This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 32, September 18-24, 2005
Transition Council
The extra-constitutional
ouster of the Arroyo regime is not a recipe for disorder and uncertainty. It is
a golden opportunity to truly empower the people and lay the ground for a new
government of unity, reform and all-round progress via a “Transition Council.”
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo © 2005 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
Streetwise / Busineass World
Posted by Bulatlat
Many of those who remain hesitant about joining the protest movement to oust the
Arroyo government, and even many of those who are already convinced of the need
for people power still ask, "Sino ang ipapalit?"
There is a wide perception that the reason people are not yet pouring out into
the streets is not so much the lack of disgust for the GMA regime but the lack
of clarity or consensus on who should lead the new government, or the lack of an
immediately palatable or generally acceptable successor.
The situation now is thus different from 1986 and 2001 when a consensus had been
reached on who should lead the new government before or as soon as the people
massed in the streets, nationwide, in their millions. In 2001, the situation was
simpler because GMA presented an acceptable alternative to Estrada, regardless
of the preferred or actual manner by which Estrada would be deposed --
resignation, impeachment, or ouster.
This time around the question of who takes over hinges to a large extent on how
the Arroyo regime is removed from power. Had Mrs. Arroyo voluntarily resigned
or been impeached and then found guilty in an impeachment trial, Vice President
Noli de Castro would step in as constitutional successor.
No matter how unpalatable to many of the forces working for regime change, many
of whom also aim for instituting substantial reforms in the political and
socio-economic system in this country, a de Castro presidency would take over in
the natural course of events and the people, the military establishment and
other states as well as international public opinion would likely accept it as
legitimate.
On the other hand, with voluntary resignation and impeachment foreclosed by the
intransigence and machinations of the Arroyo administration, only a “people
power” uprising supported by anti-GMA forces in the military
remains as the realistic and viable avenue for removing Mrs. Arroyo from
Malacañang.
Those who are calling for the ouster of GMA have made it clear that
constitutional succession is unacceptable. “Why go through all the trouble,
risk and hardship of people power just so Noli will replace Gloria,” they ask.
Apparently this view is also widely held among the restive anti-GMA groups and
elements in the military who would, at some point, be expected to act to realize
the withdrawal of military support from Mrs. Arroyo and shift this to the
coalition of forces that will establish the new government.
People power should result in the people being empowered to put in place a new
government that they trust and support; that will bring about the immediate and
longer term reform measures to alleviate the dire socio-economic plight of the
majority of our people as well as lead the country towards prosperity and
development; and that will institute political and constitutional changes that
will result in good governance, a just and lasting peace and the promotion of
national interests amidst a foreign policy of friendship and non-interference in
the affairs of other countries.
But while people power can oust the GMA regime it may not be able to immediately
decide who shall lead or constitute the new, regular government that should take
its place.
This is the raison d'etre for the “Transition Council” which the Gloria Step
Down Movement (GSM) and a growing number of other anti-GMA forces are
advocating. It shall pave the way for democratic elections – clean, fair and
with real choices of platforms and candidates -- where the people can decide who
should lead the new government.
The “Transition Council” is not yet the new government. It has been proposed
that those who constitute it shall be barred from seeking the presidency or have
an important position, apart from advisory, in the new government so as to
remove all suspicion that they are pursuing vested interests. It will lead the
country for a relatively short period of time, i.e. from six months to one year.
In the pursuit of justice as well to demonstrate the needed political will for
good governance, the “Transition Council” shall prioritize the investigation and
prosecution of Mrs. Arroyo and other high public officials who are party to the
betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft and corruption and other high crimes
against the Filipino people. At the same time, it shall render justice,
including a swift and fair trial, on all outstanding cases of plunder and graft
and corruption involving current and previous high public officials.
The “Transition Council” will undertake the thorough clean-up and reform of the
electoral system as well massive voter education to lay the ground for the
special elections for those who will lead the new government.
The stabilization of the general economic and political situation will be the
immediate concern of the “Transition Council”. It must undertake measures to
provide immediate economic relief and rehabilitation while laying the groundwork
for a strong, self-reliant economy as well as measures upholding the people’s
democratic rights and national sovereignty. The following list illustrates the
kind of actions that the “Transition Council” can and should pursue:
· a pro-people fiscal policy that will include the scrapping of taxes that
place an intolerable burden on the people such as the expanded VAT
· a cap on debt repayments and the renegotiation of the terms of previous
debts up to and including the cancellation and repudiation of onerous debts
· a stop to runaway price increases of all basic commodities and services,
especially fuel, water and electrical power
· a stop to the curtailment of the people’s freedom of speech, assembly
and association
· rendering justice to the victims of human rights violations
· the resumption of formal peace talks between the government and the
National Democratic Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The extra-constitutional ouster of the Arroyo regime is not a recipe for
disorder and uncertainty. It is looked upon by patriotic and democratic
Filipinos everywhere as a golden opportunity to truly empower the people and lay
the ground for a new government of unity, reform and all-round progress via a
“Transition Council”. Posted by Bulatlat