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Tipping point, at last?

BIG DEAL
By Dan Mariano
The Manila Times
June 8, 2010

Dan Mariano is a friend of mine and one of the most astute political analysts in town. Read most especially the list of congress people who voted for the pro-GMA bill. For that is what it is, a pro-GMA bill. A few of those in the list are friends of mine. I am sure the political wind will blow another way in November of 2009, when we have filed our certificates of candidacy and the GMA ship of state would be shot full with holes, the rats scampering away from the sinking ship. But by that time, will I still take the phone calls of my so-called friends?

***



Flashback to January 2001. The opposition walks out of the Senate impeachment trial of then-President Joseph Estrada. Filipinos, first, by the hundreds, then by the thousands and finally by the hundreds of thousands, gather in protest and indignation at the EDSA Shrine.

Then-Ambassador Ernesto Maceda pooh-poohs the significance of the daily demonstrations at EDSA. Give those people four or five days and they will get tired and go home, he says—or words to that effect.

We all know what happened.

Fast-forward to June 4, 2009. Malacañang is reported to have “shrugged off the threat by civil society and militant groups to mount street protests” against House Resolution 1109.

“That’s nothing new,” chortles Malacañang mouthpiece Anthony Golez. “Anytime and anything that would raise the issue of [Charter change], the same people would go down the streets.”

Shorn of its grammatical lapses, Golez’s scornful remarks rang eerily similar to the dismissive statements of Maceda on the eve of what was to become the second people power uprising that toppled Estrada.

Will Golez’s words return to haunt him in the not too distant future?

HR 1109 signatories

According to the blogsite Filipino Voices, the representatives who signed House Resolution 1109 are:

Bienvenido Abante, Manila; Roque Ablan Jr., Ilocos Norte; Victor Aguedo Agbayani, Pangasinan; Manuel Ayago, Kalinga; Rodolfo Albano 3rd, Isabela; Felix Alfelor Jr., Camarines Sur; Thelma Almario, Davao Oriental; Antonio Alvarez, Palawan; Genaro Rafael Alvarez Jr., Negros Occidental; Edelmiro Amante, Agusan del Norte;

Rommel Amatong, Compostela Valley; Ma. Zenaida Angping, Manila; Rodolfo Antonino, Nueva Ecija; Trinidad Apostol, Leyte; Jose Aquino, Agusan del Norte; Ma. Evita Arago, Laguna; A. Munir Arbison, Sulu; Ma. Rachel Arenas, Pangasinan; Diosdado Arroyo, Camarines Sur; Ignacio Arroyo, Negros Occidental; Juan Miguel Arroyo, Pampanga;

Amado Bagatsing, Manila; Pangalian M. Balindong, Lanao del Sur; Elpidio Barzaga Jr., Cavite; Franklin Bautista, Davao del Sur; Vicente Belmonte Jr., Lanao del Norte; Al Francis Bichara, Albay; Ferjenel Biron, Iloilo; Anna York Bondoc, Pampanga; Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David, Manila; Narciso Bravo Jr., Masbate;

Nicanor Briones, Agap party list; Eileen Ermita Buhain, Batangas; Elias Bulut Jr., Apayao; Marc Douglas Cagas 4th, Davao del Sur; Mary Mitzi Cajayon, Caloocan; Roberto Cajes, Bohol; Carmen Cari, Leyte; Fredenil Castro, Capiz; Arthur Celeste, Pangasinan; Antonio Cerilles, Zamboanga del Sur; Edgardo Chatto, Bohol;

Glenn Chong, Biliran; Solomon Chunga-Lao, Ifugao; Marina Clarete, Misamis Occidental; Eufrocino Codilla, Leyte; Mark Cojuangco, Pangasinan; Teodulo Coquilla, Eastern Samar; Vincent Crisologo, Quezon City; Junie Cue, Quirino; Antonio Cuenco, Cebu City; Samuel Dangwa, Benguet; Simeon Datumanong, Maguindanao;

Nelson Dayanghirang, Davao Oriental; Nanette Daza, Quezon City; Paul Daza, Northern Samar; Del de Guzman, Marikina; Arthur Defensor Sr., Iloilo; Matias Defensor Jr., Quezon City; Raul del Mar, Cebu City; Carlo Oliver Diasnes, Batanes; Abdullah Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte; Mauricio Domogan, Baguio; Michael John Duavit, Rizal;

Henry Dueñas Jr., Taguig; Faysah MRP Dumarpa, Lanao del Sur; Thomas Dumpit Jr., La Union; Ramon Durano IV, Cebu; Glenda Ecleo, Dinagat Islands; Yevgeny Vicente Emano, Misamis Oriental; Wilfrifo Mark Enverga, Quezon; Conrado Estrella III, Pangasinan; Robert Raymund Estrella, Abono party list;

Jeffrey Ferrer, Negros Occidental; Florencio Garay, Surigao del Sur; Albert Garcia, Bataan; Pablo John Garcia, Cebu; Pablo Garcia, Cebu; Vincent Garcia, Davao City; Janette Garin, Iloilo; Rexlon Gatchalian, Valenzuela; Angelito Gatlabayan, Antipolo; Arnulfo Go, Sultan Kudarat; Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Pampanga;

Raul Gonzales Jr., Iloilo City; Eduardo Gullas, Cebu; Magtanggol Gunigundo, Valenzuela; Dulce Ann Hofer, Zamboanga Sibugay; Nur Jaafar, Tawi-Tawi; Adam Relson Jala, Bohol; Cesar Jalosjos, Zamboanga del Nrote; Cecilia Jalosjos-Carreon, Zamboanga del Nrote; Yusop Jikiri, Sulu;

Antonio Kho, Masbate; Rosen-do Labadlabad, Zamboanga del Nrote; Jose Carlos Lacson, Negros Occidental; Antonio Lagdameo, Davao del Norte; Jeci Lapus, Tarlac; Carmelo Lazatin, Pam-panga; Reno Lim, Albay; Jaime Lopez, Manila; Eleanora Jesus Madrona, Romblon; Ma. Milagros Magsaysay, Zambales; Oscar Malapitan, Caloocan;

Manuel Mamba, Cagayan; Datu Pakung Mangudadatu, Sultan Kudarat; Alfredo Marano III, Negros Occidental; Francisco Matugas, Surigao del Norte; Mark Leandro Mendoza, Batangas; Roger Mercado, Southern Leyte; Florencio Miraflores, Aklan; Joaquin C. R. Navas, Guimaras; Reylina Nicolas, Bulacan;

Prospero Nograles, Davao City; Arrel Olaños, Davao del Nrote; Emil Ong, Northern Samar; Victor Francisco Ortega, La Union; Ernesto Pablo, APEC party list; Pedro Pancho, Bulacan; Candido Pancrudo, Bukidnon; Philip Pichay, Surigao del Sur; Bernado Piñol Jr., North Cotabato; Roberto Puno, Antipolo;

Herminia Ramiro, Misamis Occidental; Jesus Crispin Remulla, Cavite; Carmelita Reyes, Marinduque; Victoria Reyes, Batangas; Arturo Robes, San Jose del Monte; Adelina Rodriguez-Zaldarriaga, Rizal; Herminia Roman, Bataan; Guillermo Romarate Jr., Surigao del Norte; Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Leyte;

Pedro Romualdo, Camiguin; Roman Romulo, Pasig; Jose Antonio Roxas, Pasay; Benhur Salimbangon, Cebu; Andres Salvacion Jr., Leyte; Edgar San Luis, Laguna; Alvin Sandoval, Malabon-Navotas; Joseph Santiago, Catanduanes; Narciso Santiago III, ARC party list; Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, Masbate; Cecilia Seares-Luna, Abra;

Lorna Silverio, Bulacan; Eric Singson, Ilocos Sur; Ronald Singson, Ilocos Sur; Jose Solis, Sorsogon; Nerissa Corazon Soon-Ruiz, Cebu; Danilo Suarez, Quezon; Mary Ann Susano, Quezon City; Ma. Victoria Sy-Alvarado, Bulacan; Judy Syjuco, Iloilo; Emmylou Talino-Mendoza; Sharee Ann Tan, Samar;

Marcelino Teodoro, Marikina; Monica Louise Teodoro, Tarlac; Pryde Henry Teves, Negros Oriental; Neil Tupas, Iloilo; Isidro Ungab, Davao City; Edwin Uy, Isabela; Reynaldo Uy, Samar; Rolando Uy, Cagayan de Oro; Edgar Valdez, APEC party list; Rodolfo Valencia, Oriental Mindoro; Florencio Vargas, Oriental Mindoro;

Florencio Vargas, Cagayan; Luis Villafuerte, Camarines Sur; Ma. Amelita Villarosa, Occidental Mindoro; Joseph Gilbert Violago, Nueva Ecija; Jose Yap, Tarlac; Victor Yu, Zamboanga del Sur; Manuel Zamora, Compostela Valley; and Eduardo Zialcita, Parañaque.

The list of HR 1109 signatories continues to be replicated as if it were a roster of rogues in numerous blogspots, websites and social networks, as opposition to the congressmen’s self-serving bid to rewrite the 1987 Constitution mounts.

Could this be—as Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay asked at the Kapihan sa Sulo media forum Saturday—the tipping point?

dansoy26@yahoo.com

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