Guingona rallies youth to advocate good gov’t

Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. yesterday rallied the youth to take an active part in the campaign for good government and the protection of the country’s national patrimony from those who wish to amend the Constitution.

Guingona issued the call as he lauded the initiatives taken by three nationwide youth organizations that launched the Lights for Peace and Nationalism Movement at the Holiday Inn Manila Galleria Hotel in Ortigas Center Pasig over the weekend.

The movement is spearheaded by the Kabataang Sama-samang Maglilingkod (KASAMA), the Movement for Integrated Youth Development (MIYD), and Bata, Ikaw at si Dingdong Aaksyon (BIDA).

Guingona said the national information caravan to be conducted by the movement would be a good opportunity for those opposed to the proposals in Congress to amend the 1987 Constitution through a constituent assembly to explain the negative impact of Charter change to the people.

The Lights for Peace and Nationalism Movement will conduct symposiums and information caravans in various provinces and regions — calling attention to the need for moral renewal and mobilizing youths to denounce the evils that plague Philippine society today such as severe poverty, drug abuse, rampant criminality, and other social injustices.

Guingona had warned that the country would experience "more mutinies and rebellions" unless government was able to sufficiently address the problems of "poverty, injustice and corruption in our society."

He debunked the claim of Speaker Jose de Venecia and Charter change proponents in the House of Representatives that an immediate shift to a parliamentary form of government would prevent another military takeover attempt from happening.

"Our present form of government is not the root cause of the series of coup d’etat," Guingona said. "The grave reasons behind these ‘coups’ are still widespread poverty, injustice and misgovernance," he added.

During the launching of the Lights for Peace and Nationalism Movement, Guingona assured the youth leaders of his full support for their activities and their national campaign for peace and nationalism.

"Today, the issue is charter change and the attempts to remove the protective mantle of the Constitution over our national patrimony," Guingona said. "Join us. Stand up against the attempts to open up our land, mineral and marine resources to that foreigners and rich multi-national corporations can come in and exploit our national patrimony," Guingona said.