No ‘forgive-and-forget’ for pro-Cha-cha solons on May, youth group says
“Con-Ass may be dead but we’ll surely remember their names on May.”
The warning was Kabataan Party president Raymond Palatino’s response to the recent turnaround made by the Lower House and Malacanang with its push for Charter Change (Cha-Cha).
“We can’t simply forgive their atrocities to the Filipino people and certainly, we won’t forget these people who were willing to compromise the country’s future for selfish political interests and ambitions,” Palatino stressed.
“Not only did they bend the rules and attempt to bastardize the Constitution, they betrayed the faith of their constituents whose interests and welfare they vowed to protect.”
Disappointed with Spice Boys
Palatino said the youth are particularly disappointed with young lawmakers and members of the former Spice Boys who supported the bid for a Constituent Assembly.
“We had our high hopes pinned on these young legislators. As a new breed of leaders, we expected that they will bring idealism and change in Congress and that they will not be constrained by partisan interest in defending democracy and the basic rights of the people.”
“But the recent Con-Ass fiasco proved it otherwise. In the end, they were all trapos and the House served as their ‘Trapo Academy.”
Meanwhile, Palatino said the stand of candidates, particularly the incumbent politicians, on the issue of Charter Change will be a major criterion for young voters in choosing the country’s next set of leaders.
He also called on the youth to ‘boycott’ pro-Cha-cha politicians.
“The May elections will be a referendum on President and the current ruling party. It’s high time that we have a major clean up in the Lower House.”
He added that the youth vote can’t be simply ignored in the coming elections.
“In the 2004 Elections, 30 percent of the 42.9 million or 12.9 million registered voters were youth aged 18-24. Surely, the youth can be a decisive sector in the upcoming elections.”