DON’T CON ASS!

BAGUMBAYAN–Volunteers for a New Philippines voices its protest and opposition against any and all moves for a constituent assembly and Charter change before the 2010 Elections.

We have long supported Senator Richard Gordon’s opposition to ill-timed efforts to amend the Constitution.

As Chairman of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws, Gordon upheld the supremacy of the Constitution at all times. He insisted on the lawful method of Charter change, that is, only according to the process set forth in the Constitution. He opposed the convening of a constituent assembly (Con-ass) with both houses voting together, as well as the unconstitutional People's Initiative (PI). He was one of the triumphant parties in the case of Lambino and Aumentado vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 174153, October 25, 2006.

House Resolution 1109 was sprung on our countrymen as they slept on a dark rainy night.

With suspicious stealth and undue haste, members of the House of Representatives railroaded the passage of the resolution that will, in effect, dilute and negate the participation of the Senate in the process of amending the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Such a brazen move on the eve of the last session day of Congress suggests a sinister plot in the works.

It is our contention that HR 1109 will impair the vital system of check and balance between both chambers of Congress. This allows a situation where the tyranny of numbers can be wielded to subdue the voice of reason and rectitude, clearing the way for the installation of provisions in the Constitution that may later serve the selfish interests of a few rather than promote the common good.

We will not allow OUR voice on the matter of Charter change be diminished or laid aside.

We hold that Article XVII, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution provides that any amendment to - or revision of – the Constitution may be proposed by Congress upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members.

We hold that this constitutional provision should not be misconstrued as a provision where both Houses of Congress vote jointly. The Constitution, the fundamental law of our land, is very clear as when Congress may vote jointly, and this does not include Charter change.

WE HOLD THAT Charter change must be done right - at the proper time, definitely after the May 2010 elections; for the right reasons, that is, for the national interest, not personal and vested interests; and within the legal means under the Constitution.

Leon “Porong” Herrera
President, Bagumbayan
www.bagumbayan-vnp.com

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Bagumbayan calls for more Presidential debates

Buoyed by the success of the leadership forum organized by the Ateneo School of Government and broadcast through ABS-CBN News Channel, the Bagumbayan Movement called on media organizations to organize more Presidential debates.

Bagumbayan president Leon “Porong” B. Herrera pointed out that the people need to be informed and educated about the platforms and programs of people who are planning to run for President in 2010.

“Advertisements are a way of blinding people and keeping them from learning the true character of the candidate. Presidential candidates must undergo close scrutiny as public officials and as private citizens so that we can gauge their character as leaders,” said Herrera.

He further stressed that media organizations must inform the voting public about the candidate’s experience and track record as a public official.

“If the candidate claims to be for change, the candidate must show how consistently and successfully throughout his public life he has made change happen. If the candidate says he is for helping the poor, let him show how consistently and successfully he has lifted people out of poverty,” said Herrera.

The movement’s president further noted that debates would counteract the effect of political ads to propagate untruthful claims and skew the public’s perception of the candidate.

“News media organizations have great power and influence; with great power comes great responsibility. They must help the voting public see through the candidate’s propaganda and show them if the candidate really deserves to be President,” said Herrera.

Apart from Presidential debates on national radio and television, Herrera said that newspapers should also participate in helping the public scrutinize the qualifications of candidates.

He urged them to print supplements containing detailed information about those who intend to run for President in the 2010 elections.

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Ramos commends Bagumbayan Movement

Former President Fidel V. Ramos sent a congratulatory note to Senator Richard J. Gordon and the Bagumbayan Movement-Volunteers for a New Philippines on its Grand Launching and National Convention at the Manila Hotel last April 27.


In a message he sent to Bagumbayan, Ramos commended the movement for its noble vision of effecting genuine change in government and society through vision, values and volunteerism.


As a token of his commendation, the former president gave Gordon a book that contains writings on Lapu-Lapu and Jose Rizal, who are the role models and inspiration of the organization’s members and volunteers.


Leon “Porong” B. Herrera, Bagumbayan president, said the courage and wisdom of Lapu-Lapu and Rizal have inspired Bagumbayan volunteers to break the walls of apathy and cynicism, and face the challenges of building a nation that is enabled, ennobled and free.


Ramos expressed support to Bagumbayan’s call for change the way he supported the transformational efforts of Subic volunteers in 1992.


The former President saw the rise of Filipino volunteerism in Subic when then Olongapo Mayor and now Senator Gordon, a founding member of Bagumbayan, led 8,000 volunteers to rise up from the challenges brought by the departure of the American military from the naval base in Subic.


It was Ramos who appointed Gordon as chairman and administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the country’s first international Freeport that became a model of military bases conversion.


More than 70,000 jobs were created and about 200 companies engaged into investments with the establishment of SBMA. It drew foreign investments amounting to $ 3 Billion.


Because of the success of SBMA under Gordon’s leadership, Ramos chose Subic as the venue of the 4th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in 1996 attended by 18 world leaders including Bill Clinton of the United States of America, Jiang Zemin of People’s Republic of China, Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia and Goh Chok Tong of Singapore.


Herrera said that the country’s former Chief Executive is one of the leaders the Bagumbayan volunteers look up to. Ramos, he added, supported the efforts of Gordon in transforming Subic into a bastion of economic prosperity.

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Ordinary people raise P17-M for Bagumbayan Movement

Around 2,000 delegates of the Bagumbayan Movement – Volunteers for a New Philippines today contributed some P4 million as a concrete support to the organization’s quest to bring about genuine change in the country.

At its Grand Launching and National Convention in Manila Hotel yesterday, Bagumbayan President Leon Herrera said it is so heartwarming to learn that ordinary people from all walks of life and corner of the country were able to raise the amount now totaling to P17 million.

“This is just the beginning as we are expecting more contributions to pour in in the coming days. What matters is not how much is given as who is giving donations – they are ordinary people like you and me, and there are plenty of us here,” Herrera said.

“It is indeed refreshing to see ordinary people working together and concretely contributing to make a difference. We believe that the ordinary people who made up Bagumbayan can go head-to-head with moneyed candidates that are funding old time parties,” he added.

Based on initial estimates of financial contributions among Bagumbayan members, supporters and friends, ordinary businessmen, professionals and employees alike were able to raise P17,000,000 for the Bagumbayan Movement, including sales from Bagumbayan materials.

Herrera pointed out that traditionally, candidates vying for top positions virtually buy into political parties which later nominate them. He explained that this practically co-opts the party’s principles, mindful of an old adage that “he who holds the gold makes the rules.”

Bagumbayan is getting its funding from ordinary citizens who are united under a common set of principles, he added.

“Rather than the party owing its allegiance to its candidate, the candidates of Bagumbayan will owe their allegiance to the party. Otherwise, the party can drop him or her from their roster, and when the candidate is elected, the party can demand that the candidate follow the party’s principles,” said Herrera.

The biggest donation to Bagumbayan amounted to P2,250,000 and the second biggest amounted to P1,125,000. Three donors donated P450,000 each; five donors donated P300,000; and 37 donors donated P150,000 each; one donor donated P100,000.

Herrera also made special mention of four donors with a combined donation amounting to P8,000, which he said appeared to be impressive. He identified them as Marcelino Bautista who gave P5,000; Egay Velasco, P2,000; lawyer Dionisio Balite, P500; and Don Magtulis, P500.

“These are the kinds of people whom we want to encourage to support Bagumbayan. Ordinary people who have no agenda other than their love for the country and a sincere desire to bring about change to our society,” said Herrera.

Herrera also pointed out that in the coming days, Bagumbayan expects to receive donations through pasa-load, Facebook, and Paypal as well as direct bank deposits and wire transfers. He said they are still in the process of finetuning the arrangements to enable people to contribute directly to Bagumbayan.

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IBF Champ Donaire, CNN Hero Penaflorida, The Journey vocalist Pineda to join delegates of Bagumbayan launch and confab on April 27

IBF IBO flyweight champion Nonito Donaire, Journey frontman Arnel Pineda, CNN Hero Efren Penaflorida, and Chikka.com creator Dennis Mendiola are guests of honor at the launching and convention of Bagumbayan at the Manila Hotel on April 27.

Leon Herrera, president of Bagumbayan – Volunteers of a New Philippines (or Bagumbayan), made the announcement as he expects over 1,500 delegates and guests to attend the movement’s Grand Launching and National Convention.

“We are very elated that people have come forward to join our movement, it is truly an encouraging sign. We welcome everyone who believes in our vision of a new Philippines that is ennobled, enabled and free, who believes in change,” he said.

Bagumbayan boasts of about 30,000 card-bearing member-volunteers across the country, representing all sectors of the Philippine society who believe in the ideals and values of volunteerism and in the strong Filipino values.

Since its inception in 2007, it has been actively engaging in projects aimed at ensuring honest and free elections, ending conflict in Mindanao, uplifting the standard of public education, creating livelihood opportunities, and ensuring better disaster preparedness. 

Recently, it has sought the Commission on Elections (COmelec) to accredit them as a political party so that it can more freely campaign for leaders that the group believes will be able to promote its vision of a new Philippines.

Donaire recently defended his International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organization world flyweight titles with a fourth-round technical knockout of erstwhile unbeaten Mexican Raul “Cobra” Martinez. 

According to Herrera, Donaire rose from a skinny kid who was bullied but chose to train to become a professional boxer that eventually brought him international fame he is enjoying today.

He also cited Pineda who rose from obscurity to international fame by believing in himself and his talent. 

From an early age, Pineda believed that his talent would lead him to the fulfillment of his dreams and one of them was to become the lead singer of the band Journey. He auditioned and in 2007, he was recognized as Journey’s new lead singer.

Penaflorida, for his part, founded the Dynamic Teen Company with three other teenagers from Cavite National High school in August 1997. The other founders are Jefferson Bernal, Mary Jane Causarin, and Rezcel Fajardo. 

The group started as a friendship club which aimed to divert the attention of students from joining violent gangs and notorious fraternities that were thriving on the campus. 

It made history with its project called Kariton, Klasrum, at Klinik (K3) project which started as a pedicab outreach program in 2004. The group designed the (kariton) pushcarts to be converted into a classroom with a library, chairs, tables, chalkboards, packed with school supplies and educational toys to be used in teaching. 

“This and other projects caught the attention of international community and Penaflorida was nominated to be a CNN Hero,” Herrera pointed out.

Mendiola is the President and CEO of Chikka.com, an internet based messaging system that enables users to send text messages for free to cellphones anywhere in the world. 

Before gaining this acclaim, Mendiola was one of several US-educated whiz kids who volunteered to help Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Richard Gordon build the abandoned US Naval base into an economic powerhouse.

The Bagumbayan Movement Grand Launch and Convention is the culmination of more than a year’s worth of work spent in formally organizing the group. 

Members of the core group traveled far and wide to get in touch with various individuals and groups who in believe in Bagumbayan’s ideology of transformational politics. (30)

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