Statement of the Congress of Teachers and Educators for Nationalism and Democracy (CONTEND)
June 8, 2009
When an incumbent president is guilty of graft and corruption, massive electoral fraud, human rights violations and the worst forms of complicity to imperialist plunder and violence, any move that will indefinitely extend her power must be opposed absolutely.
The formation of a Constituent Assembly that will eventually adopt changes to the Constitution is yet another attempt by the U.S.-Arroyo regime to use the rule of law as a means for felonious ends.
Macapagal-Arroyo' s Cha-Cha sideswipes our historic struggle for peaceful and and progressive Philippines.
What is at stake in opposing the Macapagal-Arroyo-sponsored Constituent Assembly is our right and responsibility to defend the people's democratic rights. While the current constitution is not perfect, it is only through the democratic exercise of our freedoms can we determine the changes needed for the rule of law to serve the people.
The proposed Charter Change (Cha-Cha) poses a threat to the hard-won provisions enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution which addresses the abuse of military power and the fascist character of a government that only protects the interest of the ruling elite. The prohibition against the permanent settlement of military troops and their engagement in combat exercises within our territory is the people's vow to defend national sovereignty. Arroyo's fascistic regime, however, can only run to its imperialist master to reinforce and inflict its perverse sense of law and order. With more that 1,000 victims of extra-judicial killings and more than 200 people disappeared since Arroyo assumed office in 2001, it is our most urgent task to expose the most brutal forms of torture and killing this regime has unleashed and thwart all sorts of maneuvers for Arroyo to sow state terror beyond 2010.
Provisions against foreign ownership of public lands and utilities in the current Constitution are a testament to our commitment to national industrialization. Yet Cha-Cha attempts to lift provisions that protect Philippine economy from unlimited foreign economic domination. Amid the toughest of times, what we need are job security, domestic growth and access to social services. Arroyo's Cha-Cha totally eradicates our claims to these constitutional rights in its bid to allow the most powerful foreign entities to exploit our natural resources. Cha-Cha's absurd purpose is to further empower foreign corporations to operate, gain absolute control over and rake profits from utilities such as electricity, communications and water. Instead of genuine change, Arroyo's Cha-Cha aims to further entrench the neoliberal doctrine gleaned in the new provisions' bias for foreign and private big business to take control over public utilities and our democratic institutions.
The Constituent Assembly that will pave the way for Arroyo's Cha-Cha is nothing but the ruling clique's means to manage the systemic crisis and the overwhelming opposition to the oppressive system that it generates from the people. The Arroyo regime is making use of an erstwhile formula tried and proven to be bankrupt: it aims to manipulate the legal structure for the same to set the limits to the contradictory forces that, with our decisive intervention, would turn Philippine society around.
CONTEND strongly condemns the congressional lapdogs of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo responsible for yet another obscene fraud committed against the people. We call on our fellow educators to arouse, mobilize and organize among our colleagues and students to join the thousands upon thousands of angry yet hopeful voices demanding for justice, freedom and democracy.
Oppose the Arroyo-led Constituent Assembly, JUNK CHA-CHA!
Down With Imperialist Plunder! Up With Our Struggle for National Sovereignty!
End Macapagal Arroyo's fascist regime, OUST GMA!
Join the June 10 Makati rally to Junk Con Ass, 5 pm,
Corner of Ayala and Paseo de Roxas
The Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy or CONTEND is a progressive organization of academics based in the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
