THE BATTLE TO STOP SB 1869, ROUND TWO

As we all know, CCH and other Freedom Warriors succeeded in stopping the enactment of SB 1869 into law over a month ago. See here and here.

Senate Poised to Approve SB 1869 Soonest

However, as already mentioned, the Second Round of the battle to stop this treasonous law is not done. The Senate resumes its Plenary Session on July 24, 2023. Most likely, they will fast track the approval of SB 1869 on that day or the following day. Some lawmakers promised President Marcos, Jr. that SB 1869 will be approved in time for the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 26, 2023. 

Freedom Warriors in Disarray

Meanwhile the forces that succeeded in stopping the enactment of  SB 1869 are in disarray. They are no longer united. 

The police has fenced off the staging area of people around Nay Gemma. This has become the de facto assembly place of all those opposing SB 1869. They are at a loss of what to do but they are definitely not surrendering. 

CCH supports Nay Gemma’s group and has given beginning advise regarding the situation. But communications are not secure until Gemma and her group learn to use secure communications systems like Protonmail and other encrypted platforms. 

Yes, Freedom Warriors are not violating any law with their protests. However, it is not wise for the communications among Freedom Warriors to be taking place under telecommunications systems that are clearly under surveillance. That would enable government agents, supportive of SB 1869, to know the tactics of the protestors and develop ways to blunt these protest efforts. 

The timing of the fencing of the Senate camp of the protestors is already an indication that this is indeed the case. They timed the enclosure at the precise moment that Gemma went out of town. So how did they know? You know the answer. 

Furthermore, the tactical alliance between CCH and National Peoples Initiative (NPI) no longer exists. See this article that explains how and why that happened. Meanwhile, NPI has chosen Davao City and Mindanao to be its staging area for their protests. They hope to draw more people to their protests there.

Other groups are also protesting but it is not clear what their resistance plans are. 

Finally, and sadly, after many attempts to galvanize their support, the vast majority of NCR people opposed to  SB 1869 have not translated their concerns to actual physical presence in the protests against the Senate. But their fighting spirit may still be alive in some other forms that they could express as detailed below. 

CCH Situational Analysis and Plans to Stop SB 1869

From the above, it is clear that the groups opposing SB 1869 are not united and lack coherence. However, it does not mean that nothing can be done If one is committed to translate truth into action. There are many ways of doing so; each according to their own capacity and situation. Indeed, if there is a will, there is a way.  

CCH, for its part, has been publicly silent. However, it does not mean that CCH is inactive. CCH has been doing active work to stop SB 1869.

For example, CCH has quietly launched a special initiative that will surely get the attention of the Senators, the President, and even the nation as a whole. CCH will reveal this initative in due time and surely before the Senate Plenary reconvenes. Confidentiality at this point is necessary so there can be no pre-emptive attempts to stop this purely constitutional action by CCH. 

CCH has been active in continued research to build an even stronger case against SB 1869. One or two Briefing Papers will be released in connection with this. 

CCH, like others among you, has connections with Senators and other top government officials. It is now in the process of activating these connections while the Senate is taking a recess. 

CCH will also continue to write advocacy emails to the rest of the Senators. In this process, CCH will also encourage others to continue with their digital activism and do the same. 

Perceptive readers and friends will note that CCH will most likely no longer be active in actual Senate protests. CCH has done its part and is grateful to all who have done the same. 

CCH needs the time to execute all the various initiatives that it has launched as shared above. Maybe others, who have not physically protested, will step up and carry the baton further. 

Street protests are important. CCH hopes that other groups will continue with these efforts. 

But the point has now been reached that CCH thinks, given the actual condition prevailing among freedom warriors described above, that new approaches have to be activated to complement the street presence.

 It is in these new arenas of struggle that CCH will focus its energy and attention to achieve a Second Round victory against the enactment of SB 1869. And, as always, CCH will advance its new initiatives always mindful that, in the end, we will only prevail if we align all our efforts with the intentions of Divine Will.