You Can't Con Ass!

Yesterday, one of our convenor groups, Citizens for ConCon, launched a nationwide caravan with the aim of bringing the issues of charter change and No-El, among others, from "imperial Manila" to the rest of the country. Despite meager resources, the march had a successful beginning in Dipolog. Today, they marched through Davao. We salute our friends as they take on this challenge and eagerly await their arrival in Manila on 22 February. We hope you will be there with us to meet up with them and celebrate their journey at the People Power Monument. Please read on:

Statement of the Citizens’ Pilgrimage for Truth and Reforms

(Lakbay Mamamayan para sa Katotohanan at Reporma)

We, members of different mass organizations, non-government organizations, political parties, church groups, the academe and professionals condemn in the strongest possible terms the proposal for No Elections in 2007. We also denounce the speedy revision of the Constitution in five months through the Constituent Assembly (Con Ass) mode.

The Arroyo regime will certainly use all its power and resources to compel the Filipino people to recognize and allow self-serving proposals to the Constitution. It will buy the favor of the present elected officials, blinding them with the extension of their term for three years.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo taught us to cheat: “Hello Garci?” She taught us to lie and speak half-truths: “I am sorry.” She taught us to steal in order to win: “Joc Joc Bolante, come back and tell the truth!” She repressed the freedom to express and the people’s right to truth. “Calibrated Preemptive Response! EO 464!” She tried to buy the conscience of the elected officials: “Con Ass cum No El!” Lastly, she keeps refusing to resign despite the cloud of her presidency’s legitimacy and the massive calls for her to step down: “I will not resign.”

There is time to agree. But there is time to denounce. There is time to be silent. But there is time to make noise. There is time to sit and watch. But there is time to come together and march.

On February 1 to 22, 2006, in celebration of the 20^th anniversary of the historic People Power 1 and the 5^th anniversary of People Power 2, we will condemn, shout out and walk from Cotabato, Dipolog and La Union to the People Power monument in Quezon City.

Together, we will knock and call on every Filipino to listen to their conscience. Will we continue to allow an illegitimate President to distort the truth and the values we learned in grade school? It’s time to make noise and shout: U CAN’T CON ASS! U CAN’T CON US ANYMORE!

We will not be fooled! We cannot sit still and watch an illegitimate president make a fool out of all of us! We will not allow your Con Ass!

Remember People Power!