Thursday, December 21, 2006 Espinoza: Pushing the limit of people’s tolerance By Elias L. Espinoza Free Zone
PROBABLY taking a cue from the not so well attended prayer rally last Sunday at the Luneta against the House’s Senate-less constituent assembly (Con-Ass) scheme, President Arroyo has revived calls for Charter change.
In her speech at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Asian Development Bank, the President said that, “Charter change is a matter of paramount national interest and our leaders must all rise to the challenge.”
But the President’s statement received flak from opposition senators and congressmen who warned her not to proceed with Charter change. House Minority Leader Francis Escudero described the move as the “height of stubbornness, arrogance and treachery.”
To recall, the President backed off from Charter change after the Church and other organizations announced the holding of a massive protest action against the Con-Ass scheme last week. Was that a case of her lying again?
The Arroyo administration should not push the limit of people’s tolerance. And it should not misconstrue the failure of the Church-led prayer-rally last Sunday as a sign that majority wants Charter change. *** The Asean summit will finally be held in January 2007 despite the claim of President Arroyo’s critics that it won’t proceed anymore after it was postponed from its original schedule this month allegedly because of typhoon Seniang.
Security preparations for the gathering are ongoing. And it was reported the other day that Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will attend the summit after his trip to Europe.
Last Monday, new Asean security chief Antonio Billones conducted a briefing on summit security attended by police and Armed Forces personnel. Cops are still visible in summit ceremonial routes even if the police trainees from other regions have been sent home.
The Philippine Air Force’s Tactical Operations Command (TOC) under Maj. Gen. Horacio S. Tolentino based at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City is also continuing its security check on the residents inside the base. Many Air Force officials and soldiers and their families live inside the base. There is also a public school and a college there.
Tolentino assumed the TOC command last Nov. 24 after his predecessor, Maj. Gen. Jaime Viernes, Jr., retired at the height of summit security preparations. He said that although security measures are already tight inside the base, they cannot afford to be complacent about security because aircrafts of the delegates will be parked in the area.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Vice Mayor Mike Rama should stop talking about the supposed transfer of the summit site to Manila because it will not happen.
That rumor was just a diversionary tactic so Cebuanos won’t focus their attention on Congress and the Con-Ass issue.
