A Call to Arms

Last night's session of the Lower House is more of a challenge for relevance rather than a provocative act to resolve what they think is a justiciable matter. The Lower House arrogated full legislative powers to spite the Senate and provoke it to show its relevance in the scheme of things. This is now, a power struggle, between a House composed of feudal lords with concrete constituencies with that of a House that has a conceptual national constituency.

Hence, this should not provoke another action that would involve the Supreme Court. No. Oppositors of this move should never involve the Supreme Court since this will be playing in the hands of those who planned this in the first place. If they file a case before the Court, that would complete the dastardly plan of these devils in barongs, infecting the High Tribunal and dragging it into the controversy.

If the High Tribunal is dragged, that would leave only the executive branch as a true power, and justifies more actions that aim to consolidate the full powers of the State into one institution.

It is critical for those who love democracy to meet this challenge by NOT RESORTING TO A LEGAL REMEDY. The Lower House challenged the Senate to prove its relevance by using an extra-constitutional route. Let the Senate do the same by marshalling the forces of change and seek remedy through a show of People Power.

Let me elucidate further

New AKBAYAN partylist Rep. Walden Bello is right. The passage of Resolution 1109 weakened the fine balance among the democratic institutions of governance in our country. By provoking what Rep. Luis Villafuerte called a constitutional question, the effects of it is worse than the intention. Why do I say that?

Because we now face a constitutional anomaly. And it is ill-timed and ill-advised to say the least.

At a time when we need political stability to insulate us from the ill-effects of a global recession, here we face these rampaging devils in barongs, creating a constitutional scandal, worst than those sex tapes of an infamous doctor maniac. These power-hungry cursed sonafabitches created a fine diversion for us to forget the damning graft scandals and led us to an uncertain future.

And did, they, even, succeeded in creating a justiciable issue? No. For a justiciable issue to occur, it must be very clear that the court can actually take jurisdictional cognizance of the same. If the court feels that it cannot offer such cognizance, then, it cannot be a justiciable matter.

The infirmities of Resolution 1109 are procedural and substantive, therefore, outside the scope of judicial determination. For example, the question of voting can actually be resolved by the Legislature themselves, seeing that the wording of the Constitutional provision on amendments and revisions is not infirm but firm in its spirit that the House votes separately, not jointly, and that this 3/4 vote is actually not joint, but separate voting. The letter of the Law is clear. And when the Law is clear, there should be no other construction than what the intent of the framers of that Law is.

What these devils did was create a controversy as a diversion, a bogey, so to speak, to allow their true intention to surface.

They're justifying their action by saying that all they did was to initiate debate and give the Court an opportunity to clarify what they think is a
fussy judicial issue.

There is no debate because the intent of the framers of the Constitution is very clear---no proposals for amendments nor revisions are to be entertained without the participation of the Senate.

What the Lower House did was a dictatorial move, a coup so to speak, that allowed them to arrogate full legislative powers for themselves. It is the first phase for a full shift into a parliamentary form of government. IN one fell swoop, they succeeded in diluting the substantiveness of the bicameral paradigm of governance and rendered the Senate as a useless, albeit, toothless tiger.

Last night's session was more of an exercise to resolve an itchy theoretical question, and that is, what would happen should one House arrogates full legislative powers inspite of the Senate? In a scenario like this, the Senate should exercise a realistic showing of its strength. And what is that?

The Senate should spearhead a movement that would force the Lower House to self-censure. It is not advisable that the Senate resort to filing a case before the Supreme Court. No.

This matter can be resolved by the Legislature itself. Senators and all those who love democracy should not fall into the trap set by the Lower House.

The Senate should show the world of its relevance as an institution by marshalling all the anti-charter change forces under its tutelage. It is now a question of who holds true power---those legislators with specific and concrete constituencies or those with a theoretical national constituency.

If the Senate fails to show power and strength, the Lower House will definitely proceed, opening the Charter and literally roughshodding everything.

That's why, this is a struggle for the preservation of democracy, of the things we so love and cherish and of the things we hold dear.

This is a fight, a challenge put forth by the demons of this regime against all those who love the Motherland. This is a time when we must, prove to all that we do have the strength to establish a society of Truth, Justice and Peace.

This is a veritable call to arms for those who love democracy.

Crush evil wherever and whenever necessary. It is our responsibility as Filipinos to stand up and face this monster with oure eyes open and our hands clenched.

The Filipino People is being challenged. Meet this challenge with bravery and fortitude of Spirit.

And call on the thousands of New Patriots and arm them with the Spirit of the Revolution.

Let these Patriots rise and defend the Motherland from these demonic rapists.

I also call on my colleagues over at the Open Democracy Foundation. Help us. Help the Filipino People. Let us marshall our forces and defeat these counter-democratic forces that threaten the very lives and futures of every Filipino.