US behind rush to rewrite constitution-CPP
July 7, 2004

The puppet Arroyo government is rushing the "cha-cha" (charter change) due to pressures from the US government and multinationals to rewrite the Philippine constitution towards making it more tightly adapted to US interests and policies.

CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said that all the brouhaha over charter change has so far centered on the simple change in the form of government from the presidential to the parliamentary system, but that this conceals US imperialism's more insidious agenda.

Rosal said that "what US imperialism urgently wants is to update the Philippine constitution in order that it uphold the current US doctrines of 'globalization' and 'anti-terrorist' and thus institutionalize the further rampage that US monopoly capitalists and armed forces and their lackeys can wreak in the Philippines in the name of these slogans.

He cited a recent speech by US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone saying that "a lot of things must be fixed in this country 'to strengthen the rule of law'" and that it was willing to support the Arroyo government in withstanding the "short-term pains" of making hard political decisions.

Rosal clarified, however, that nominal provisions in the reactionary constitution that espouse national sovereignty and civil rights have always been trampled upon by past reactionary regimes from Aquino to Arroyo. He cited the Omnibus Investments Code, the Mining Act, Philippine membership in the World Trade Organization and ratification of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs, the Banking Reform Law and "other laws and policies in line with imperialist globalization," the Visiting Forces Agreement and Status of Forces Agreement which have all "effectively circumvented the Philippine constitution and allowed the complete domination US and foreign multinational corporations."

But more than this, said Rosal, what the US wants is to institutionalize in the constitution the reopening of the country to the revival of foreign military bases, the entry and operation of foreign troops, the docking of vessels with nuclear arms; the "strengthening of the rule of law" along the line of "war against terrorism" by instituting more fascist methods such as the National ID system and curtailing civil liberties patterned after the oppressive US Patriot Act; the overturn of the Quasha Ruling in order to allow foreign ownership of land in the country; the removal of various limitations to foreign ownership of public utilities and strategic industries; and many other "antinational and antipeople provisions."

He said that progressive and militant groups are correct in opposing charter changes, "not because the present Philippine constitution is desirable or that it has not been circumvented or outrightly violated at will by successive reactionary regimes, but because the US, Arroyo and other "Cha-cha" schemers are only planning to institutionalize measures to further the oppression and exploitation of the people."#

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

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US behind rush to rewrite constitution-CPP July 7, 2004

US behind rush to rewrite constitution-CPP
July 7, 2004