a constitutional assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution.  The means by which this Resolution was passed exhibit total and complete disregard for the sentiments and position of the Senate and the will of the people (as evidenced by numerous surveys conducted over the last several years). The House of Representatives has thus trivialized the will of the people and the role of the Senate as guardian and voice of national interest in the public policy arena as opposed to the local interests and often parochial concerns that the members of the House of Representatives bring to Congress.  We believe that the issue on Charter Change (Cha-Cha) is a national concern, is of national interest, and transcends all of our congressional districts and basic sectors.  Without the participation of the Senate as a separate and equal chamber, the deliberations (if the constitutional assembly as envisioned by our House of Representative materializes) would be lopsided at best and self-serving at worst.  This scenario would be a complete anathema to democracy, in which our representatives profess to believe.

By passing House Resolution 1109 in haste, we ask our representatives who voted for HR 1109 - Whose interests are you really representing:  the national interest, your local interests or the interests of a few?   For those representatives who voted against HR 1109, we applaud you for standing up for the interests of the nation and the good of all Filipinos.

Speaking of interests, there has been much debate on whether or not this will be used to extend the term of GMA or change our system of government allowing GMA to continue as Head-of-State. In spite of the debate, it is clear that there has been movement to consolidate and hang onto power and to subvert the Constitution throughout the last nine years that she has been President.  The movement to use a Constituent Assmebly (Con-Ass) for revising the constitution further raises questions about the willingness of our Representatives to be open and honest about the process and from where the pressure for change is coming.

Regardless of intent, the fact is that the current movement to use Con-Ass denies Filipinos of our rightful voice in government and her processes.  It threatens to ensure that only those voices with power and resources will be heard.  The result is a government that continues to disenfranchise, disempower and further erode the hope of Filipinos for a truly democratic government and representation that values the dignity and worth of each and every person.

We must as Filipino citizens show our lawmakers where real power and authority lies. We must exercise once again PEOPLE POWER. Let our voices be heard to remind OUR lawmakers that WE are their constituents.  We must work with those representatives who voted against HR1109 to ensure the administration and their allies realize that we are united and bent on fighting for our democracy every step of the way.  We must sustain our protest action through to the 2010 Elections and beyond.

The Leadership Community of the CLCP therefore calls on its communities to jointly:

1.      BE INFORMED: Participate in community fora, discussion groups, and encourage others to participate in relevant public fora to become aware of the threat to our democracy from Resolution 1109, Con-Ass, and the myriad of other attempts by the administration and their allies to extend GMA's term;

2.      LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD: Write, call, and/or e-mail those representatives who opposed resolution 1109 to give them affirmation and to extend support to the cause.  Give voice to the problems created by this resolution by writing to the editors of our national and local newspapers.  Exhaust all forms of media, including internet, email, radio, and television to speak out against the further erosion of our democracy;

3.      TAKE ACTION: Take part in non-violent action, marches, and other public displays of protest to show our Representatives and President that we will not stand for Resolution 1109, Con-Ass, and other forms of chicanery that imperil the well-being of ALL Filipinos;

Let us keep each other continually informed of our community actions.

We pray for guidance from the Spirit and for God to help us remain faithful to Him and His word in our lives.

Signed this 4^th of June 2009,

Leadership Community

Christian Life Community of the Philippines

Dear Guides,

Chibu