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 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;
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
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 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.
