A key member of the Black and White Movement yesterday called for a heightened awareness campaign on the issues of the legitimacy of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a forum with leaders of the Negros Caucus in Bacolod City.

Lawyer Chito Gascon, a former Department of Education undersecretary, who resigned July 8 last year, along with the "Hyatt 10", also stressed the need for the church, military and business sector to voice out their concern over Arroyo's legitimacy so that the calls for her resignation would gain momentum. He also scored what he called the "divide and rule ploy of Arroyo that makes her stay in power".

"Much of the promises of reforms by the government have remained unfulfilled," Gascon said, citing Arroyo's vow to change the election system of the country.

"Was it a lapse in judgement or a grand deception?" he asked.

Contrary to the final results of the polls that saw her win by more than 1 million votes, Gascon, who was a part of the 1987 Constitutional Convention, said Arroyo could have won by 250,000 or lost by 100,000 votes to the late Fernando Poe Jr.

During the forum attended by leaders of civic and Non-Governmental Organizations, Gascon, who was also a member of the government peace negotiating panel with the National Democratic Front from 2002 to 2004, laid down the political and economic situation of the country.

Citing surveys made by the Social Weather Station last December, Gascon said that 16.7 percent of the population in the country are hungry, while 57 percent rated themselves as below the poverty line.

"The anti-poverty program of Arroyo did not succeed. It is an unfinished promise," he said.

He said the uptrend in the Philippine economy cannot be attributed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but to the private sector that has vigorously promoted the country as an investment site.

Gascon also alleged that between P5 to P8 billion was mobilized to rescue Arroyo from being impeached last year.

Among those present at the forum were Duds Locsin of the Paghili-usa sa Paghidaet, Celia Flor of Dawn Foundation, and Cesar Villanueva of the "Concerned Negrosanons for Freedom and Democracy". *CPT

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