The former chief executive also warned Mrs. Arroyo of massive street protests by cause-oriented groups and ordinary Filipinos plus their manifestations of discontent, anger, and outrage towards the ad-ministra-tion must be seen as people’s hunger for freedom from poverty, deprivation, and bad governance.
Ramos comment came as speculations continue to rise that Mrs. Arroyo is set to run for Congress as Pampanga’s representative in next year’s election following the disclosure of Agrarian Secretary Nasser Pangandaman that the latter will seek a congressional post.Pangandaman said he was just misquoted by the media.
Last week, a huge rally, the biggest gathering so far of anti-Arroyo forces, was held at Makati’s Ayala District to protest the passage by the Lower House of a resolution urging the convening of a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) to pave the way for amending the Charter even without the participation of the Senate.
Critics of the move said administration allies in the Lower House are pushing to extend the term of Mrs. Arroyo and other elected public officials beyond 2010 despite repeated denials by House Speaker Prospero Nograles and even Malacanang. They pledged to stage more protest actions in the coming days leading to the President’s State of the Nation Address next month.
With the rising opposition to moves to amend the Charter, Ramos said the President should also disclose her position on Charter Change so that suspicion will be eased. Mrs. Arroyo has supported Charter Change but only to amend the economic provision of the Constitution.
On, June 30, 2010, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III was sworn in as the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines. Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales and Jesuit Fr. Catalino Arevalo, a close friend of the Aquinos, who held the bible, swore in the only son of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino and former president Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. To most Filipinos, this day was very memorable because it symbolizes the beginning of a new hope for the country, the hope of a clean and honest government.
