Opposition ‘Guns of August’ firing blanks, says John O

The so-called "Guns of August" of the opposition are firing blanks, Sen. John Osmeña said yesterday.

"Mukhang walang pulbura ang oposisyon (It looks like the opposition lacks gunpowder)," he said.

Osmeña noted that the principal "gunner" and author of the "Guns of August," Sen. Blas Ople, has left for Geneva, Switzerland. Ople is a member of the Philippine de-legation to the annual congress of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

"Wala na ang kanyonero, pumunta na sa Geneva (The artilleryman has already gone to Geneva)," Osmeña said.

He also dismissed as "unbelievable" the claims of President Arroyo’s critics regarding a move to recall her veto of a telecommunications franchise awarded to the Philippine Communications Clearing House Inc. and APC Wireless.

There were claims that First Gentleman Mike Arroyo received P50 million to convince the President to recall the veto, but Osmeña said that anybody who knows the process of lawmaking would immediately reject such claims as "incredible."

"The President cannot recall a veto. Once a veto is made, the issue is no longer in the hands of Malacañang," the veteran lawmaker said.

Osmeña pointed out that under the law, only a two-thirds vote of the chamber from which the bill originated could override a veto.

He also expressed the belief that the present Congress could no longer override the veto.

"The Senate approved the measure on Feb. 5. That means the President vetoed the franchise not later than 30 days thereafter, or it would have lapsed into law. As the veto was made in the 11th Congress, the 12th Congress no longer has the power to override the veto," Osmeña said.

He also said if the veto was made more than 30 days after the receipt of the enrolled copy, then the President’s veto was "out of order."

"Any veto after 30 days is meaningless because the measure would have automatically lapsed into law," Osmeña stressed.

Meanwhile, Sen. Vicente Sotto III, former chairman of the Senate committee on public services, said that the PCCI, APC and nine other franchises approved by the Senate on Feb. 8 have standard provisions, similar to those approved earlier.

He said that the franchises approved by the committee did not give any special privileges to the two firms that would merit the presidential veto.

"All telecommunications franchises have standard provisions for the right to interconnection, subject to approval by the National Telecommunications Commission. The franchises of PCCI and APC do not contain any provision that would make them a monopoly," he said in a privilege speech.

He said that since all franchises have similarly worded provisions, then it is difficult to understand why only two franchises were vetoed while the others were approved.

He also recalled that during the committee hearing, a certain engineer Dante Vengua representing the NTC commissioner endorsed the bill, as well as the business plan of PCCI to facilitate interconnection.

"Vengua said that interconnection is the policy of the government," he added.

Sotto expressed suspicions that major players in the telecommunications industry influenced the NTC into opposing the franchises to lessen competition from smaller firms.

He also said that Jaime Dichaves, a crony of former President Joseph Estrada, was not an incorporator of the PCCI, contrary to suspicions aired elsewhere.

"On Feb. 5, Erap was no longer President and he no longer had the power to influence the passage of any franchise," he said.

Rep. Magtanggol "Magi" Gunigundo I (second district, Valenzuela City) called yesterday on the country’s political leaders to quit nitpicking and take action to cause the fulfillment of the people’s wishes for jobs, education, housing and food on the table.

"Who, even among the opposition members of Congress, can deny that the very wishes the President enunciated in her State of the Nation Address are the very same wishes of the people – rich and poor alike?" said the congressman from Valenzuela.

"And who, among those who claim to represent the people who elected them to office, can deny these basic requests – dreams, if you wish – of their constituents?" Gunigundo added.

Gunigundo said it is high time the leaders take some action towards the realization of the people’s wishes instead of carping and putting up stumbling blocks that merely frustrate the fulfillment of their will and dreams.

The question to ask is not "May pera be diyan?" but rather "May pera ba para diyan?" said the congressman, adding that if the answer is no, then it is the duty of the people’s representatives to find ways to help President Arroyo find solutions to the problem.

The President has assured that there is money for these pro-poor projects and asked for a one-year moratorium on bickering and politicking to enable the implementation of pro-poor projects.

"Local government units must also do their share in reducing the costs of governance without sacrificing the delivery of public services," Gunigundo said.

The Valenzuela congressman thus urged the people to prod their leaders in the local government and in Congress to talk less and do more. — Efren Danao