PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

Davide impeachment move reeks of factional treachery and collusion--CPP
October 29, 2003

The Communist Party of the Philippines said today that the Davide impeachment move, whatever the merits of the case, only shows how steeped in scheming treachery and conspiracy are the different factions of the reactionary ruling classes as they vie to hold political power and plunder the nation.

"We are watching with keen interest this latest round of reactionary tussle," CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal. "As always, the reactionaries are fighting dirty. We observe with a sense of amusement how the different reactionary factions go around or twist the rules to serve their narrow interests."

"Scheming machinations are typical of the kingmaker himself — Danding Cojuangco — who is out to make a king anew or who would be king himself," Rosal said. "Likewise, Gloria Arroyo herself, as well as other reactionaries are also playing foul."

Rosal explained that "all these foul plays characteristic of reactionaries give us a glimpse into how violent and dirty the upcoming 2004 elections will be."

Rosal accused Danding of flexing his political muscles in the person of his stooges in Congress to make a show of his formidable force in all branches of government in preparation for the 2004 elections and in the interest of his vast business empire. At the same time, Rosal also accused Macapagal-Arroyo of opportunist duplicity if not outright collusion in Danding's schemings.

Rosal said that Danding is particularly out to destroy Davide and the current Supreme Court's credibility and thus prepare the grounds for the later reversal of the court's ruling against his private claim of ownership of the cocolevy funds and relatedly the other 27% of San Miguel Corporation shares. Cojuangco had already secured a Sandiganbayan reversal of the sequestration order made 17 years ago against the first 20% of SMC shares he has been claiming as his own. Rosal said that it is none too obvious that all this is being orchestrated by "Pacman" (alluding to Cojuangco's big bureaucrat capitalist and comprador corporate greed).

Rosal added that Danding has managed to induce at the minimum Macapagal-Arroyo's "complicity of silence and passivity"—if not outright collusion. "Cojuangco has been dangling before her his promise of large financial support for her candidacy and at the same time keeping her on edge about his plan to either run for president himself or support an opposition candidate," said Rosal.

"Gloria has always been swallowing Danding's bait, since all throughout her rule, she has been colluding with Danding in his desire to keep the cocolevy funds and all its business offshoots for himself," Rosal added.

"Out-and-out opportunist and double-dealing politics are very much Gloria," Rosal added, "especially now that she is utterly isolated and desperate to extend her term beyond 2004."

Rosal also said that it was not surprising for Gloria Arroyo's own partymates like Joker Arroyo as well as her allies among the so-called "civil society" groups to be suspicious about her complicity in the Sandiganbayan ruling in favor of Danding's claim to the first 20% of SMC shares and about Arroyo's deliberately passive if not outright consent to the Davide impeachment moves in Congress,' said Rosal.

Rosal also expressed skepticism at Arroyo's recent show of support to Davide. "She has noticed that the move has become very unpopular and, ala-Pontio Pilato, now wants to wash her hands off any suspicion of having dirtied them in colluding with Danding," said Rosal.

Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553



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