The National Transformation Council: The Cebu Declaration

THE CEBU DECLARATION: DEFINING THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION 1 OCTOBER A.D. 2014 / 7 DHU AL-HIJJAH A.H. 1453

1

THE CEBU DECLARATION:

DEFINING THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

ENCOURAGED BY THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST OPEN ASSEMBLY CONVENED

IN LIPA CITY, BATANGAS BY THE NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION COUNCIL

ON AUGUST 27, A.D. 2014 / DHU AL-QA’DA 2, A.H. 1453, WE WHO BROADLY

REPRESENT THE CITIZENRY, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DELEGATES

FROM THE VISAYAS AND MINDANAO, HAVE GATHERED IN CEBU CITY ON

OCTOBER 1, A.D. 2014 / DHU AL-HIJJAH 7, A.H. 1453 TO PROCLAIM OUR

SUPPORT FOR THE LIPA DECLARATION AND TO PROPOSE CONCRETE AND

IMMEDIATE STEPS TO TRANSLATE THE DESIRED OBJECTIVE OF NATIONAL

TRANSFORMATION INTO A VIABLE PROGRAM OF ACTION.

WE NOTED WITH GREAT PAIN THAT WHILE THE MORAL AND SPIRITUAL

CRISIS AND ITS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS CONTINUED TO

DEEPEN, THE NATIONAL POLITICAL LEADERSHIP CONSISTENTLY FAILED

TO SHOW THE WILL OR THE CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO THESE ILLS IN ANY

APPRECIABLE MEASURE.

ASIDE FROM THE GRAVE PROBLEMS WHICH PROMPTED THE LIPA

ASSEMBLY TO CALL ON THE PRESIDENT TO IMMEDIATELY STEP DOWN,

VARIOUS NEW ISSUES HAVE SINCE EMERGED, TO WHICH THE INCUMBENT

ADMINISTRATION HAS FAILED TO ADEQUATELY RESPOND. THESE

INCLUDE:

1) THE EXACERBATED TENSIONS AMONG THE COMMUNITIES OF

MINDANAO AND THE SULU ARCHIPELAGO CAUSED BY THE FAILURE

OF THE AQUINO ADMINISTRATION TO ADEQUATELY CONSULT ALL

THE CONSTITUENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PEACEBUILDING

EFFORT, THUS REVIVING THE ATTRACTION OF ISLAMIST

EXTREMISM;

2) THE TOTAL FAILURE, IF NOT DOWNRIGHT REFUSAL, OF THE AQUINO

REGIME TO COMPLY WITH A DIRECT ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT

TO FILE CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST ALL THE LAWMAKERS AND

MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMISSION

ON AUDIT WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE GRAVE MISUSE OF THE

PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FUND (PDAF) AND THE

DISBURSEMENT ACCELERATION PROGRAM (DAP), BOTH OF WHICH

THE COURT HAD UNANIMOUSLY DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL;


2

3) THE TOTAL ABSENCE OF ANY OFFICIAL EFFORT TO REFORM THE

AUTOMATED ELECTION SYSTEM, WHICH WAS THOROUGHLY

CORRUPTED AND DEBASED BY THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS

(COMELEC) IN ITS EFFORT TO PRODUCE “MACHINE-MADE” AND “DE

FACTO” HIGH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DURING THE 2010

PRESIDENTIAL AND THE 2013 SENATORIAL ELECTIONS, BUT WHICH

THE ADMINISTRATION IS ONCE AGAIN PREPARING TO USE IN THE

PROJECTED 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, WITHOUT RESTORING

THE SAFETY FEATURES AND ACCURACY MECHANISMS WHICH THE

COMELEC HAD ILLEGALLY REMOVED IN THE PREVIOUS TWO

ELECTIONS;

4) THE UNPRECEDENTED YET UNPROSECUTED AND UNPUNISHED

CORRUPTION IN THE TOP LEADERSHIP OF THE PHILIPPINE

NATIONAL POLICE (PNP), WHICH HAS THOROUGHLY DEMORALIZED

THE PNP RANK AND FILE AND SUBSTANTIALLY ERODED PUBLIC

SUPPORT FOR AND CONFIDENCE IN THE LAW ENFORCERS;

5) THE ARBITRARY IMPOSITION OF UNREASONABLE TAXES ON THE

POOR, INCLUDING THE SMALLEST SARI-SARI STORE OWNERS AND

SIDEWALK VENDORS, ON THE VARIOUS PROFESSIONS AND ON ALL

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, WITHOUT ANY PUBLIC HEARING OR

ACCOUNTING, OSTENSIBLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING REVENUE

TO SUPPORT GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, BUT IN EFFECT FEEDING

THE ADMINISTRATION AND NOMINAL OPPOSITION POLITICIANS’

INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR CORRUPTION;

6) THE UNRESOLVED ELECTRIC POWER CRISIS WHICH HAS BROUGHT

ABOUT THE MOST EXPENSIVE ELECTRICITY RATES IN THE WORLD

AMID EXTENDED POWER OUTAGES THAT THREATEN TO THROW

BACK THE COUNTRY INTO A LITERALLY DARK AGE, AND FOR WHICH

THE ONLY SOLUTION IMAGINED BY THE ADMINISTRATION IS THE

GRANT OF EMERGENCY POWERS TO PRESIDENT AQUINO.

IN LIGHT OF ALL THESE, AND RECALLING ALL THE POINTS RAISED IN THE

LIPA DECLARATION, WE CALL UPON THE NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

COUNCIL:

1) TO NOW PURSUE ALL NECESSARY AND AVAILABLE LAWFUL

MEANS TO COMPEL PRESIDENT AQUINO TO STEP DOWN AT THE

SOONEST POSSIBLE TIME;

2) TO IMMEDIATELY ORGANIZE AN ALTERNATIVE GOVERNMENT,

CONSISTING OF MEN AND WOMEN OF INTEGRITY AND PROVEN


3

WORTH, IN ORDER TO ASSURE THE NATION AND THE

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT PRESIDENT AQUINO’S

REMOVAL AND THE PROSECUTION AND IMPRISONMENT OF

EVERY CULPABLE MEMBER OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR

CORRUPTION WILL NOT CREATE A POLITICAL VACUUM;

3) TO INITIATE SUFFICIENTLY EXTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS WITH

THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY AND OTHER CONSTITUENCIES IN

SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT AN

AUTHENTIC CONSENSUS ON HOW TO SOLVE THE LONG-

FESTERING INTERCULTURAL PROBLEM IN THE AREA, FREE

FROM UNWARRANTED INTERVENTION BY ANY FOREIGN

INTERESTED PARTY;

4) TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE CALL AND EFFORT OF CONCERNED

CITIZENS TO ESTABLISH A PEOPLE'S TRUTH COMMISSION TO

DISCOVER AND REVEAL THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ANY

CONSEQUENT LIABILITY OF HIGH OFFICIALS OF THE AQUINO

ADMINISTRATION, ARISING FROM ITS MASSIVE MISUSE OF

PUBLIC FUNDS THROUGH THE DISBURSEMENT ACCELERATION

PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY

UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE SUPREME COURT;

5) TO CAUSE THE IMMEDIATE FILING OF CRIMINAL CASES AGAINST

ALL THE SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN, MEMBERS OF THE

CABINET, THE COMMISSION ON AUDIT AND THE VARIOUS

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE MISUSE OF THE

PDAF AND THE DAP FROM 2010 TO DATE, AND TO USE

WHATEVER PUBLIC PRESSURE IS NECESSARY TO MAKE ALL

THOSE INVOLVED IN THESE CASES TO IMMEDIATELY VACATE

THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS;

6) TO VIGOROUSLY SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF CONCERNED

CITIZENS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC THAT AS LONG AS THE

ELECTORAL SYSTEM REMAINS AN INSTRUMENT OF ELECTORAL

SABOTAGE PERPETRATED BY CORRUPT OFFICIALS OF THE

COMELEC IN COLLUSION WITH DISHONEST POLITICIANS,

ELECTIONS ARE HARMFUL TO DEMOCRACY AND TO THE

PEOPLE;

7) TO AMPLIFY THE CALL OF THESE CONCERNED CITIZENS FOR

SYSTEMS CHANGE TOWARD NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION AS

THE ONLY REALISTIC MEANS TO ABOLISH THE UTTERLY

CORRUPT COMELEC, ESTABLISH AN HONEST AND CREDIBLE

ELECTORAL BODY, AND CARRY OUT OTHER REFORMS NEEDED


4

TO RESTORE THE INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY OF THE

ELECTORAL PROCESS;

8) TO ORGANIZE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE PNP RANK AND FILE IN

THEIR CALL FOR A THOROUGH CLEANUP OF THE PNP AND AN

IMMEDIATE CHANGE IN ITS TOP LEADERSHIP;

9) TO STRONGLY SUPPORT THE CITIZENS’ RESISTANCE TO THE

IMPOSITION OF UNREASONABLE TAXES AND THEIR CALL FOR

ACCOUNTABILITY OF GOVERNMENT TAX COLLECTION AGENCIES

AND OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, IN THE COLLECTION OF

TAXES AND THE APPROPRIATION AND SPENDING OF

GOVERNMENT REVENUES FROM TAXATION

10) TO ORGANIZE A PANEL OF EXPERTS WHO WILL CRAFT A

COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THE COUNTRY’S

ENERGY REQUIREMENTS IN A MANNER FREE OF BIAS FOR ANY

PARTICULAR ENERGY SOURCE AND TAKING INTO PRIMARY

CONSIDERATION THE INTERESTS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND

THE CONSUMERS RATHER THAN THOSE OF THE VARIOUS

ACTORS IN THE POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION AND

DISTRIBUTION CHAIN.

INVOKING THE AID OF ALMIGHTY GOD THE MOST GRACIOUS AND MOST

MERCIFUL, AND REPOSING OUR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE FILIPINO

PEOPLE, WE PRAY THAT ALL THESE MAY COME TO PASS SOON.

DONE IN CEBU CITY, THIS 1ST DAY OF OCTOBER A.D. 2014 / 7TH DAY OF DHU

AL-HIJJAH A.H. 1453.


5


6


7

Government & Nonprofit

The National Transformation Council: The Cebu Declaration