Listen to voice of the people, Evardone appeals to the senators

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January 10, 2005

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  “ I am appealing to the Senators to listen to the voice of the people on the issue of Charter Change. After all the voice of the people is the voice of God.”

This was the appeal of Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone who is also the secretary general of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, as a reaction to the opposition of the Senators to his plan of mounting a people’s initiative and gathering five million signatures in support of Charter change.

Governor Evardone said that the Senators will be isolated and the people’s perception that it is becoming irrelevant will be bolstered if they will try to block the dreams and the aspirations of the Filipino people, especially those in the countryside.

He added that the opposition of a few Senators to the Charter Change is meaningless because the ultimate decision on the issue rests in the hands of the people. Once the people have spoken, the opposition Senators will have no other recourse but to abide by the will of the people.

Governor Evardone stressed that contrary to the allegations of the opposition Senators, the Chacha is not designed to benefit one person or a particular group. It is intended to overhaul the country’s entire economic and political system to address the demands of the 21st century under a new world order. If we will not address the fundamental defects of our system, Governor Evardone said, we will continue to lag behind our neighbors in terms of development.

The governor made it clear that he welcomes the opposition to people’s initiatives because it will spark more debates on the issue of Chacha. He believes that all sectors of society should actively participate to the enrichment of the national debate on Chacha.

He reiterated his statement that there should be no individual, however influential he may be, or any group, for that matter that would dictate on what they want regarding the issue of charter change.

In this fast changing world, the country’s political and economic framework and structures should be attuned to the times, Governor Evardone concluded.