"What this Country needs is not a change OF men but a change IN men" March 1980

Thursday, June 25, 2009

KAPIHAN SA SENADO 6/25/09: On ConAss and Revolutionary Government

ON CON-ASS AND REVOLUTIONARY GOV’T

Q: Homobono Adaza claims that PGMA is key to country’s reform through a military-backed revolutionary gov’t. Your comment on that, sir?

Sen. Gordon: That is what I am concerned about. With all these talks that she really wants to extend her term, etc. there is really a very overt act, overt yan eh, yung attempt to change the constitution by the lower house, although hindi pa umaandar yan, that’s a political overt act, as far as I’m concerned. That indicates that they want to change the constitution to extend not only the president, but perhaps, motivated by the fact that other congressmen’s term are going to expire. To me, you could do that, kung talagang may will, is to abolish Congress and declare a revolutionary government. Halimbawa, if the elections fail, if massive violence is perpetrated on the machines, or kunwari ipagkalat nila the machines have broken down, there are no results and then nagkaroon ng mass actions, and then they send out the military, and they say the government will not function anymore because this congress has not been elected, I declare a revolutionary government. Posible yun.

Q: Sabi din none of the presidentiables are qualified to effect change in the country.


Sen. Gordon: Coming from a man who is a very good friend of mine, I will take that tongue and cheek.


Q: Hindi na daw i-insist yung senate-less con-ass.


Sen. Gordon: I heard from Speaker Nograles that the Congress is not like that. They will not have a con-ass during the SONA, which I thought is a very reasonable statement. Naniniwala ako doon.