The National Transformation Council: The Lipa Declaration

THE LIPA DECLARATION: AN URGENT CALL FOR NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

27 AUGUST A.D. 2014 / 2 DHU AL-QA’DA A.H. 1435

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THE LIPA DECLARATION:

AN URGENT CALL FOR NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

WE ARE FILIPINO CITIZENS OF DIFFERENT PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL, SOCIAL AND

ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS AND POLITICAL PERSUASIONS AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. WE

HAVE GATHERED HERE IN LIPA CITY ON THIS 27TH DAY OF AUGUST A.D. 2014 / 2ND

DAY OF DHU AL-QA'DA A.H. 1435, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE NATIONAL

TRANSFORMATION COUNCIL, TO REAFFIRM OUR DEEPLY HELD CONVICTIONS AND BELIEFS

ABOUT THE COMMON GOOD AND OUR HIGHEST NATIONAL INTEREST, IN THE FACE OF THE

MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES.

WE INVITE ALL OUR COMPATRIOTS EVERYWHERE TO REAFFIRM WITH US THE SAME

CONVICTIONS AND BELIEFS.

WE BELIEVE THAT:

A CRISIS OF UNPRECEDENTED PROPORTIONS HAS BEFALLEN OUR NATION. THE

LIFE OF THE NATION IS IN GRAVE PERIL FROM THE VERY POLITICAL FORCES

THAT ARE PRIMARILY ORDAINED TO PROTECT, PROMOTE AND ADVANCE ITS WELL-

BEING, BUT WHICH ARE AGGRESSIVELY UNDERMINING ITS MORAL, RELIGIOUS,

SOCIAL, CULTURAL, CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL FOUNDATIONS;

UNBRIDLED AND UNPUNISHED CORRUPTION AND WIDESPREAD MISUSE OF POLITICAL

AND ECONOMIC POWER IN ALL LAYERS OF SOCIETY HAVE NOT ONLY DESTROYED

OUR COMMON CONCEPTION OF RIGHT AND WRONG, GOOD AND BAD, JUST AND

UNJUST, LEGAL AND ILLEGAL, BUT ALSO PUT OUR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE

POOR, AT THE MERCY OF THOSE WHO HAVE THE POWER TO DICTATE THE COURSE

AND CONDUCT OF OUR DEVELOPMENT FOR THEIR OWN SELFISH ENDS;

FAR FROM PRESERVING AND DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION, AS HE SWORE TO DO

WHEN HE ASSUMED OFFICE, THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT BENIGNO SIMEON AQUINO

III HAS SUBVERTED AND VIOLATED IT BY CORRUPTING THE CONGRESS,

INTIMIDATING THE JUDICIARY, TAKING OVER THE TREASURY, MANIPULATING THE

AUTOMATED VOTING SYSTEM, AND PERVERTING THE CONSTITUTIONAL IMPEACHMENT

PROCESS;



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PRESIDENT BENIGNO SIMEON AQUINO III HAS ALSO DAMAGED THE MORAL FABRIC

OF PHILIPPINE SOCIETY BY BRIBING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS NOT ONLY TO

IMPEACH AND REMOVE A SITTING SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE BUT ALSO TO

ENACT A LAW WHICH DISRESPECT THE RIGHTS TO LIFE OF HUMAN BEINGS AT THE

EARLIEST AND MOST VULNERABLE STAGES OF THEIR LIVES, IN DEFIANCE NOT

ONLY OF THE CONSTITUTION BUT ABOVE ALL OF THE MORAL LAW, THE CUSTOMS,

CULTURE, AND CONSCIENCES OF FILIPINOS.

THEREFORE, FAITHFUL TO THE OBJECTIVE MORAL LAW AND TO THE UNIVERSALLY

HONORED CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE THAT SOVEREIGNTY RESIDES IN THE PEOPLE AND

ALL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY EMANATES FROM THEM, WE DECLARE THAT PRESIDENT

BENIGNO SIMEON AQUINO III HAS LOST THE MORAL RIGHT TO LEAD THE NATION, AND

HAS BECOME A DANGER TO THE TO THE PHILIPPINE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN STATE

AND TO THE PEACE, FREEDOM, SECURITY AND MORAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING OF

THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.

WE FURTHER DECLARE THAT WE HAVE LOST ALL TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN PRESIDENT

BENIGNO SIMEON AQUINO III, AND WE CALL UPON HIM TO IMMEDIATELY RELINQUISH

HIS POSITION.

AND WE CALL UPON THE NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION COUNCIL, (HEREAFTER THE

COUNCIL), TO ASSUME THE URGENT AND NECESSARY TASK OF RESTORING OUR DAMAGED

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS TO THEIR ORIGINAL STATUS AND FORM BEFORE WE BEGIN TO

CONSIDER ELECTING A NEW GOVERNMENT UNDER NORMAL POLITICAL CONDITIONS.

THE ROLE OF THE COUNCIL WILL NOT BE TO SUCCEED PRESIDENT AQUINO, BUT SOLELY

TO PREVENT THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM, AND TO REBUILD AND

NOURISH ITS INSTITUTIONS BACK TO HEALTH SO THAT ALL THOSE INTERESTED COULD

JOIN THE POLITICAL COMPETITION LATER, WITHOUT THE DICE BEING LOADED IN

ANYONE’S FAVOR



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LIKE A CREW WHOSE TASK IS TO PUT EVERYTHING IN ORDER BEFORE A COMMERCIAL

CARRIER, WHICH HAD EARLIER DEVELOPED SOME PROBLEMS IN MIDAIR, IS CLEARED

AGAIN FOR TAKEOFF, THE COUNCIL'S DUTY WILL BE ONLY TO REPAIR THE BATTERED

TRIPARTITE SYSTEM AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE ONCE AGAIN ABLE TO

FREELY AND INTELLIGENTLY ELECT THEIR OWN LEADERS.

IN THIS CONNECTION, WE WELCOME THE COUNCIL'S PROPOSAL TO OPEN BROAD PUBLIC

CONSULTATIONS ON THE NEED TO MODIFY AND STRENGTHEN THE PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM

OR TO SHIFT FROM THE UNITARY / PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM TO A FEDERAL /

PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM, ENDOWING SUCH STRUCTURE WITH:

1) A TOTALLY INDEPENDENT JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, FREE FROM ANY KIND OF

INTIMIDATION OR BULLYING BY EITHER THE EXECUTIVE OR THE

LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT, AND WITH THE SUFFICIENT WHEREWITHAL TO

CLEAR THE BACKLOG OF THE COURTS AND FAST TRACK ALL CASES;

2) A MERIT-DRIVEN, PROFESSIONAL CIVIL AND MILITARY SERVICE;

3) TOTALLY TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT BUDGETING, PROCUREMENT,

DISBURSEMENT, ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES; AND

4) AN IRREPROACHABLE INDEPENDENT AND COMPLETELY DEPENDABLE ELECTORAL

SYSTEM, FREE FROM THE VIRUS THAT HAS CORRUPTED THE AUTOMATED

VOTING SYSTEM SINCE 2010.

WHATEVER THE FINAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT THE CITIZENRY DECIDE TO ADOPT,

ABSOLUTELY INDISPENSABLE ARE THE INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE COURTS,

AND THE EXISTENCE OF AN INCORRUPT ELECTORAL SYSTEM BY MEANS OF WHICH WE, THE

PEOPLE, ARE ABLE TO FREELY AND INTELLIGENTLY CHOOSE OUR OWN LEADERS IN FREE

AND HONEST ELECTIONS. WITHOUT THESE, WE CANNOT SPEAK OF A NORMALLY

FUNCTIONING DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT.



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THUS, WE FULLY SUPPORT THE COUNCIL'S POSITION THAT UNTIL WE HAVE SUCH A

FRAUD-FREE ELECTORAL SYSTEM, WE SHOULD REFRAIN FROM HOLDING ANY FARCICAL

ELECTION. BUT ONCE WE HAVE IT, WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THE BEST QUALIFIED MEN

AND WOMEN IN THE COUNTRY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OPEN ELECTORAL PROCESS SO

THAT TOGETHER, WE COULD PUT AN END TO THE STRANGLEHOLD EXERCISED BY THE

CORRUPT AND INCOMPETENT POLITICAL DYNASTIES UPON OUR ELECTIONS.

FINALLY, WE SUPPORT THE COUNCIL'S PROPOSAL THAT WITH POLITICAL REFORM THERE

MUST GO HAND IN HAND COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC REFORM, WITH ONE STRONG VOICE,

WE MUST NOW SAY A VIGOROUS "NO," AS POPE FRANCIS HAS SUGGESTED, TO AN

ECONOMICS OF EXCLUSION AND INEQUALITY, COMING FROM A MISGUIDED VISION OF THE

HUMAN BEING AND OF SOCIETY HARMFULLY ACTED UPON THROUGH MYOPIC LAWS,

POLICIES AND PROGRAMS.

AS THE COUNCIL PREPARES TO EMBARK UPON THE NECESSARY REFORMS, WE CALL UPON

THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, AS THE CONSTITUTIONAL "PROTECTOR OF THE

PEOPLE AND THE STATE," TO EXTEND ITS PROTECTIVE SHIELD TO THE COUNCIL, AND

NOT TO ALLOW ITSELF TO BE USED IN ANY MANNER TO UNDERMINE THE COUNCIL'S

PURELY TRANSITIONAL AND NON-PARTISAN ROLE, NOR TO ALLOW ANY ARMED GROUP TO

SOW VIOLENCE, DISORDER OR DISCORD INTO ITS PEACEFUL RANKS.

ADOPTED IN LIPA CITY, THIS 27TH DAY OF AUGUST A.D. 2014 /2ND DAY OF DHU -AL-

QADA A.H. 1435.

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The National Transformation Council: The Lipa Declaration