Politics

Arroyo administration accused of “again committing massive fraud and deception on a nationwide scale?

By Germelina A. Lacorte
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY ? Days after the synchronized barangay (village) assemblies that launched the so-called nationwide ?people?s initiative? aimed at changing the Constitution, critics and progressive groups lambasted the government Monday for allegedly using money and other inducements to railroad the process even as officials denied that the assemblies had anything to do with the government?s campaign to amend the charter.

?Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo seems to be running out of schemes to cling to power so that she buys the ?people?s initiative? with rice and a few hundred bucks,? Ariel Casilao, acting secretary-general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Southern Mindanao said in a statement on Monday.

Casilao was referring to reports that money and rice were given in exchange for signatures supporting constitutional amendments that would, among others, lead to shift to a parliamentary form of government.

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PANABO CITY— Panabo City Mayor Rey Gavina appealed to opposition groups to refrain from staging protest rallies during President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?s visit to Panabo city this week.

Gavina vowed not to issue a permit to any group who has plans to disrupt the President?s visit with protest actions.

?I?m wholeheartedly appealing not to stage (protest) rally during the President?s visit, I won?t give permit to those who will stage the rally except some other time,? he said.
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Instead of a general assembly that people attended on their own volition, the gathering was marred by alleged deception and other machinations, allegedly done on orders by Malacanang.

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By Cheryll D. Fiel
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY ? They were all gathered on Saturday to supposedly hear the pros and cons of the proposed constitutional amendment to shift to a parliamentary form of government. What they heard instead were the earnest words of their officials promising dramatic change in governance.

Worst, instead of a general assembly that people attended on their own volition, the gathering was marred by alleged deception and other machinations, allegedly done on orders by Malacanang.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government had earlier asked barangays (villages) across the country to hold general assemblies yesterday and on Oct. 21 to supposedly get the pulse of the public on constitutional amendments.

The assemblies are part of the ?people?s initiative,? one of the ways the administration is using to amend the charter, which requires the signatures of at least 12 percent of the total registered voters nationwide and at least three percent of voters in a congressional district.

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