Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Statement on GMA's declaration of the state of martial law in Maguindanao
NO TO MARTIAL RULE: END GMA’s WARLORDISM
We strongly condemn Proclamation 1959 that has placed the province of Maguindanao under Martial Rule. We believe that it will not benefit the grieving relatives clamoring for justice nor redress the rights violated by the level of impunity exhibited in the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town two weeks ago.
This proclamation aims to “break warlordism” in the province by GMA’s public pursuit of the Ampatuans. The Ampatuans power and prominence precedes them, enabling them to be blanketed by the protection offered by the writ of amparo, while the humble witnesses have yet to be favored by the courts with the same.
The Maguindanao Massacre exhibits the rotten-to-the-core character of Philippine politics where power rests on the monopoly of resource and influence of a small section of the population. It is a system that has bred the likes of the Ampatuan in the South, Singsons in the North and the Josons in Nueva Ecija.
And now the present regime has groomed the Ampatuans into a clan so powerful that is capable of amassing a hundred armed men in broad daylight to kill women, lawyers, journalist and burying the evidence with the use of government equipment.
Public outrage generated by this, ultimately destabilizes the whole ruling system. GMA hopes that in publicly flogging the powerful clan, she can wash away her culpability to the crime.
GMA’s warlordism will only be reinforced, if not, empowered by Proclamation 1959.
She remains to be the biggest warlord in the country, the original ‘untouchable’. Her regime has no concept of public accountability, her record is peppered with scandal and corruption, she has tolerated and encouraged extra-judicial executions and disappearances by rewarding and praising the likes of Jovito Palparan and raised cheating in the national elections to an unprecedented level of brazenness.
We enjoin the people to be vigilant as the illegitimate president GMA is laying the ground work for various scenarios like NO-El and NO-Proc, with the ultimate aim of remaining in power beyond her term.
Lift Proclamation 1959 Now!
Justice to the Maguindanao Massacre Victims!
End GMA’s Warlordism Over the Archipelago!
We strongly condemn Proclamation 1959 that has placed the province of Maguindanao under Martial Rule. We believe that it will not benefit the grieving relatives clamoring for justice nor redress the rights violated by the level of impunity exhibited in the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town two weeks ago.
This proclamation aims to “break warlordism” in the province by GMA’s public pursuit of the Ampatuans. The Ampatuans power and prominence precedes them, enabling them to be blanketed by the protection offered by the writ of amparo, while the humble witnesses have yet to be favored by the courts with the same.
The Maguindanao Massacre exhibits the rotten-to-the-core character of Philippine politics where power rests on the monopoly of resource and influence of a small section of the population. It is a system that has bred the likes of the Ampatuan in the South, Singsons in the North and the Josons in Nueva Ecija.
And now the present regime has groomed the Ampatuans into a clan so powerful that is capable of amassing a hundred armed men in broad daylight to kill women, lawyers, journalist and burying the evidence with the use of government equipment.
Public outrage generated by this, ultimately destabilizes the whole ruling system. GMA hopes that in publicly flogging the powerful clan, she can wash away her culpability to the crime.
GMA’s warlordism will only be reinforced, if not, empowered by Proclamation 1959.
She remains to be the biggest warlord in the country, the original ‘untouchable’. Her regime has no concept of public accountability, her record is peppered with scandal and corruption, she has tolerated and encouraged extra-judicial executions and disappearances by rewarding and praising the likes of Jovito Palparan and raised cheating in the national elections to an unprecedented level of brazenness.
We enjoin the people to be vigilant as the illegitimate president GMA is laying the ground work for various scenarios like NO-El and NO-Proc, with the ultimate aim of remaining in power beyond her term.
Lift Proclamation 1959 Now!
Justice to the Maguindanao Massacre Victims!
End GMA’s Warlordism Over the Archipelago!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Reaction Speech to the Dialog on Climate Justice
November 26, 2009
AVR2, University of Cebu Banilad Campus
I congratulate the organizers, collaborating dynamic and active organizations and of course to the speaker for the success of this event. It is of unexplainable honor and prestige to be one of the reactors of this venue. Let me lay down the views in behalf of Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya and the Stop the New Round Coalition Cebu to see the topic at the grassroots level.
Indeed, it calls upon us on an advance and highly-assertive level of response given the extent of the impact of devastation the climate change in a global scale likewise the local/ national scale had brought about. It needs strong enforcement and adherence to the logic of laws (international and national) to rise out of this chaos. We say, it calls for more, quite a need this time since mitigating may not cope with the fast concentration of carbon and that nature can’t absorb them enough, a transformation needs to be achieved, the transformation of the entire humanity from this system apathetic of the people’s plight caused by careless and inhumane practices in its plunder and to the loyalty for market and profit rather to the principle of sustainable development.
We support the quest for making the Global North or the First World, the perpetrators of this mess, accountable for its excesses. It has served humanity and now it has gone to its moribund state. Such despair of asserting its continuous existence has caused everybody havoc and continuing. Too many losses of lives and destruction to earth, the single living planet we have, had gone pass our consciousness, reports had been heard of imbalance everywhere, phenomenal changes in climate among different regions and ironies of catastrophe are up-front.
How many facts are laid and sad stories do we need to hear?
Furthermore, the State of the world is not yet in anyway relieved of the Economic Crisis on a cyclic basis threatening more vulnerable sectors and innocent lives among already impoverished people of the world. Such enraging scenarios, I can’t bear any longer. Being in the grassroots, witnessing these every step of the way makes me want to die with the perpetrators, sacrifice my life and spare the majority. Not sounding hopeless, I am aware of pro-active moves that have been pushed forward, negotiations and counter-negotiations, appeals and dialogues yet how many had it been since these talks internationally made to address prevalent and important issues of our times as climate change, social justice and equity. The latest one as the Doha Round had gone from bad to worse. Not heading any better. Guess what the Coppenhagen Round in December would result to? Nevertheless, as optimistic as we may be, we continuously appealed for Government Representatives to the WTO to study, prepare and take into high considerations how deals may be of benefit to the majority of its people likewise to the rest of the impoverished people of the world.
On the other hand, the Third World Countries’ Governments had shown incapability to neither protect its constituents nor be of control to situations/events that arise as effects of global warming. In the Philippines, we had witnessed several serious incidences of onslaught of natural disasters: the Agusan and Davao floods, the Mindanao drought, the Ormoc flash floods, the Infanta-Real-General Nakar landslides, the Guinsaugon land slide, the Mindoro floods, the Liguasan Marsh floods and grave damages brought by typhoons Reming, Milenyo, Frank, and now Ondoy & Pepeng and counting. Every after these incidences, national policies and priorities never changed, legislations maybe present yet of poor enforcements, rather sustainable programs and genuine development, expanded reclamation projects and land conversions propping up the Global Capital that further exacerbate impacts of climate change instead of mitigating them.
When is this cycle ending? Until a society is established that holds both the nature and the people of optimum importance. Until then, we hang on and continue to be surprise of what nature can strike back but bear in mind it will be more than a roller coaster ride.
Be one of the co-defenders and take that advance move for our sake. Understand the facts, take the responsibility, be one with the movement for we are left with no choice but, to unite to persist and we must resist.
Thank you.
AVR2, University of Cebu Banilad Campus
I congratulate the organizers, collaborating dynamic and active organizations and of course to the speaker for the success of this event. It is of unexplainable honor and prestige to be one of the reactors of this venue. Let me lay down the views in behalf of Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya and the Stop the New Round Coalition Cebu to see the topic at the grassroots level.
Indeed, it calls upon us on an advance and highly-assertive level of response given the extent of the impact of devastation the climate change in a global scale likewise the local/ national scale had brought about. It needs strong enforcement and adherence to the logic of laws (international and national) to rise out of this chaos. We say, it calls for more, quite a need this time since mitigating may not cope with the fast concentration of carbon and that nature can’t absorb them enough, a transformation needs to be achieved, the transformation of the entire humanity from this system apathetic of the people’s plight caused by careless and inhumane practices in its plunder and to the loyalty for market and profit rather to the principle of sustainable development.
We support the quest for making the Global North or the First World, the perpetrators of this mess, accountable for its excesses. It has served humanity and now it has gone to its moribund state. Such despair of asserting its continuous existence has caused everybody havoc and continuing. Too many losses of lives and destruction to earth, the single living planet we have, had gone pass our consciousness, reports had been heard of imbalance everywhere, phenomenal changes in climate among different regions and ironies of catastrophe are up-front.
How many facts are laid and sad stories do we need to hear?
Furthermore, the State of the world is not yet in anyway relieved of the Economic Crisis on a cyclic basis threatening more vulnerable sectors and innocent lives among already impoverished people of the world. Such enraging scenarios, I can’t bear any longer. Being in the grassroots, witnessing these every step of the way makes me want to die with the perpetrators, sacrifice my life and spare the majority. Not sounding hopeless, I am aware of pro-active moves that have been pushed forward, negotiations and counter-negotiations, appeals and dialogues yet how many had it been since these talks internationally made to address prevalent and important issues of our times as climate change, social justice and equity. The latest one as the Doha Round had gone from bad to worse. Not heading any better. Guess what the Coppenhagen Round in December would result to? Nevertheless, as optimistic as we may be, we continuously appealed for Government Representatives to the WTO to study, prepare and take into high considerations how deals may be of benefit to the majority of its people likewise to the rest of the impoverished people of the world.
On the other hand, the Third World Countries’ Governments had shown incapability to neither protect its constituents nor be of control to situations/events that arise as effects of global warming. In the Philippines, we had witnessed several serious incidences of onslaught of natural disasters: the Agusan and Davao floods, the Mindanao drought, the Ormoc flash floods, the Infanta-Real-General Nakar landslides, the Guinsaugon land slide, the Mindoro floods, the Liguasan Marsh floods and grave damages brought by typhoons Reming, Milenyo, Frank, and now Ondoy & Pepeng and counting. Every after these incidences, national policies and priorities never changed, legislations maybe present yet of poor enforcements, rather sustainable programs and genuine development, expanded reclamation projects and land conversions propping up the Global Capital that further exacerbate impacts of climate change instead of mitigating them.
When is this cycle ending? Until a society is established that holds both the nature and the people of optimum importance. Until then, we hang on and continue to be surprise of what nature can strike back but bear in mind it will be more than a roller coaster ride.
Be one of the co-defenders and take that advance move for our sake. Understand the facts, take the responsibility, be one with the movement for we are left with no choice but, to unite to persist and we must resist.
Thank you.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A Dialogue on Climate Justice – A Lecture-Forum on Nov. 26, 2009 at 8:30 AM-12NN, UC Banilad AVR2
University of Cebu College of Law, ALSP, GLACC, IBP-Cebu City, Visyas Climate Action Network and KPD-Cebu
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
FOCUS ON THE GLOBAL SOUTH-PHILIPPINES
Subject: “A Dialogue on Climate Justice – A Lecture-Forum”
Dear Friends and Networks: :
Greetings of Peace! “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” are not “once-in-a-lifetime” events. More super typhoons, floods and sea level rise are expected to ravage the country and nations all over the world. The issue , impact and consequences of climate change need to be understood by all. Is climate change the culprit?
In partnership with Focus on the Global-South Philippines, we are pleased to invite you to participate in the lecture-forum entitled “A Dialogue on Climate Justice” on November 26, 8:30 AM at AVR2, University of Cebu, Banilad, Cebu City. The resource speaker, Mr. Larry Lohman, is a well-known expert, activist, and researcher on climate issues. He works with Corner House, a UK-based research and advocacy organization. His books include Pulping the South: Industrial Tree Plantations in the Global Paper Economy (with Ricardo Carrere) (Zed, 1996) and the edited volume Carbon Trading: A Critical Conversation on Climate Change, Privatization and Power (Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, 2006). He is also a founding member of the Durban Group for Climate Justice and his articles have appeared in journals such as Accounting, Organizations and Society; Asian Survey; Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars; Development; International Journal of Environment and Pollution; New Scientist; Race & Class and Science as Culture. He is expected to touch on the following:
- To peg the introduction to the natural disaster the world is experiencing (particularly timely for the Philippines), or other concrete experiences
- To give a brief and clear discussion of what really is the issue/problem about climate
- A discussion of how countries/governments respond to these issues/problems – mitigation, adaptation, and touch on the many false/market-based solutions being peddled, and short assessment of them
- What ought to be done, or what are the alternatives, how to respond to the climate problem through climate justice, and how to develop green economies
- Then an update of what’s happening – the climate talks, among others.
Admission is free. For queries, please call or fax reply at (032) 420 7400, 231-8621, or call Cesan at no. (0918) 5127238 or email ucmcle@gmail.com. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Emalyn M. Aliviano
Spokesperson
Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya-Cebu
Tel. No.: 253-9682/ Mobile Phone No: 0923-253-7738
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
FOCUS ON THE GLOBAL SOUTH-PHILIPPINES
Subject: “A Dialogue on Climate Justice – A Lecture-Forum”
Dear Friends and Networks: :
Greetings of Peace! “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” are not “once-in-a-lifetime” events. More super typhoons, floods and sea level rise are expected to ravage the country and nations all over the world. The issue , impact and consequences of climate change need to be understood by all. Is climate change the culprit?
In partnership with Focus on the Global-South Philippines, we are pleased to invite you to participate in the lecture-forum entitled “A Dialogue on Climate Justice” on November 26, 8:30 AM at AVR2, University of Cebu, Banilad, Cebu City. The resource speaker, Mr. Larry Lohman, is a well-known expert, activist, and researcher on climate issues. He works with Corner House, a UK-based research and advocacy organization. His books include Pulping the South: Industrial Tree Plantations in the Global Paper Economy (with Ricardo Carrere) (Zed, 1996) and the edited volume Carbon Trading: A Critical Conversation on Climate Change, Privatization and Power (Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, 2006). He is also a founding member of the Durban Group for Climate Justice and his articles have appeared in journals such as Accounting, Organizations and Society; Asian Survey; Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars; Development; International Journal of Environment and Pollution; New Scientist; Race & Class and Science as Culture. He is expected to touch on the following:
- To peg the introduction to the natural disaster the world is experiencing (particularly timely for the Philippines), or other concrete experiences
- To give a brief and clear discussion of what really is the issue/problem about climate
- A discussion of how countries/governments respond to these issues/problems – mitigation, adaptation, and touch on the many false/market-based solutions being peddled, and short assessment of them
- What ought to be done, or what are the alternatives, how to respond to the climate problem through climate justice, and how to develop green economies
- Then an update of what’s happening – the climate talks, among others.
Admission is free. For queries, please call or fax reply at (032) 420 7400, 231-8621, or call Cesan at no. (0918) 5127238 or email ucmcle@gmail.com. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Emalyn M. Aliviano
Spokesperson
Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya-Cebu
Tel. No.: 253-9682/ Mobile Phone No: 0923-253-7738
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Isang Tula ng Paggunita at Pagpupugay Kay Harry Nacorda
Si Bob Marley at si Hagrid,
Ang Taong-Oso at Higanteng Bata.
At si Ka Harry
(Isang Tula ng Paggunita at Pagpupugay
Kay Harry Nacorda ng Sining Dilaab at YND;
Setyembre 29, 1985 – Agosto 12, 2009)
Nag-iiyakang ibinalita ng mga kasama sa Cebu
Ang malungkot niyang pagyao.
Waring bigla’y nakiramay ang panahon
Sa panghihinayang na iglap na humugos
At panglaw ng pangungulilang lumukob,
Sa labas --bumuhos ang malakas na ulan
Sa katanghaliang-tapat na maalinsangan
at nakababanas;
Sa araw pagkatapos ng pamiminsala
ng bagyong Kiko --
Miyerkules, ika-12 ng Agosto.
Sinagasa namin ang lakas ng ulan sa labas
Bilang banyos sa nilalagnat naming loob;
Pakiramdam nami’y kaagapay si Ka Harry
sa mabilis na paglakad
Tulad nuon sa rehearsals ng Sining Dilaab
Sa bakuran ng parokya ng Alumnos:
Nilalakad lamang namin mula kanto
Sa kabila ng buhat-buhat na mga conga
at bongos;
Nagtitipid kami ng pamasahe as traysikel
Para may ipambili ng sigarilyo’t iced water
Pagkaraan ng libreng pananghalian sa amin
Ni Fr. Manix at ng mababait na Salvatorian Sisters.
Sa YND at Sining Dilaab, ang mga kabataan
Kasama si Ka Harry ay mahigpit na binibigkis
Ng komitment sa mapagpalayang Kliusan
sa bandila ng KPD;
Kalakip ay mga makabayang musika’t awitin:
Mga kantang nagtataguyod ng mga adhikain
ng taumbayan,
Tumututol sa kawalan ng katarungang
panlipunan,
Lumalaban sa pampulitikang panunupil;
Mga awit na idinaraing ang walang-habas
Na paglabag sa mga pantaong karapatan,
walang-pakundangang mga pagdukot at pamamaslang
At nagtataguyod sa tunay na pambansang
Kalayaan at Kasarinlan:
Sa himig na nagpapasikdo sa puso ng masa,
At nagpapaalab sa diwa ng pakikibaka;
Mga awiting ipinalalaganap ng Sining Dilaab
Na kinabibilangan ni Ka Harry: Bersyong Cebu
Ni Bob Marley: Mula buhok na tinirintas
Nang maliliit; Bigwas at pigura ng mukha
At kayumangging kutis; Jamaiscang swabeng
Gilas, tikas at kisig; Hanggang lindi’t kisot,
Indak at kislot – na hinasa sa tiyempo’t ritmo
Ng mga tambol, conga at bongos,
Si Ka Harry ay plakadong imaheng banda,
Subalit namamalaging si Teddy Bear siya
para sa lahat ng mga kasama!
Nang gabing iyon ng masamang balita
at sumama ring panahon
Hindi kami nakatulog dahil sa lumulukob
Sa higaan naming makapangyarihang Anyubog
Na wari’y ang mabait na si Hagrid,
ang half-giant sa Harry Potter,
Na sa kabila ng kalakhan ay maamo
at kalugud-lugod;
Masuyo ang kislap ng mga mata
At ang ngiti kahit na matipid ay matapat;
Parang nagtatanong – Ilang Siomai sa Tisa?
Anong sopdrink?
Hindi nga ito si Hagrid, kundi si Ka Harry
Sa isang pwesto ng Fastfood sa Colon
na IGP nina Deo at RJ
At serbisyo’y IGP naman ng mga Kasamang
Carlo at Harry sa gabi;
Anyubog ni Ka Harry na nakayungyong
sa aming higaan:
Mas malaki kaysa dati nang laki, subalit
Hindi kahindik-hindik na tulad sa masamang
panaginip;
Sa hugos sa amin ng magagandang alaala
Pinalaki siya ng kamatayan kaysa nang siya’y buhay
Dahil sa bihis ng mga gunitang maganda’t matamis:
Isang higanteng Taong-Oso, kayumangging
Taong-Oso na nakayungyong hindi upang
kami’y durugin
Kundi upang maingat, magiliw na yakapin;
Taong-Osong kalugud-lugod at kaibig-ibig
Na masarap siksikan ng sarili at yakapin din
Laluna sa mga gabing maulan at malamig;
Isang Higanteng Bata ng dalisay
na Kawalangmalay
At ang pakikitungo sa masa at mga kasama
ay lantay;
Hindi kami nakatulog nang gabing iyon
Hindi dahil sa mapapait na gunita na naging
bangungot
O sapagkat iyo’y gabi ng pagmumulto
ng kaluluwa ng isang yumao
Na hindi pa lubusang makalisan sa mundo;
Iyo’y gabi ng matatamis na alaalang
Hindi kailanman maililibing sa limot
Sapagkat nakakintal nang malalim sa puso
at diwa ng mga kasama at ng masang
Nakasalamuha niya sa mahirap na pakikibaka,
Nakasalo sa hirap at ginhawa,
At nakabahagi sa lungkot at saya.
Tara na sa lamay at i-group hug ang ating
Teddy Bear!
***
Para sa Teatrong Bayan – KPD;
Tsong, Agosto 14, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
A statement on GMA's State of the Nation Address (SONA) vis a vis the True State of the Filipino People
Enough of GMA rule! Enough of elite repressive, pro-imperialist rule
Come July 27, the illegitimate GMA presidency shall be delivering its 9th State of the Nation Address. It shall be speaking before a nation that refuses to believe but a nation forced to listen because such hated presidency imposes itself on it.
It is supposedly its last SONA. But again, most people do not believe it will be her last. Signs point to her maneuvering for an extended rule, by whatever means – be it through a change in the form of government through Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) or through the imposition of some form of emergency rule. Such relentless maneuvering, in fact, is one of the major features that defines the present state of the nation.
Abusive exercise of raw power, on the one hand, and the struggle to check it and GMA’s lust for extended power, on the other, have characterized Philippine politics throughout GMA’s illegitimate presidency. This abuse of power, in substance and form, exposed the bankruptcy, the fallacy, of this supposed ‘free, and longest surviving , democracy’ in Asia.
GMA policies and programs throughout her rule have been attacks on the interests of the poor majority - EPIRA, EVAT, further deregulation, further privatization, MLSA, the war in Mindanao. They were pushed against the expressed opposition of the people. GMA and her minions plundered the public coffers and stifled dissent. Protests were met with the calibrated preemptive response (CPR), with violent dispersals, with extra judicial killings, forced disappearances, trumped up charges, libels and incarceration of oppositionists. She went as far as declaration of state of national emergency in February 2007.
To kowtow to US interests, GMA allows the continued presence of US troops in the country. US troops now freely roam our land under pretext of an unending succession of Balikatan exercises since 2002. The “visitors” have settled permanently, formed a regular command (JSOTF-P) and taken over nearly half of Camp Andrews in Zamboanga.
Plundering officials, cheaters and murderers of activists remain scot-free – Garcillano and GMA despite the electoral cheating, Lorenzo despite the aviation fuel scam, Bolante and GMA’s congressional allies despite the fertilizer scam, DPWH officials despite the Diosdado Macapagal highway scam, Mike Arroyo despite the ZTE-NBN scam, GMA’s Malacanang staff despite the ” payola”, Palparan despite the extra judicial killings, and so on, and so forth. The idea of public accountability, basic to a democracy, has gone with the wind.
Processes have been trampled upon to impose not only its policies but its rule as well. Elections, legislative investigations, impeachment process, open debate, public consultations, and judicial processes – have been distorted to promote and protect the ruling clique’s interests. Railroading and the tyranny of numbers have become the rule.
GMA has mired our country deeper in debt. Every Filipino now owes Php36,000 in public debt.
What has all these led to? What is the present state of our nation?
We are now in the midst of crisis - a crisis of a severity never seen before by this generation. The crisis is felt from the plushiest villages to the most depressed squatter areas; from the most developed centers like Makati to the lowliest upland communities of indigenous peoples. Income are declining while prices of such basic commodities as rice, sugar, coffee, meat, and charges for such basic services as electricity, water, health care and education are on the rise.
Factories are either folding up or reducing production, affecting the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of working class families. The escape from the misery imposed by the system – overseas contract work - is fast constricting and average OFW remittance is decreasing. Peasant production goes bankrupt, burdened by increasing prices of farm inputs and competition from dumped imported agricultural produce. Urban poor communities are demolished to give way to malls and country clubs.
An increasing number of our youth are dropping out of school. Health care further deteriorates as nurses and doctors migrate to other countries in search of better opportunities, and as medicine prices rise. Environmentally-degraded communities are continuously threatened, if not actually devastated, by natural disasters and the war in Mindanao; people forced to evacuate languish in cramped evacuation centers - hungry, sick with only international institutions providing for their needs.
Filipinos are increasingly getting desperate.
‘Globalization’ and its concomitant policies of liberalization, privatization and deregulation, which GMA so persistently pushed from her senatorial days and further expanded during her presidency, has rendered the Philippine economy even more vulnerable to the operation and super profit extraction of global capital and to the vagaries of the global market, at the expense of the local economy’s health and of our people’s well-being.
Democratic exercise has never been this low. Exasperation over warped ”democratic processes” combined with systematic repression have rubbed on the people their powerlessness in the face of raw power exercised by the GMA clique.
Meanwhile, supposed political leaders - politicians- are so pre-occupied with their struggle for power, unmindful of the people’s misery amidst the crisis and the people’s aspiration for a better life. Social security funds for emergencies wrought by the crisis are not available. No effective crisis mitigation measures are in place. Whatever there are, are cosmetic measures.
Worse, politicians are conspiring on further attacks on democracy and on national patrimony and sovereignty. This Damocles sword, which hangs over the head of the nation, comes in the form of proposed charter changes.
Charter change proponents, GMA the most rabid among them, seek to attune the 1987 Constitution to the tenets of neo-liberalism or ‘globalization’. This despite the widespread worsened poverty ‘globalization’ has generated worldwide and despite the crisis it has engendered in the world economy. Simultaneously, they propose further restrictions on democratic rights and civil liberties.
Through the proposed insertion of the word ‘responsible’ as qualifier to basic rights defined in the Constitution, the proponents in fact seek to restrict the exercise of such rights. “(Ir)responsible exercise of press freedom” was invoked for the raid and padlocking of Manila Tribune in February 2007. “(Ir)responsible exercise of right to assembly” was the justification then for violently dispersing mass protests.
Proponents seek to further expand land monopoly by altering, thus liberalizing, restrictions on private access to ownership/control of erstwhile public land. Landlordism will further be expanded. Worse, foreign ownership of land and other natural resources in the Philippines is being promoted. This, in the midst of widespread clamor for land among landless Filipino peasants and urban dwellers.
Restrictions on foreign operations in media and education, both vital to the development of the national culture, are being dropped.
For GMA, charter change is also the vehicle by which she hopes to extend her rule, plunder the public coffers further and retain immunity from suits. Thus, the indecent haste and shameless maneuverings for Con-Ass. By whatever means, the GMA camp will push for charter changes, not only to please the big interests - foreign and local - that dominate Philippine society, but more so to protect their own necks. The spectre of accounting for the various crimes committed against the people haunts and impels the GMA clique to use all resources and power at their command to effect the proposed charter changes.
Defending democratic rights and civil liberties, and safeguarding and asserting national patrimony and national sovereignty now rest on the masses of the Filipino people. We call on all Filipinos to stand up to respond to this social responsibility.
Frustrate GMA’s maneuver to extend her repressive, corrupt, anti-national rule!
Assert our rights amidst the crisis!
No to charter changes under elite rule!
Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KPD) – Cebu
July 2009
Come July 27, the illegitimate GMA presidency shall be delivering its 9th State of the Nation Address. It shall be speaking before a nation that refuses to believe but a nation forced to listen because such hated presidency imposes itself on it.
It is supposedly its last SONA. But again, most people do not believe it will be her last. Signs point to her maneuvering for an extended rule, by whatever means – be it through a change in the form of government through Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) or through the imposition of some form of emergency rule. Such relentless maneuvering, in fact, is one of the major features that defines the present state of the nation.
Abusive exercise of raw power, on the one hand, and the struggle to check it and GMA’s lust for extended power, on the other, have characterized Philippine politics throughout GMA’s illegitimate presidency. This abuse of power, in substance and form, exposed the bankruptcy, the fallacy, of this supposed ‘free, and longest surviving , democracy’ in Asia.
GMA policies and programs throughout her rule have been attacks on the interests of the poor majority - EPIRA, EVAT, further deregulation, further privatization, MLSA, the war in Mindanao. They were pushed against the expressed opposition of the people. GMA and her minions plundered the public coffers and stifled dissent. Protests were met with the calibrated preemptive response (CPR), with violent dispersals, with extra judicial killings, forced disappearances, trumped up charges, libels and incarceration of oppositionists. She went as far as declaration of state of national emergency in February 2007.
To kowtow to US interests, GMA allows the continued presence of US troops in the country. US troops now freely roam our land under pretext of an unending succession of Balikatan exercises since 2002. The “visitors” have settled permanently, formed a regular command (JSOTF-P) and taken over nearly half of Camp Andrews in Zamboanga.
Plundering officials, cheaters and murderers of activists remain scot-free – Garcillano and GMA despite the electoral cheating, Lorenzo despite the aviation fuel scam, Bolante and GMA’s congressional allies despite the fertilizer scam, DPWH officials despite the Diosdado Macapagal highway scam, Mike Arroyo despite the ZTE-NBN scam, GMA’s Malacanang staff despite the ” payola”, Palparan despite the extra judicial killings, and so on, and so forth. The idea of public accountability, basic to a democracy, has gone with the wind.
Processes have been trampled upon to impose not only its policies but its rule as well. Elections, legislative investigations, impeachment process, open debate, public consultations, and judicial processes – have been distorted to promote and protect the ruling clique’s interests. Railroading and the tyranny of numbers have become the rule.
GMA has mired our country deeper in debt. Every Filipino now owes Php36,000 in public debt.
What has all these led to? What is the present state of our nation?
We are now in the midst of crisis - a crisis of a severity never seen before by this generation. The crisis is felt from the plushiest villages to the most depressed squatter areas; from the most developed centers like Makati to the lowliest upland communities of indigenous peoples. Income are declining while prices of such basic commodities as rice, sugar, coffee, meat, and charges for such basic services as electricity, water, health care and education are on the rise.
Factories are either folding up or reducing production, affecting the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of working class families. The escape from the misery imposed by the system – overseas contract work - is fast constricting and average OFW remittance is decreasing. Peasant production goes bankrupt, burdened by increasing prices of farm inputs and competition from dumped imported agricultural produce. Urban poor communities are demolished to give way to malls and country clubs.
An increasing number of our youth are dropping out of school. Health care further deteriorates as nurses and doctors migrate to other countries in search of better opportunities, and as medicine prices rise. Environmentally-degraded communities are continuously threatened, if not actually devastated, by natural disasters and the war in Mindanao; people forced to evacuate languish in cramped evacuation centers - hungry, sick with only international institutions providing for their needs.
Filipinos are increasingly getting desperate.
‘Globalization’ and its concomitant policies of liberalization, privatization and deregulation, which GMA so persistently pushed from her senatorial days and further expanded during her presidency, has rendered the Philippine economy even more vulnerable to the operation and super profit extraction of global capital and to the vagaries of the global market, at the expense of the local economy’s health and of our people’s well-being.
Democratic exercise has never been this low. Exasperation over warped ”democratic processes” combined with systematic repression have rubbed on the people their powerlessness in the face of raw power exercised by the GMA clique.
Meanwhile, supposed political leaders - politicians- are so pre-occupied with their struggle for power, unmindful of the people’s misery amidst the crisis and the people’s aspiration for a better life. Social security funds for emergencies wrought by the crisis are not available. No effective crisis mitigation measures are in place. Whatever there are, are cosmetic measures.
Worse, politicians are conspiring on further attacks on democracy and on national patrimony and sovereignty. This Damocles sword, which hangs over the head of the nation, comes in the form of proposed charter changes.
Charter change proponents, GMA the most rabid among them, seek to attune the 1987 Constitution to the tenets of neo-liberalism or ‘globalization’. This despite the widespread worsened poverty ‘globalization’ has generated worldwide and despite the crisis it has engendered in the world economy. Simultaneously, they propose further restrictions on democratic rights and civil liberties.
Through the proposed insertion of the word ‘responsible’ as qualifier to basic rights defined in the Constitution, the proponents in fact seek to restrict the exercise of such rights. “(Ir)responsible exercise of press freedom” was invoked for the raid and padlocking of Manila Tribune in February 2007. “(Ir)responsible exercise of right to assembly” was the justification then for violently dispersing mass protests.
Proponents seek to further expand land monopoly by altering, thus liberalizing, restrictions on private access to ownership/control of erstwhile public land. Landlordism will further be expanded. Worse, foreign ownership of land and other natural resources in the Philippines is being promoted. This, in the midst of widespread clamor for land among landless Filipino peasants and urban dwellers.
Restrictions on foreign operations in media and education, both vital to the development of the national culture, are being dropped.
For GMA, charter change is also the vehicle by which she hopes to extend her rule, plunder the public coffers further and retain immunity from suits. Thus, the indecent haste and shameless maneuverings for Con-Ass. By whatever means, the GMA camp will push for charter changes, not only to please the big interests - foreign and local - that dominate Philippine society, but more so to protect their own necks. The spectre of accounting for the various crimes committed against the people haunts and impels the GMA clique to use all resources and power at their command to effect the proposed charter changes.
Defending democratic rights and civil liberties, and safeguarding and asserting national patrimony and national sovereignty now rest on the masses of the Filipino people. We call on all Filipinos to stand up to respond to this social responsibility.
Frustrate GMA’s maneuver to extend her repressive, corrupt, anti-national rule!
Assert our rights amidst the crisis!
No to charter changes under elite rule!
Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KPD) – Cebu
July 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
A Primer Statement on the Current Move of Congress on Charter Change
Prepared by Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya- Cebu
Education and Prop Committee
Before the 14th session of Congress ended last June 3, 2009, the House of Representatives has done it again and has deliberately affirmed doubts from the people that indeed they are not the bearer of the Filipino people’s interests in the passage of H.R. 1109 (Convening Congress into a Constituent Assembly through Joint Voting). This means that time will not be a question to call the Constituent Assembly or Con-Ass to get the Charter Change train rolling.
There is more in the current attempt for Charter Change other than the controversial term extension; its ultimate objective is to scrap out the remaining nationalist and patriotic provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. This however is why this primer is released to shed light to the issue of Charter Change.
At this juncture, the question lies should the people dare resist again or by now, shall the proponents of the chacha train will breakthrough its rolling.
1. Why does the GMA government never give up Charter Change and thus become a yearly political issue?
The membership of the Phil. Republic to the WTO is the gateway why attempts of changing the Constitution never faded. Under the global neo-liberal paradigm , the 1987 Constitution has become obsolete. This is also why other than GMA, The former presidents also strongly pursued the CHACHA track (FVR, ERAP).
Now under GMA, it will serve more than that, it shall prop up to its self serving objective of achieving “political bearing”.
2. What are the current moves of Changing the Constitution?
Under the current 14th Congress, there had been 30 resolutions (30) all are about Charter Change – seven (7) bills, nine (9) concurrent resolutions, two (2) joint resolutions, & twelve (12) house resolutions. Twenty-one (21) of these calls upon the Constituional Convention, con-ass or people’s initiative to push through Chacha. The ff. are the ones heard in Congress
1.) House Resolution 737 na inihain ni Speaker Prospero Nograles (Lakas-CMD, Davao) na naglalayong baguhin ang ilang pang-ekonomikong probisyon na nilalaman ng Article 12 – “Proposing amendments to Sections 2 and 3, Article XII of the Constitution, allowing the acquisition by foreign corporations and associations and the transfer of conveyance thereto of alienable public lands and private lands”;
2.) House Resolution 1109 ni Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte (at presidente ng KAMPI, ang partido pulitikal ni GMA), “Convening Congress into a Constituent Assembly through joint voting”;
3.) House Resolution 739 ni Sorsogon Rep. Jose Solis (KAMPI), “Convening Congress into a Constituent Assembly for the purpose of revising the Constitution to establish a federal system of government”;
4.) House Resolution 769 ni Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo (Lakas), “Providing for specific amendments and revision to the 1987 Constitution”;
5.) House Resolution 819 ni Tawi-tawi Rep. Nur G. Jaafar (Lakas-CMD), “Convening a joint session of Congress to revise the Constitution”;
6.) House Resolution 858 ni Rep. Rene Velarde (BUHAY), “Calling for a Constitutional Convention to propose amendments to, or revision of, the Constitution of the Philippines”
In the senate, the proposed resolutions all called for Concon and all is track to pursue Chacha beyond 2010 election – Senate Bill 2923 of Sen. Manuel Roxas II, SB 819 of Sen. Benigno Aquino III, and another SB proposed by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon.
3. What are the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution?
Amidst imperfections of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, there are formal recognitions of the people’s democratic rights and civil liberties and formally recognizes the priority of Filipinos in some areas of the economy.
Article 3 (Bill of Rights) & Article 12 (National Patrimony and Economy) situates provisions prohibiting the entry of foreign military troops and nuclear weapon in the Philippine territory.
Particularly the ff are the proposed amendments:
Under Article XII
• 100% foreign ownership to corporations and intensifying private/foreign ownership including the public utilities (energy, water, education and media) mining, telecommunication.
• Foreign ownership on land
• Eliminating protection of “unfair competition and trade practices” to the Filipino entrepreneurs
• Eliminating provisions from the Labor Code and further intensifying labor-only contracting and contractualization
• Eliminating protection for local production of goods and services submitting to the unregulated inflow of foreign goods and services.
Under Art. II Declaration of State Policies, Art. III Bill of Rights
In 2007, R.A. 9372 Human Security Act had been successfully approved amidst opposition of it being unnecessary and unconstitutional; nevertheless there are other pending bills intensifying US Military Presence in the Country.
Particularly, Art. III Bill of Rights Sec. 4 is proposed to add the phrase “responsible exercise”
4. What can we, as nationalist and patriotic Filipino people do?
Every year, the people have been vigilant against any attempt to change the Constitution. And in every year the people have always proven that mandate indeed emanates from them, in fact our history amply shows. Let us then show that we don’t merely accept injustice and deception; on the contrary, we stand by the truth and justice.
5. What are other efforts against the Charter Change?
Locally, there is an alliance initiated by various civil society groups, people’s organizations including concern citizens from the church, academe: the SUPAK CHACHA (Sugbuanong Pagpakabana Kontra sa ChaCha ni Gloria) is a committed alliance against the HR 1109.
Nationally, SUPAK ChaCha coordinates with TINDIGNATION, a national, broader, anti-H.R. 1109 Coalition
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Dream
by James Julian Castillo
I dream one day we will be free
Our potentials are as vast as the sea
The dream that I dream will be real
As real as the love that I have longed to feel.
Giants will try to stop us
From the inevitable transformation,
That the millions of flowers will bloom
And stop the impending doom.
Rise above from the chains
That keep up from leaving this room
Into the garden of war
That will eventually rock the wall
That pretends to be all powerful
But will one day crumble
As the rest have done
And we will live the dream
That millions like us have dreamt
And we will truly be humans in this world.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sariwain ang Aral ng Welgang Bayan: Manindigan Laban sa Operasyon ng BNPP
Buwan ng Hunyo: tapos na ang dalawang buwang bakasyon ng mga mag-aaral at kabataan; Araw ng Kalayaan, mga karaniwang kaganapang iniuugnay sa ika-anim na buwan ng taon.
Para sa mamamayan ng Bataan,ito ang buwan pagpapakita pagkakaisa at paninindigan laban sa Plantang Nukleyar , dalawampu’t apat na taon ng nakalilipas.
Huwebes, Hunyo 20, 1985 animo’y ghost town ang buong Bataan - walang pasok sa eskwelahan at pabrika, walang tao sa bukid,walang sasakyan sa lansangan; abala ang mga maybahay sa pag-aayos ng pamatid-uhaw o kaya’y pantawid-gutom sa libo-libong nagmamartsa laban sa Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, ang tinaguriang Halimaw ng Morong. Ang mga barikada’t tangke ng mga Philippine Constabulary (PC) ay walang nagawa sa malakas na daluyong ng mamamayang nagkakaisa.
Makaraang bumagsak ang Diktaturyang Marcos, nagpasya ang pumalit na rehimeng Aquino na huwag nang pagganahin ang kontrobersyal na plantang nukleyar. Marahil nahintakutan sa naganap na pagsabog ng nuclear reactor #4 sa Chernobyl, Rusya. Tinatayang 65 milyong katao ang inabot ng kontaminasyon at mahigit sa 400,000 katao ang sapilitang inilikas sa mga lugar na nakapalibot sa Chernobyl.
Ngayon, habang ang mga komunidad natin ay nakaharap sa bantang panganib ng muling pagpapagana ng BNPP, hamon sa atin ang muling balikan ang tagumpay ng nakalipas na Welgang Bayan.
Sa totoo, naka-amba nang iratsada sa Kongreso ang HB 6300 (An Act Mandating the Immediate Rehabilitation, Commissioning and Commercial Operation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant or Bataan Nuclear Power Plant of 2009) sa muling pagbubukas ng Kongreso sa darating na Hulyo 27.
Ang mga pabor sa BNPP sa pangunguna ni Cong. Mark Cojuangco ay inuulit lamang ang mga baluktot na dahilan upang kumbinsihin ang taumbayan na muling pagkagastusan ng milyun-milyon ang planta sa Morong. Ito raw ay magdudulot ng pag-unlad at trabaho.
Pinakita na ng mga naunang pag-aaral sa BNPP na ang pagkakapwesto nito sa gilid ng Bulkang Natib at depektibong pagkakagawa ay mitsa ng kamatayan para sa mga karatig na komunidad at probinsya.
Dahil sa ibinubuga nitong radiation, tumataas ang posibilidad ng pagkakasakit ng kanser at leukemia. Kung magka-nuclear meltdown naman, pulbos ang 50 kilometer radius, habang kontaminado na ang kabuuang isla ng Luzon at ilang bahagi ng Visayas.
Sa totoo, ang pagpapagana ng isang plantang nukleyar ay napakagastos – milyong piso para maipatayo, milyong piso para mag-angkat ng panggatong na uranium, milyon din para sa pagdispatsa ng basura o nuclear wastes.
At pagkatapos ng takdang buhay ng isang planta nukleyar, panibagong gastos na naman ang pagpapasara o de-commissioning! Aba! Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, marami pang mas magandang pagkagastusan kaysa sa mapanganib na BNPP!
Buhay at kapakanan natin ang nakataya sa usaping ito. Kung kayo’y kumbinsido at desididong labanan ang BNPP, aksyon ang kailangan!
Kausapin ang mga kapamilya at kababayan, kunin ang suporta ng mga taong-simbahan at lokal na opisyal upang mas maraming tao ang makaalam at makialam sa muling pagbubukas ng planta nukleyar. Magtayo ng samahan laban sa planta nukleyar tulad ng Nuclear Free Bataan Movement Network o NFBM-NET.
Sumama sa darating na Hunyo 20 patungo ng Balanga, Bataan at sa iba pang pagkilos ukol sa BNPP. Kailangan ka ng laban na ito.
June 15 Start of Church Bell tolling 4pm Bataan-wide
Morong Torch Parade and Noise Barrage Morong Town Plaza
June 16 Abucay Torch Parade and Noise Barrage Abucay Town Plaza
June 17 Fluvial Parade/Program 1pm Balanga Town Plaza
June 18 Anti-BNPP Forum in the Town of Limay with Torch Parade Limay Town Plaza
June 19 Dinalupihan Torch Parade and Noise Barrage Dinalupihan Town Plaza
June 20 Salakbayan Laban sa Planta Nukleyar
( Commemorating 1985 Welgang Bayan) 1pm Salubong Bgy. Tuyo
4pm Program Balanga Town Plaza
*Log on nfbmnet.multiply.com para sa karagdagang impormasyon. Ipasa ito sa iba pagkatapos basahin.
Para sa mamamayan ng Bataan,ito ang buwan pagpapakita pagkakaisa at paninindigan laban sa Plantang Nukleyar , dalawampu’t apat na taon ng nakalilipas.
Huwebes, Hunyo 20, 1985 animo’y ghost town ang buong Bataan - walang pasok sa eskwelahan at pabrika, walang tao sa bukid,walang sasakyan sa lansangan; abala ang mga maybahay sa pag-aayos ng pamatid-uhaw o kaya’y pantawid-gutom sa libo-libong nagmamartsa laban sa Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, ang tinaguriang Halimaw ng Morong. Ang mga barikada’t tangke ng mga Philippine Constabulary (PC) ay walang nagawa sa malakas na daluyong ng mamamayang nagkakaisa.
Makaraang bumagsak ang Diktaturyang Marcos, nagpasya ang pumalit na rehimeng Aquino na huwag nang pagganahin ang kontrobersyal na plantang nukleyar. Marahil nahintakutan sa naganap na pagsabog ng nuclear reactor #4 sa Chernobyl, Rusya. Tinatayang 65 milyong katao ang inabot ng kontaminasyon at mahigit sa 400,000 katao ang sapilitang inilikas sa mga lugar na nakapalibot sa Chernobyl.
Ngayon, habang ang mga komunidad natin ay nakaharap sa bantang panganib ng muling pagpapagana ng BNPP, hamon sa atin ang muling balikan ang tagumpay ng nakalipas na Welgang Bayan.
Sa totoo, naka-amba nang iratsada sa Kongreso ang HB 6300 (An Act Mandating the Immediate Rehabilitation, Commissioning and Commercial Operation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant or Bataan Nuclear Power Plant of 2009) sa muling pagbubukas ng Kongreso sa darating na Hulyo 27.
Ang mga pabor sa BNPP sa pangunguna ni Cong. Mark Cojuangco ay inuulit lamang ang mga baluktot na dahilan upang kumbinsihin ang taumbayan na muling pagkagastusan ng milyun-milyon ang planta sa Morong. Ito raw ay magdudulot ng pag-unlad at trabaho.
Pinakita na ng mga naunang pag-aaral sa BNPP na ang pagkakapwesto nito sa gilid ng Bulkang Natib at depektibong pagkakagawa ay mitsa ng kamatayan para sa mga karatig na komunidad at probinsya.
Dahil sa ibinubuga nitong radiation, tumataas ang posibilidad ng pagkakasakit ng kanser at leukemia. Kung magka-nuclear meltdown naman, pulbos ang 50 kilometer radius, habang kontaminado na ang kabuuang isla ng Luzon at ilang bahagi ng Visayas.
Sa totoo, ang pagpapagana ng isang plantang nukleyar ay napakagastos – milyong piso para maipatayo, milyong piso para mag-angkat ng panggatong na uranium, milyon din para sa pagdispatsa ng basura o nuclear wastes.
At pagkatapos ng takdang buhay ng isang planta nukleyar, panibagong gastos na naman ang pagpapasara o de-commissioning! Aba! Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, marami pang mas magandang pagkagastusan kaysa sa mapanganib na BNPP!
Buhay at kapakanan natin ang nakataya sa usaping ito. Kung kayo’y kumbinsido at desididong labanan ang BNPP, aksyon ang kailangan!
Kausapin ang mga kapamilya at kababayan, kunin ang suporta ng mga taong-simbahan at lokal na opisyal upang mas maraming tao ang makaalam at makialam sa muling pagbubukas ng planta nukleyar. Magtayo ng samahan laban sa planta nukleyar tulad ng Nuclear Free Bataan Movement Network o NFBM-NET.
Sumama sa darating na Hunyo 20 patungo ng Balanga, Bataan at sa iba pang pagkilos ukol sa BNPP. Kailangan ka ng laban na ito.
June 15 Start of Church Bell tolling 4pm Bataan-wide
Morong Torch Parade and Noise Barrage Morong Town Plaza
June 16 Abucay Torch Parade and Noise Barrage Abucay Town Plaza
June 17 Fluvial Parade/Program 1pm Balanga Town Plaza
June 18 Anti-BNPP Forum in the Town of Limay with Torch Parade Limay Town Plaza
June 19 Dinalupihan Torch Parade and Noise Barrage Dinalupihan Town Plaza
June 20 Salakbayan Laban sa Planta Nukleyar
( Commemorating 1985 Welgang Bayan) 1pm Salubong Bgy. Tuyo
4pm Program Balanga Town Plaza
*Log on nfbmnet.multiply.com para sa karagdagang impormasyon. Ipasa ito sa iba pagkatapos basahin.
On the Philippine Independence Day: From a Filipino Youth's Perspective
A Letter to the Struggling Filipino Youth
Out here in the semi-dessert semi-paradise
I’ve been thinking about my fellow youth
Fresh from campus and a new surprise.
Suddenly we had to be men and women
In the crossroads of the need to survive
And the youthful nature to be alive.
Brings to mind a quote and a name
“Everyday seems to be the same”
But Andres Bonifacio does not agree
He said we had to stand up and see
Life as it is and that we are not truely free.
He was a youthful leader by example
His thoughts and actions were simple
Let us be free men for men are free
Men and women are the same
Let us join our hearts and minds
And together let us struggle to be truely free!
James Julian Castillo
Out here in the semi-dessert semi-paradise
I’ve been thinking about my fellow youth
Fresh from campus and a new surprise.
Suddenly we had to be men and women
In the crossroads of the need to survive
And the youthful nature to be alive.
Brings to mind a quote and a name
“Everyday seems to be the same”
But Andres Bonifacio does not agree
He said we had to stand up and see
Life as it is and that we are not truely free.
He was a youthful leader by example
His thoughts and actions were simple
Let us be free men for men are free
Men and women are the same
Let us join our hearts and minds
And together let us struggle to be truely free!
James Julian Castillo
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Summary on the Using of Folktales in Community Organizing: by James Julian Castillo
Ang Pag-gamit ng Kwentong Bayan sa Pag-oorganisa sa Komunidad
By James Julian Castillo
Magkaugnay ang kwentong bayan at pag-oorganisa sa komunidad. Ang kwentong bayan ay tungkol sa mga karanasan ng karaniwang tao at ang pag-oorganisa naman ay tungkol sa hangarin na mapa-unlad ang buhay nila.
Merong pagkakaiba ang pag-oorganisa sa Pilipinas at US at isa dito ang pagkakaugnay ng mga organisasyon sa ibat-ibang sektor. Sa Pilipinas malapit ang kanilang mga pag-kilos, dito sa US parang walang conection. Pero, ang dalawang bansa ay may kasaysayan sa kilusan para sa kalayaan.
Sa Pilipinas, madalas ginagamit ang kwentong bayan sa pag-oorganisa. Halos lahat ng mga hakbang ay merong kasabay na kulturang pagtatanghal. Ang itinatanghal ay hindi lang kung kahit anong kwento kundi kwentong bayang ang kinakanta, isinusulat, isinasadula at pinipinta.
Taon-taon, ang Sining Dilaab, isang grupong pangkultura at ang VMPRDC (Visayas Mindanao People’s Resource Development Center) na isang NGO, ay nag oorganisa ng isang camp para sa kabataan para malapit sila sa mga isyu sa lipunan at mabigyan sila nga mga workshop sa ibat-ibang sining na magamit nila sa pagtatanghal ng mga kwentong bayan. Mayroong dance, songwriting at theatre workshop. Meron ding workshop sa leadership at journalism.
Ang malungkot na kwento ay ang mga pangyayari sa Pilipinas. Taon taon maraming kabataan ang gumagraduate pero halos lahat sila ay napupunta sa call center kahit meron silang mga degree na pang propesyunal. Dito sa US marami din ang naghihirap. Halimbawa nito ay ang article sa LA Weekly na nag frontpage ang isang Pilipina ang nakakadena sa isang matanda. Ang sweldo ng Pilipina na ito na nag caregiver sa Long Beach ay 42 cents lang kada oras.
Kailangan natin magkaisa sa mga pagkilos sa Pilipinas dahil magkaugnay ang buhay natin dito sa buhay doon. Sila rin sa Pilipinas ay kailangan magkaisa sa pagkilos natin dito. Nasa pagkakaisa lang nating lahat matikman ang tunay na bunga ng demokrasya.
-Para sa video ng talk isearch lang ninyo ang (using folktale in community organizing) sa youtube. Ang link sa channel kung saan na upload ang video ay www.youtube.com/user/onlinenppcforum
------------------------------------------English translation------------------------
Using Folk Tales in Community Organizing
Folk tales ang community organizing are inter-related. Folk tales are about the experiences of ordinary folks while community organizing is about the aspiration of making their lives better.
There is a difference in organizing in the Philippines and the US and one of them is the way the different organizations in the different sectors connect. But, the two countries have a history in the movement for freedom.
In the Philippines, folk tales are often used in organizing. Almost all efforts have a portion of cultural presentations. The presentations are not just any kind of story but folk tales that are sung, written, dramatized on a play and painted.
Every year, Sining Dilaab (Arts Ablazing), a cultural group and VMPRDC (Visayas Mindanao People’s Resource Development Center) that is an NGO, organize a youth camp that aims to bring the youth closer to societal issues and provide workshops in the different fields of arts where they can use to present folk tales. There is a dance, songwriting and theatre workshop. There is also a leadership workshop and journalism.
A sad story are the happenings in the Philippines. Every year a lot of the youth graduate but almost all end up in call centers even though they carry professional degrees. Here in the US many are also having a hard time.An example is the article from LA Weekly where a Filipinas who was chained to an elderly man was on the front page. The hourly wag for the Filipina caregiver in Long Beach was 42 cents an hour.
We need to be in solidarity with the movements in the Philippines because our lives are connected with their lives. They, in turn, also have to be in solidarity with our movements here. Only in the unity of all of us can we taste the fruits of democracy.
-To watch the video of the talk just search (using folktale in community organizing) in youtube. The link to the channel where the video was uplaoded is www.youtube.com/user/onlinenppcforum
By James Julian Castillo
Magkaugnay ang kwentong bayan at pag-oorganisa sa komunidad. Ang kwentong bayan ay tungkol sa mga karanasan ng karaniwang tao at ang pag-oorganisa naman ay tungkol sa hangarin na mapa-unlad ang buhay nila.
Merong pagkakaiba ang pag-oorganisa sa Pilipinas at US at isa dito ang pagkakaugnay ng mga organisasyon sa ibat-ibang sektor. Sa Pilipinas malapit ang kanilang mga pag-kilos, dito sa US parang walang conection. Pero, ang dalawang bansa ay may kasaysayan sa kilusan para sa kalayaan.
Sa Pilipinas, madalas ginagamit ang kwentong bayan sa pag-oorganisa. Halos lahat ng mga hakbang ay merong kasabay na kulturang pagtatanghal. Ang itinatanghal ay hindi lang kung kahit anong kwento kundi kwentong bayang ang kinakanta, isinusulat, isinasadula at pinipinta.
Taon-taon, ang Sining Dilaab, isang grupong pangkultura at ang VMPRDC (Visayas Mindanao People’s Resource Development Center) na isang NGO, ay nag oorganisa ng isang camp para sa kabataan para malapit sila sa mga isyu sa lipunan at mabigyan sila nga mga workshop sa ibat-ibang sining na magamit nila sa pagtatanghal ng mga kwentong bayan. Mayroong dance, songwriting at theatre workshop. Meron ding workshop sa leadership at journalism.
Ang malungkot na kwento ay ang mga pangyayari sa Pilipinas. Taon taon maraming kabataan ang gumagraduate pero halos lahat sila ay napupunta sa call center kahit meron silang mga degree na pang propesyunal. Dito sa US marami din ang naghihirap. Halimbawa nito ay ang article sa LA Weekly na nag frontpage ang isang Pilipina ang nakakadena sa isang matanda. Ang sweldo ng Pilipina na ito na nag caregiver sa Long Beach ay 42 cents lang kada oras.
Kailangan natin magkaisa sa mga pagkilos sa Pilipinas dahil magkaugnay ang buhay natin dito sa buhay doon. Sila rin sa Pilipinas ay kailangan magkaisa sa pagkilos natin dito. Nasa pagkakaisa lang nating lahat matikman ang tunay na bunga ng demokrasya.
-Para sa video ng talk isearch lang ninyo ang (using folktale in community organizing) sa youtube. Ang link sa channel kung saan na upload ang video ay www.youtube.com/user/onlinenppcforum
------------------------------------------English translation------------------------
Using Folk Tales in Community Organizing
Folk tales ang community organizing are inter-related. Folk tales are about the experiences of ordinary folks while community organizing is about the aspiration of making their lives better.
There is a difference in organizing in the Philippines and the US and one of them is the way the different organizations in the different sectors connect. But, the two countries have a history in the movement for freedom.
In the Philippines, folk tales are often used in organizing. Almost all efforts have a portion of cultural presentations. The presentations are not just any kind of story but folk tales that are sung, written, dramatized on a play and painted.
Every year, Sining Dilaab (Arts Ablazing), a cultural group and VMPRDC (Visayas Mindanao People’s Resource Development Center) that is an NGO, organize a youth camp that aims to bring the youth closer to societal issues and provide workshops in the different fields of arts where they can use to present folk tales. There is a dance, songwriting and theatre workshop. There is also a leadership workshop and journalism.
A sad story are the happenings in the Philippines. Every year a lot of the youth graduate but almost all end up in call centers even though they carry professional degrees. Here in the US many are also having a hard time.An example is the article from LA Weekly where a Filipinas who was chained to an elderly man was on the front page. The hourly wag for the Filipina caregiver in Long Beach was 42 cents an hour.
We need to be in solidarity with the movements in the Philippines because our lives are connected with their lives. They, in turn, also have to be in solidarity with our movements here. Only in the unity of all of us can we taste the fruits of democracy.
-To watch the video of the talk just search (using folktale in community organizing) in youtube. The link to the channel where the video was uplaoded is www.youtube.com/user/onlinenppcforum
Saturday, June 6, 2009
A Statement on the Charter Change-Constituent Assembly
Frustrate GMA’s maneuvers to extend her rule!
The House of Representatives did it again. This bastion of reaction in Philippine politics again displayed their capability for brazen, shameless railroading of decisions once commanded by those who control the public coffers.
Last Monday, June 1, the Lakas-Kampi majority coalition in the House decided to give precedence to floor debate on House Resolution 1109, a resolution calling on Congress, acting as one or jointly, to constitute itself into a constituent assembly (con-ass) for the purpose of proposing amendments to the 1987 Philippine Constitution. With such decision, they immediately set aside discussions on two other urgent issues before the House – the bill on the right of reply, which mandates media outlets and practitioners to ensure the reply of public officials on issues concerning them or face prosecution, a clear suppression of the press freedom, and the long-demanded agrarian reform, which the Congress has by-passed in the past sessions.
The idea of Congress acting as one (with each legislator having equal voting weight) has long been toyed in the House in the face of the continuous refusal of the Senate to approve the Con-Ass path to charter change. It is the desperate maneuver by a House dominated by GMA-paid hacks to skirt the bicameral character of the present legislature. Worse, the proponents of the Resolution, and their nit-wit, ‘pork barrel’-powered allies in the House, obviously hope to pass off the House decision on the Resolution, under their rules to be decided in only by a simple majority (136 votes), to be a Congress decision. After all, they cannot hope for a similar resolution to be processed by the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, much more be deliberated in the Senate floor.
House Resolution 1109, then authored and sponsored by Congressman and Kampi president Luis Villafuerte (he now claims it was Nograles’ idea and he just wrote it), was submitted for deliberation to the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments as early as the resumption of the Congressional sessions last April 13. Presidential son Mikey Arroyo actively sought Lakas-Kampi representatives’ signatures for the Resolution. For weeks, the House Committee could not agree on what to do with the Resolution. At one point, Villafuerte himself withdrew, and the Committee decided to drop the resolution. But a signal from Malacanang gave the ruling majority in the committee renewed enthusiasm, and they resurrected and endorsed it for floor deliberation. The hasty Lakas-Kampi merger last Thursday May 28, presided over by GMA and pursued despite the absence of some Lakas and Kampi stalwarts, gave the final marching orders to Lakas-Kampi House representatives to fast-track the passage of the resolution before Congress goes on recess. Rumors circulated that millions of pesos changed hands to ensure passage, even as the crucial CDF, better known as ‘pork barrel’, for the last fiscal year for this Congress, will also be at stake for those who dare oppose it.
True to form, those in the ruling Lakas-Kampi majority acted in indecent haste. They decided by nearly noon Monday, June 1, to give the resolution utmost priority, and when confronted with the technical flaw of absence of committee approval - a condition that bars floor deliberation on it - the House Committee hastily met, and in a few hours approved (!) what they could not decide upon in the past month. They sent back the approved HR 1109 to the House, where the rest of the Lakas-Kampi members (211) railroaded its passage last night (June 2). The monster in Malacanang got the approval she sought; at what price, anybody can now guess.
Filipinos can dismiss all these recent maneuverings with exasperation over what the Philippine legislature, specifically the House of Representatives, has reduced itself to – an idiotic, uncritical, undemocratic, shameless mob of people who kowtow to the dictates of those who control the people’s funds, i.e. Malacanang, from whom they get the funds to fuel their own political ambitions. Indeed, a despicable mob! After-all, Malacanang apologists Gabriel Claudio and Reynaldo Puno and even administration allies in the Senate, among them Juan Ponce Enrile, have been quick to dispel people’s suspicion over such moves with ‘assurances’ that nothing will come out of it; at least nothing to offset the scheduled May 10 general elections.
Yet, the question should be asked: if nothing is expected to come out of it, then why did GMA, her sons and her allies, go out of their way to wring out that decision?
To venture an answer, one must view the administration coalition’s, specifically GMA’s, obsession with cha-cha, in its proper perspective.
First, the main force behind the maneuver is definitely GMA; this indubitable fact every Filipino knows. Second, GMA faces a string of unresolved cases – electoral cheating (the Hello Garci tapes, the “I am sorry” performance, and murders of election officials); the fertilizer scam, the Diosdado Macapagal highway scam, the ZTE-NBN scam (and subsequent kidnapping of Lozada, and recent assassination attempt on a vital witness), the extra-judicial killings, and a lot of several others – unresolved because presentation of evidences could not even proceed under the tyranny of the majority in the House. Third, the end of GMA’s illegal (at it resulted from a fraudulent election) term in May 2010 will make her no longer immune to suits stemming from all the unresolved cases. Her only recourse to protect herself is to be able to maintain herself in power, while promoting imperialist’ interests as well.
One way is via a constitutional amendment that will make possible her getting past the current constitutional prohibition or ban on her further holding the most powerful position in the land. It can be via a change in the form of government, where she can be the Prime Minister therefore head of government, or President, thus, head of State.
Can such a move be done before an election under the 1987 Constitution? Yes, if the Comelec fails to prepare for the May elections and the election is postponed, an idea Comelec Chairman Jose Melo himself presented as their nightmare; if the Supreme Court, now dominated by GMA appointees, upholds the intent of House Resolution 1109; if a “Joint Congress or Congress acting as one” railroads amendments, and “Congress” comes up with supplementary appropriation for a railroaded plebiscite. But all these possible only if GMA appointees, now dominant in the Comelec and the Supreme Court, act according to her desire (or command?), be it in flagrant violation of the people’s expressed sentiment and will (which has consistently been anti-GMA) and of the spirit of the 1987 Constitution.
Can such a new form of government be put in place after the May general elections? Obviously, the GMA camp is working out that alternative. In fact, her National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, in a slip of his tongue, revealed that alternative scheme when he said “the next president will only be a transition president”, seemingly so sure that a new government, under a new form, most likely headed again by GMA, will be put in place even after the May elections. A Lakas-Kampi dominated legislature after election to constitute itself as Constituent Assembly immediately after election and put in-place a new form of government? It seems to be what Norberto Gonzales had in mind. Could that be the reason for GMA’s obvious wooing of the second district of Pampanga – for her to be its first MP under the parliamentary form of government?
Or could the recent maneuvers be calculated moves to create a calculated disorder – a convenient excuse for a declaration of a state of emergency? It cannot be ruled out. After all, if one monitors GMA’s unusual moves on AFP promotions, one cannot miss the fact that she is putting her most loyal generals in positions of power, by-passing other generals who by the current political system’s own measure should not have been by-passed. A coup from the center is still possible.
Simultaneously, GMA is keeping US monopoly-capitalism, the most dominant force in Philippine politics, at bay by promoting its interests as well, as is contained in the other amendments she is promoting, among them the liberalization in foreign ownership over land, mineral resources and the media, contained in HB 767.
GMA’s maneuver is most probably premised on the assumption that the masses of ordinary Filipinos would not actively intervene in politics; that they are so exasperated over elite squabble for power, so preoccupied with eking out a living amidst the current crisis, so reduced to inaction by their resignation to their own powerlessness. She probably thinks she can get away with her moves, for as long as she controls institutions of power and her elite rivals can only shout in disgust. So she can cheat, rob, misuse and disabuse the public coffers, suppress civil liberties and violate rights and processes with impunity, because others are helpless.
GMA and her likes may yet be in for a surprise. When people are made to bear the burden of an economic crisis exacerbated by government programs and policies while those in power squander urgently-needed funds in incessant political maneuvers; when their just claims to economic and political rights fall on deaf ears and their struggles are met with water hoses, tear gas and batons, when the hunger pangs gnaw amidst the flaunting of illegally acquired wealth, when disrespect becomes so blatant and insulting, the people may yet decide to take the matters in their own hands, awaken to their strength and assert what is rightfully theirs – their sovereignty. May that awakening be now, before more children are wasted, more women are prostituted, more patriots are killed!
Frustrate GMA’s maneuvers to extend her rule!
Assert the people’s democratic rights in the midst of crisis!
Power to the people!
3 June 2009
The House of Representatives did it again. This bastion of reaction in Philippine politics again displayed their capability for brazen, shameless railroading of decisions once commanded by those who control the public coffers.
Last Monday, June 1, the Lakas-Kampi majority coalition in the House decided to give precedence to floor debate on House Resolution 1109, a resolution calling on Congress, acting as one or jointly, to constitute itself into a constituent assembly (con-ass) for the purpose of proposing amendments to the 1987 Philippine Constitution. With such decision, they immediately set aside discussions on two other urgent issues before the House – the bill on the right of reply, which mandates media outlets and practitioners to ensure the reply of public officials on issues concerning them or face prosecution, a clear suppression of the press freedom, and the long-demanded agrarian reform, which the Congress has by-passed in the past sessions.
The idea of Congress acting as one (with each legislator having equal voting weight) has long been toyed in the House in the face of the continuous refusal of the Senate to approve the Con-Ass path to charter change. It is the desperate maneuver by a House dominated by GMA-paid hacks to skirt the bicameral character of the present legislature. Worse, the proponents of the Resolution, and their nit-wit, ‘pork barrel’-powered allies in the House, obviously hope to pass off the House decision on the Resolution, under their rules to be decided in only by a simple majority (136 votes), to be a Congress decision. After all, they cannot hope for a similar resolution to be processed by the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, much more be deliberated in the Senate floor.
House Resolution 1109, then authored and sponsored by Congressman and Kampi president Luis Villafuerte (he now claims it was Nograles’ idea and he just wrote it), was submitted for deliberation to the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments as early as the resumption of the Congressional sessions last April 13. Presidential son Mikey Arroyo actively sought Lakas-Kampi representatives’ signatures for the Resolution. For weeks, the House Committee could not agree on what to do with the Resolution. At one point, Villafuerte himself withdrew, and the Committee decided to drop the resolution. But a signal from Malacanang gave the ruling majority in the committee renewed enthusiasm, and they resurrected and endorsed it for floor deliberation. The hasty Lakas-Kampi merger last Thursday May 28, presided over by GMA and pursued despite the absence of some Lakas and Kampi stalwarts, gave the final marching orders to Lakas-Kampi House representatives to fast-track the passage of the resolution before Congress goes on recess. Rumors circulated that millions of pesos changed hands to ensure passage, even as the crucial CDF, better known as ‘pork barrel’, for the last fiscal year for this Congress, will also be at stake for those who dare oppose it.
True to form, those in the ruling Lakas-Kampi majority acted in indecent haste. They decided by nearly noon Monday, June 1, to give the resolution utmost priority, and when confronted with the technical flaw of absence of committee approval - a condition that bars floor deliberation on it - the House Committee hastily met, and in a few hours approved (!) what they could not decide upon in the past month. They sent back the approved HR 1109 to the House, where the rest of the Lakas-Kampi members (211) railroaded its passage last night (June 2). The monster in Malacanang got the approval she sought; at what price, anybody can now guess.
Filipinos can dismiss all these recent maneuverings with exasperation over what the Philippine legislature, specifically the House of Representatives, has reduced itself to – an idiotic, uncritical, undemocratic, shameless mob of people who kowtow to the dictates of those who control the people’s funds, i.e. Malacanang, from whom they get the funds to fuel their own political ambitions. Indeed, a despicable mob! After-all, Malacanang apologists Gabriel Claudio and Reynaldo Puno and even administration allies in the Senate, among them Juan Ponce Enrile, have been quick to dispel people’s suspicion over such moves with ‘assurances’ that nothing will come out of it; at least nothing to offset the scheduled May 10 general elections.
Yet, the question should be asked: if nothing is expected to come out of it, then why did GMA, her sons and her allies, go out of their way to wring out that decision?
To venture an answer, one must view the administration coalition’s, specifically GMA’s, obsession with cha-cha, in its proper perspective.
First, the main force behind the maneuver is definitely GMA; this indubitable fact every Filipino knows. Second, GMA faces a string of unresolved cases – electoral cheating (the Hello Garci tapes, the “I am sorry” performance, and murders of election officials); the fertilizer scam, the Diosdado Macapagal highway scam, the ZTE-NBN scam (and subsequent kidnapping of Lozada, and recent assassination attempt on a vital witness), the extra-judicial killings, and a lot of several others – unresolved because presentation of evidences could not even proceed under the tyranny of the majority in the House. Third, the end of GMA’s illegal (at it resulted from a fraudulent election) term in May 2010 will make her no longer immune to suits stemming from all the unresolved cases. Her only recourse to protect herself is to be able to maintain herself in power, while promoting imperialist’ interests as well.
One way is via a constitutional amendment that will make possible her getting past the current constitutional prohibition or ban on her further holding the most powerful position in the land. It can be via a change in the form of government, where she can be the Prime Minister therefore head of government, or President, thus, head of State.
Can such a move be done before an election under the 1987 Constitution? Yes, if the Comelec fails to prepare for the May elections and the election is postponed, an idea Comelec Chairman Jose Melo himself presented as their nightmare; if the Supreme Court, now dominated by GMA appointees, upholds the intent of House Resolution 1109; if a “Joint Congress or Congress acting as one” railroads amendments, and “Congress” comes up with supplementary appropriation for a railroaded plebiscite. But all these possible only if GMA appointees, now dominant in the Comelec and the Supreme Court, act according to her desire (or command?), be it in flagrant violation of the people’s expressed sentiment and will (which has consistently been anti-GMA) and of the spirit of the 1987 Constitution.
Can such a new form of government be put in place after the May general elections? Obviously, the GMA camp is working out that alternative. In fact, her National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, in a slip of his tongue, revealed that alternative scheme when he said “the next president will only be a transition president”, seemingly so sure that a new government, under a new form, most likely headed again by GMA, will be put in place even after the May elections. A Lakas-Kampi dominated legislature after election to constitute itself as Constituent Assembly immediately after election and put in-place a new form of government? It seems to be what Norberto Gonzales had in mind. Could that be the reason for GMA’s obvious wooing of the second district of Pampanga – for her to be its first MP under the parliamentary form of government?
Or could the recent maneuvers be calculated moves to create a calculated disorder – a convenient excuse for a declaration of a state of emergency? It cannot be ruled out. After all, if one monitors GMA’s unusual moves on AFP promotions, one cannot miss the fact that she is putting her most loyal generals in positions of power, by-passing other generals who by the current political system’s own measure should not have been by-passed. A coup from the center is still possible.
Simultaneously, GMA is keeping US monopoly-capitalism, the most dominant force in Philippine politics, at bay by promoting its interests as well, as is contained in the other amendments she is promoting, among them the liberalization in foreign ownership over land, mineral resources and the media, contained in HB 767.
GMA’s maneuver is most probably premised on the assumption that the masses of ordinary Filipinos would not actively intervene in politics; that they are so exasperated over elite squabble for power, so preoccupied with eking out a living amidst the current crisis, so reduced to inaction by their resignation to their own powerlessness. She probably thinks she can get away with her moves, for as long as she controls institutions of power and her elite rivals can only shout in disgust. So she can cheat, rob, misuse and disabuse the public coffers, suppress civil liberties and violate rights and processes with impunity, because others are helpless.
GMA and her likes may yet be in for a surprise. When people are made to bear the burden of an economic crisis exacerbated by government programs and policies while those in power squander urgently-needed funds in incessant political maneuvers; when their just claims to economic and political rights fall on deaf ears and their struggles are met with water hoses, tear gas and batons, when the hunger pangs gnaw amidst the flaunting of illegally acquired wealth, when disrespect becomes so blatant and insulting, the people may yet decide to take the matters in their own hands, awaken to their strength and assert what is rightfully theirs – their sovereignty. May that awakening be now, before more children are wasted, more women are prostituted, more patriots are killed!
Frustrate GMA’s maneuvers to extend her rule!
Assert the people’s democratic rights in the midst of crisis!
Power to the people!
3 June 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Struggle for Protection and Social Change Response to the Imperialist Crisis
Global recession—this is the logical outcome of two decades and a half of implementation of neo-liberal “globalization”. Today capitalist crisis hammers on lives and livelihood of billions of workers and other toiling masses all over the world. The current global recession broke open the myth of globalization
The crisis has long been looming to explode. Various schemes of the world’s capitalists to boost profit have reduced the income and capacity to pay of workers and of other toiling masses. Outsourcing; contractualization; and downright reduction of the workers wages and benefits are but a few examples of their schemes. Globalization rendered bankrupt many medium-sized producers of the world over through the uncontrolled influx of surplus products from industrialized countries to relatively backward ones.
In the US and in other industrialized countries, unrestrained giving out of loans especially for housing temporarily concealed the decreasing buying capacity of the people. The rapid rise in housing prices fanned speculations in this field. Through speculation and high interest of loans, the accumulated capital of financial institutions earned enormous profits. And to further widen from which their money could earn more profits, financial capitalists created diverse instruments and financial schemes such as securities, credit insurance, etc.
For almost two decades, big banks and financial institutions held sway in amassing billions in profits while pushing a growing number of people into abject poverty. But when the market for housing contracted and their prices soared, many of those consumers that bought overpriced houses could no longer pay.
Banks experienced shortage in money. The value of the financial instruments they were holding shrunk or perished. They restricted lending and the artificial market disappeared like bubble. The real state of the people’s livelihood was exposed. The problem in lending and the shrinking market translated into diminished production. The world financial crisis turned into a world recession in production and services.
Foreign investment apparently declined. This was immediately reflected at the stocks exchange and hit even the industry and service sector. Plans for expansions in the country were impeded, despite the fact that capitalization comparatively declined.
Doubtlessly, capitalists immediately passed on their crisis to the workers. In different parts of the world, especially at industrialized countries, millions lost jobs. Like bubble, they lost security in their jobs, education and health care. Wages dropped. Millions of families were thrown out of the houses that the banks locked.
Almost all governments in the world allotted money to rescue the rapidly falling economy. But instead of allotting these funds that were usually loaned to rescue the workers and other toiling masses that are experiencing severe hunger and homelessness, these were allotted for big banks and businesses. This is triple beating for the masses: they are victims of the crisis, deprived of public funds and burdened by additional public loans.
The crisis is still worsening and its end is not yet in sight.
In the Philippines, the bankruptcy of an economy that has no foundation or of an economy that is anchored on foreign economy is bared
The import-dependent, foreign investment-led and service provision-centered Philippine economy is slowly burning out like a candle. Philippine exports have dropped by 41%. Badly hit were the electronics parts and car industry. Production was reduced or factories shutdown. The price of exported coconut oil and copra has also dropped.
This immediately meant massive job cuts for Filipino workers. More than 65, 000 workers has been laid off from factories of electronics, car, garments, handicraft/furniture and other exported products and it is estimated that this will reach 300,000 by the end of June while 60,000 workers are estimated to be working at less than 40 hours a week.
More than 15,000 OFWs went home due to layoffs. Many others remained overseas taking chances at finding other jobs. Despite the 26% increase in OFWs in 2008, remittances registered a 15% growth only. Last December, only a 0.21% growth was recorded. It is expected that actual decline of OFW remittances will be seen this 2009.
The continued dumping of foreign surplus products to our local markets worsens our economy. Local production cannot hold out in the market resulting to diminished profits or bankruptcy for local producers.
Costs of social services are rising: water, power, tuition fee and hospitalization. In desperation, many resort to committing crimes.
Capitalists further make use of contractualization and repression of workers
Instead of taking responsibility for the crisis and the havoc it wrecked upon the people, capitalists use their crisis to justify intensified exploitation and repression of workers. As an example, the tuna producers of General Santos City agreed not to raise their workers’ wages In almost all industries, haggling for additional benefits and wage increase becomes very tricky.
Forced retirement of regular workers, to give way to the hiring of contractual ones when production resumes, continues to be the employment policy of the day. In the process, it weakens unions and unionism. And in cases when unions have asserted themselves, capitalists resort to temporary closure, with the crisis as their pretext, and opening again under a new name to facilitate hiring of contractual workers. These are clearly anti-worker maneuvers, to which the Arroyo administration turns a blind eye.
The government is insensitive to people’s suffering
GMA is busy with her junkets, supposedly to beg for jobs that will employ Filipinos abroad. The Arroyo’s government is occupied with contracting loans for its deficits and budget for cover-up-top-gap responses to the crisis. She is occupied with giving rewards to her most faithful partners in various crimes they committed against the country and in her manipulations to remain in power beyond 2010 through charter change and other schemes. The toiling masses cannot expect anything from a government that defends and runs a system that has brought us nothing but suffering and misery, a government that refuses accountability to its people.
Struggle for social change!
The mammoth devastation hammering on the people today proves the rottenness of the current system. Experience taught us that the solution to the crisis does not lie in the hands of the people who are supposed to account for it. And the vastly damaging effects of the crisis show that getting uninvolved or silent will not exempt any one from the crisis. As long as this system exists, crises of this kind will lash on everyone especially on us—the marginalized sector.
Only through the concerted effort of workers and other toiling masses can we protect, assert and fight for our interest and betterment. Only through making a stand can we build a better future for our children. It is high time to take control of our own lives and future. Achieve social change! This is imperative.
Struggle for social protection or temporary relief against this crisis!
Along with our fellow overseas workers, let us, in unison, renounce and fight the global capitalist system that is riddled with crisis. Let us oppose its neo-liberal designs and policies. In the Philippines , let us assert and fight for an economy that cares for the toiling masses and will redress the century-long injustice we had been enduring. Let us work for a genuine agrarian reform and for the development of national industrialization.
Immediately, let us demand for temporary relief from this crisis. For this, we will demand for foreign and local capitalists that amassed thousands of profit for more than two decades from the neo-liberal policies to take responsibility for this crisis. This government that implemented and benefited fro the neo-liberal programs and brazenly stole public finds must be made to account and pay.
To pay for the immediate ease from this crisis, together we will push for the suspension of the annual debt payments especially for debts that found their way into private bank accounts; the collection of taxes from foreign-owned businesses that have long been exempted from payment; the raising of income tax of multi-millionaires and billionaires; and the retrieval of public funds stolen by bureaucrats. Our demands are justified. Unite and Struggle!
Beginning this May one, with solid strength and unity let us highlight and pursue the following demands:
JOB SECURITY, NOT CONTRACTUALIZATION!
RESPECT OF RIGHTS, NOT REPRESSION!
SUBSIDY FOR THE UNEMPLOYED!
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FREE EDUCATION and HEALTH CARE for the POOR!
ADDITIONAL TAX for FOREIGN INVESTORS, TAX EXEMPTION for WORKERS and the POVERTY STRICKEN MASSES!
RENOUNCE the SCOURGE OF GLOBALIZATION!
RELENTLESSLY PURSUE THE STRUGGLE for TOTAL SOCIAL CHANGE!
The crisis has long been looming to explode. Various schemes of the world’s capitalists to boost profit have reduced the income and capacity to pay of workers and of other toiling masses. Outsourcing; contractualization; and downright reduction of the workers wages and benefits are but a few examples of their schemes. Globalization rendered bankrupt many medium-sized producers of the world over through the uncontrolled influx of surplus products from industrialized countries to relatively backward ones.
In the US and in other industrialized countries, unrestrained giving out of loans especially for housing temporarily concealed the decreasing buying capacity of the people. The rapid rise in housing prices fanned speculations in this field. Through speculation and high interest of loans, the accumulated capital of financial institutions earned enormous profits. And to further widen from which their money could earn more profits, financial capitalists created diverse instruments and financial schemes such as securities, credit insurance, etc.
For almost two decades, big banks and financial institutions held sway in amassing billions in profits while pushing a growing number of people into abject poverty. But when the market for housing contracted and their prices soared, many of those consumers that bought overpriced houses could no longer pay.
Banks experienced shortage in money. The value of the financial instruments they were holding shrunk or perished. They restricted lending and the artificial market disappeared like bubble. The real state of the people’s livelihood was exposed. The problem in lending and the shrinking market translated into diminished production. The world financial crisis turned into a world recession in production and services.
Foreign investment apparently declined. This was immediately reflected at the stocks exchange and hit even the industry and service sector. Plans for expansions in the country were impeded, despite the fact that capitalization comparatively declined.
Doubtlessly, capitalists immediately passed on their crisis to the workers. In different parts of the world, especially at industrialized countries, millions lost jobs. Like bubble, they lost security in their jobs, education and health care. Wages dropped. Millions of families were thrown out of the houses that the banks locked.
Almost all governments in the world allotted money to rescue the rapidly falling economy. But instead of allotting these funds that were usually loaned to rescue the workers and other toiling masses that are experiencing severe hunger and homelessness, these were allotted for big banks and businesses. This is triple beating for the masses: they are victims of the crisis, deprived of public funds and burdened by additional public loans.
The crisis is still worsening and its end is not yet in sight.
In the Philippines, the bankruptcy of an economy that has no foundation or of an economy that is anchored on foreign economy is bared
The import-dependent, foreign investment-led and service provision-centered Philippine economy is slowly burning out like a candle. Philippine exports have dropped by 41%. Badly hit were the electronics parts and car industry. Production was reduced or factories shutdown. The price of exported coconut oil and copra has also dropped.
This immediately meant massive job cuts for Filipino workers. More than 65, 000 workers has been laid off from factories of electronics, car, garments, handicraft/furniture and other exported products and it is estimated that this will reach 300,000 by the end of June while 60,000 workers are estimated to be working at less than 40 hours a week.
More than 15,000 OFWs went home due to layoffs. Many others remained overseas taking chances at finding other jobs. Despite the 26% increase in OFWs in 2008, remittances registered a 15% growth only. Last December, only a 0.21% growth was recorded. It is expected that actual decline of OFW remittances will be seen this 2009.
The continued dumping of foreign surplus products to our local markets worsens our economy. Local production cannot hold out in the market resulting to diminished profits or bankruptcy for local producers.
Costs of social services are rising: water, power, tuition fee and hospitalization. In desperation, many resort to committing crimes.
Capitalists further make use of contractualization and repression of workers
Instead of taking responsibility for the crisis and the havoc it wrecked upon the people, capitalists use their crisis to justify intensified exploitation and repression of workers. As an example, the tuna producers of General Santos City agreed not to raise their workers’ wages In almost all industries, haggling for additional benefits and wage increase becomes very tricky.
Forced retirement of regular workers, to give way to the hiring of contractual ones when production resumes, continues to be the employment policy of the day. In the process, it weakens unions and unionism. And in cases when unions have asserted themselves, capitalists resort to temporary closure, with the crisis as their pretext, and opening again under a new name to facilitate hiring of contractual workers. These are clearly anti-worker maneuvers, to which the Arroyo administration turns a blind eye.
The government is insensitive to people’s suffering
GMA is busy with her junkets, supposedly to beg for jobs that will employ Filipinos abroad. The Arroyo’s government is occupied with contracting loans for its deficits and budget for cover-up-top-gap responses to the crisis. She is occupied with giving rewards to her most faithful partners in various crimes they committed against the country and in her manipulations to remain in power beyond 2010 through charter change and other schemes. The toiling masses cannot expect anything from a government that defends and runs a system that has brought us nothing but suffering and misery, a government that refuses accountability to its people.
Struggle for social change!
The mammoth devastation hammering on the people today proves the rottenness of the current system. Experience taught us that the solution to the crisis does not lie in the hands of the people who are supposed to account for it. And the vastly damaging effects of the crisis show that getting uninvolved or silent will not exempt any one from the crisis. As long as this system exists, crises of this kind will lash on everyone especially on us—the marginalized sector.
Only through the concerted effort of workers and other toiling masses can we protect, assert and fight for our interest and betterment. Only through making a stand can we build a better future for our children. It is high time to take control of our own lives and future. Achieve social change! This is imperative.
Struggle for social protection or temporary relief against this crisis!
Along with our fellow overseas workers, let us, in unison, renounce and fight the global capitalist system that is riddled with crisis. Let us oppose its neo-liberal designs and policies. In the Philippines , let us assert and fight for an economy that cares for the toiling masses and will redress the century-long injustice we had been enduring. Let us work for a genuine agrarian reform and for the development of national industrialization.
Immediately, let us demand for temporary relief from this crisis. For this, we will demand for foreign and local capitalists that amassed thousands of profit for more than two decades from the neo-liberal policies to take responsibility for this crisis. This government that implemented and benefited fro the neo-liberal programs and brazenly stole public finds must be made to account and pay.
To pay for the immediate ease from this crisis, together we will push for the suspension of the annual debt payments especially for debts that found their way into private bank accounts; the collection of taxes from foreign-owned businesses that have long been exempted from payment; the raising of income tax of multi-millionaires and billionaires; and the retrieval of public funds stolen by bureaucrats. Our demands are justified. Unite and Struggle!
Beginning this May one, with solid strength and unity let us highlight and pursue the following demands:
JOB SECURITY, NOT CONTRACTUALIZATION!
RESPECT OF RIGHTS, NOT REPRESSION!
SUBSIDY FOR THE UNEMPLOYED!
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FREE EDUCATION and HEALTH CARE for the POOR!
ADDITIONAL TAX for FOREIGN INVESTORS, TAX EXEMPTION for WORKERS and the POVERTY STRICKEN MASSES!
RENOUNCE the SCOURGE OF GLOBALIZATION!
RELENTLESSLY PURSUE THE STRUGGLE for TOTAL SOCIAL CHANGE!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
A Statement against the Revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP)
We are Filipinos who view with concern and alarm the proposal to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) located at Napot Point in Morong, Bataan.
We have not forgotten that this plant is conceived from a corrupt and anomalous deal struck during the Marcos dictatorship which profited the Marcos cronies and burdened the public for the last three decades, the time it took to write off the USD 2.3 Billion cost of constructing the plant.
The plant in question is riddled with defects from its cover design, construction, quality assurance, workmanship and project management; it sits on a geologically unsafe location and poses a very high risk to the lives and livelihood of underlying communities and provinces.
Also, there is yet to be any effective technology to store or dispose nuclear waste.
We believe that there is no need to burden the people twice with this white elephant, whose revival will cost a whooping USD 1 Billion. And we view with wariness and misgiving the alleged benefits pointed out by pro-BNPP legislators.
We call on our legislators and public officials to look beyond self-serving interests and uphold interest of future generations and reject the BNPP.
We believe that BNPP remains to be:
-Deadly and Dangerous
-Burdensome to the public and
-Unnecessary
Thus, we are coming together, from all walks of life, to join in a broad call to oppose the resuscitation of this plant known as the “Monster of Morong “.
Protect our Communities from Danger! Oppose the Revival of the BNPP!
Bury the Monster of Morong!
to sign up for this on line petition, please log on to:
multiply:
http://nfbmnet.multiply.com/
online petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/nuclear-free-bataan/signatures.html
We are Filipinos who view with concern and alarm the proposal to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) located at Napot Point in Morong, Bataan.
We have not forgotten that this plant is conceived from a corrupt and anomalous deal struck during the Marcos dictatorship which profited the Marcos cronies and burdened the public for the last three decades, the time it took to write off the USD 2.3 Billion cost of constructing the plant.
The plant in question is riddled with defects from its cover design, construction, quality assurance, workmanship and project management; it sits on a geologically unsafe location and poses a very high risk to the lives and livelihood of underlying communities and provinces.
Also, there is yet to be any effective technology to store or dispose nuclear waste.
We believe that there is no need to burden the people twice with this white elephant, whose revival will cost a whooping USD 1 Billion. And we view with wariness and misgiving the alleged benefits pointed out by pro-BNPP legislators.
We call on our legislators and public officials to look beyond self-serving interests and uphold interest of future generations and reject the BNPP.
We believe that BNPP remains to be:
-Deadly and Dangerous
-Burdensome to the public and
-Unnecessary
Thus, we are coming together, from all walks of life, to join in a broad call to oppose the resuscitation of this plant known as the “Monster of Morong “.
Protect our Communities from Danger! Oppose the Revival of the BNPP!
Bury the Monster of Morong!
to sign up for this on line petition, please log on to:
multiply:
http://nfbmnet.multiply.com/
online petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/nuclear-free-bataan/signatures.html
Tungkol sa Sinasabing Pagbaligtad ni Nicole 1
Paglilinaw sa Kasapian ng KAISA KA:
Tungkol sa Sinasabing Pagbaligtad ni Nicole
Iba’t iba ang reaksyon sa tinataguriang “March 12 Affidavit”* ni Nicole at sa binitawan ng kanyang ina na nasa US na umano si Nicole para mamuhay nang matahimik. Marami ang nagalit at ang tingin nila ay natraidor sila. Tinitingnan naman ng iba na iniwan sila sa ere. Marami ngayon ang umaatake kay Nicole. Kung dati ay kinulapulan na siya ng putik, inilulublob pa siya ngayon. Lalo pang piinagdiriinan ng iba na maruming babae nga si Nicole.
Ano ang ating aktitud?
Paano natin ito ipaliliwanag sa mga mamamayang pinalahok natin sa laban para sa katarungan kaugnay ng Subic Rape Case?
Hindi natin pinagsisisihan ang pagtulong kay Nicole.
Ikinagagalak at ipinagmamalaki ng KAISA KA na naging importanteng bahagi ito ng mga pwersang sumaklolo, umalalay at nakipaglaban para kay Nicole. Ipinagmamalaki nating naging importateng bahagi tayo ng paglaban para sa katarungan ng unang biktima ng pang-aabuso ng mga sundalo ng US na tumakbo sa husgado at nakakuha ng conviction para sa isa sa mga akusado. Ipinagmamalaki natin ang walang pagdadalawang-loob na pagdadala ng laban ng unang biktimang nangahas tumayo sa unang kasong sumalang sa kawastuan ng VFA.
Naniniwala tayong totoo ang kanyang sinabi sa kanyang mga isinalaysay sa panahon ng pagdinig sa RTC sa Makati. May ilan sa ating nakasama mismo
* Inilabas ito sa midya ng kampo ni Smith noong !7 Marso 2009. Sa apidabit na ito, sinabi ni Nicole na siya ay nakukonsensya at di eksakto ang nauna niyang salaysay. Kabilang sa mga bago niyang salaysay ay: Pinagdududahan daw niya kung talagang may intensyong gahasain siya ni Smith o baka naman nawala ang mga inhibitions niya dahil sa alak kaya naging
mapusok siya. Inamin din niya rito na tumanggap na siya ng P100, 000 bilang bayad sa danyosayon sa inutos ng Hukuman.
sa pagkausap sa kanya bago ang mga pagdinig at di nagbabagu-bago ang kanyang salaysay. Maliwanag sa mga ebidensya at patunay na totoong grabe ang kanyang pagkalasing at nawalan siya ng malay dahil dito at sa gayon ay di makapagbibigay ng kanyang pagsang-ayon para pakipagtalik.
Hindi natin kinukondena si Nicole
Matindi ang kanyang pinagdaanan. Sa Pilipinas, liban kung bata ang ginahasa, nauuna pang ipako ang biktima kaysa sa rapist. Hindi na siya sinuportahan ng gubyerno, pinangunahan pa mismo ng “Justice” Secretary ang pangungutya sa kanya at sa kanyang pagkatao. Pinagsikapan niyang sanggain ang sari-saring pwersang pwedeng magpahina sa kanyang paglaban. Habang agad siyang pinaratangan, agad ding niyang nilabanan ang mga “mungkahi” ng ilang pulis, tauhan ng City Hall ng Olongapo, at iba pa na imbes na magkaso ay “makipag-ayos na lang, umiwas sa kahihiyan at magkakapera pa”. Tinanggihanr niya ang alok noong kasagsagan ng pagdinig sa Makati na ipatalo ang kaso kapalit ng blank cheque, bahay at lupa sa US at visa. Ilang beses niyang pinagrebeldehan ang mismong malalapit sa kanya na nanumbat sa kanya tungkol sa pagkaistorbo ng kanilang buhay, paghahanapbuhay at kabuhayan dahil sa pag-asikaso sa
kaso.
Kung anuman ang naganap na humantong sa March 12 Affidavit, hindi natin alam ang ditalye pero ang malinaw, ang mga nakasaad sa kanyang apidapit ay mga argumentong ihinarap ng kanyang kalaban at ang pormulasyon ng salaysay ay hindi kay Nicole.
Sikapin nating palawakin ang ating pang-unawa. Dumaranas ang isang biktima ng panggagahasa ng sarisaring emosyunal na pagpapababalingbaling na pwedeng makaapekto sa kanyang mga tindig sa buhay. At kung sakali’t totoong naakit na siya ng alok na mabuhay sa US nang may karangyaan at katahimikan, alam nating matatanto rin ni Nicole ang kahungkagan ng pangakong iyan.
Ganoonman, laging hangad natin ang pinakamabuti para kay Nicole.
Nais ng kalaban ni Nicole, sa pagkakagawa ng ikalawang apidabit, na impluwensyahan ang kaisipan ng mga magpapasya sa Court of Appeals para acquit si Smith at madaling ipatanggap sa mamamayan ang acquittal.
Wala naman talagang kabuluhang ligal ang March 12 Affidavit, na ninotaryuhan at sinumpaan sa harap ng isang abugado ng bupeteng nagsisilbi kay Smith, sa pagpapasya ng apila ni Smith sa kanyang kaso sa Court of Appeals dahil hindi naman na pinag-uusapan sa CA ang mga “bagong ebidensya”. Pero para sa akusado at sa mga abogado nito, malaki ang magagawa ng “ganitong salaysay” para impluwensyahan ang kaisipan ng mga magpapasya tungkol sa apila ni Smith.
Liban pa, mahalaga para sa pro-VFA na administrasyong Arroyo ang ganitong salaysay. Maliwanag na may mga pahayag ang ilang tao ng Malakañang na nagpapahiwatig na umaasa silang mampapawalan-sala si Smith ng CA at sa gayon, mapapahupa ang tension tungkol sa di pagbabalik kay Smith sa kulungang Pilipino at tungkol sa pagiging makaisang panig ng VFA.
Sa pangwawasak sa kredibilidad ni Nicole, nais din ng gubyerno na patayin ang kilusan para sa katarungan kaugnay ng Subic Rape Case at buhusan ng malamig na tubig ang umiinit na panawagan para sa pagbabasura ng VFA.
Pansinin nating masyadong pinatitingkad ang puntong nasa US na si Nicole. Ganoondin ang puntong tinanggap na niya ang inutos ng korte na P100, 000 kabayaran ni Smith sa danyos.
Kung tutuusin, wala namang katiyakang nasa US nga si Nicole At ang pananagutang sibil, ang P100,000 kabayaran ay ayon sa pasya ng nakabababang hukuman. Inilabas ito sa publiko at lubhang pinagdidiinan para palabasing “cheap” talaga si Nicole. Ito ay karagdagang paglulublob ng mukha ni Nicole upang lubos na mawasak ang kanyang kredibilidad at ng mga nagtaguyod sa kanya. Sa gayon nila nakikitang mapapatay o kahit pansamantalang mapipigilan ang lalo pang pag-init ng panawagan para sa pagbabasura ng VFA.
Hindi mabubura ng March 12 Affidavit ang isang mukha ng VFA, ang mukha ng karahasan sa kababaihan na maliwanag na inilarawan ng Subic Rape Case
Malaki ang kabuluhan ng Subic Rape Case at ng pagtindig ni Nicole para ilantad at ipaglaban ang katarungan para mailadlad ang marahas na mukha ng VFA. Naipakita ng laban ni Nicole ang matagal nang ibinababala ng mga organisasyong pangkababaihan na sa pagkakaroon ng VFA, lalo lamang nailalagay ang kababaihang Pilipino sa panganib na makaranas ng pandarahas militar.
Maliwanag na inilantad ng paglaban ni Nicole at ng mamamayan ang matagal na nating sinasabing kinukunsinti ng pwerang militar ng US ang panggagahasa ng kanilang tropa sa ginagawa nitong pagtatakip at pagbibigay proteksyon sa akusado. Pinatutunayan nitong hanggang ngayon, dala-dala pa rin ng pwersang militar ng US ang patriarkong kulturang militar na tumuturing sa katawan ng kababaihan bilang premyo o pabuya sa mga pagod na katawan ng kanilang mga sundalong nagtatanggol sa mga estratehilong interes ng imperyo.
Hindi mabubura ng March 12 Affidavit ang isa pang mukha ng VFA na inilarawan ng Subic Rape Case, ang VFA bilang pagyurak sa soberanya ng bayang mahina.
Matagal na ring nagbabala ang mga taong masikhay na nagsuri sa VFA bago at matapos itong pagtibayin ng Senado. Marami ang di-pantay na prubisyon nito at lubhang dehado ang Pilipinas. Kasama sa mga prubisyong dehado ang Pilipinas yaong tungkol sa: kawalang karapatan ng gubyernong Pilipinas na tsek-apin ang mga ipinapasok na armas ng US sa Pilipinas, na tsekapin
kung may mga nakahahawang sakit ang mga sundalo, na tingnan ang kanilang mga passport o hanapan ng visa, na buwisan ang kanilang mga ipinapapasok na produkto at sasakyan galing sa labas at ang tungkol sa Criminal Jurisdiction na siya ngang nasalang sa kaso ng Subic rape.
Pinatunayan ng Subic Rape Case at ng paglaban natin para sa katarungan kaugnay nito na hindi puro pangamba lamang ang mga babalang iyon. Mula noong mangyari pa lamang wala na ang kustodya sa suspects sa kamay ng Pilipinas. Noong makasuhan na, at dapat madetain na ang mga akusado, tumanggi pa rin ang gubyernong US na ibigay ito sa Pilipinas. Noong masentensyahan na si Smith at nagpasya na ang Huwes na sa Makati City Jail ito ikulong, kinutsaba pa rin ng US government ang gubyerno ni Arroyo upang bawiin si Smith at ilagay sa air conditioned na kwarto ng US Embassy. Lagi’t lagi ang prubisyon ng VFA tungkol sa Criminal Jurisdiction ang isinasangkalan. Pero kahit na nitong nagpasya na ang Supreme Court na hindi ayon sa VFA ang pagbalik kaya Smith sa US Embassy, tumatanggi pa rin ang US na ibigay si Smith sa awtoridad na Pilipino para ikulong sa Pilipinas.
Hindi pa tapos ang laban ganoon man ang inabot ng pampipresyur kay Nicole
Lampas kay Nicole ang laban para sa katarungan kaugnay ng Subic Rape Case. Ito ay laban ng kababaihang Pilipino at ng mamamayang Pilipino sa kabuuuan.
Patuloy nating igiit na maparusahan si Smith. Kontrahin natin ang pressure sa CA na pawalang-sala si Smith at igiit nating maikulong si Smith sa isang penitentiary (kulungan ng mga napatunayang nakagawa ng mabigat na krimen) sa Pilipinas.
Patindihin natin ang paglaban sa VFA at buhaying muli ang isang kilusan para pawalambisa ang VFA. Gagamitin pa rin nating pambala laban sa VFA ang Subic Rape Case at ang dinaanan nito. Pero daragdagan natin ng maraming iba pang pambalang naipon natin sa sampung taon ng pag-iral nito. Kabilang dito ang pag-iral ng mga pasilidad o base militar ng US sa Pilipinas; ang
paglulunsad ng US, sa pamamagitan ng VFA ng unconventional warfare o isang klase ng pakikipaggera sa Mindanao; ang pagkakasangkot nila sa pamamaslang ng mga sibilyan kasama na ang isang babaeng buntis at mga bata; ang dislokasyon sa mamamayan dulot ng kanilang exercises at gera; ang pagkakatulak sa kababaihan, bunga nito, na maramihang mag-OFW lalo na tungo sa Malaysia at mahulog sa ibayo pang pagkakapahamak; at ang papel ng mga sundalong US sa patuloy na pandarambong ng likas na yaman sa Mindanao.
Ituloy natin ang paglaban para sa katarungan.
VFA: Ibasura!
Pambansang Komiteng Tagapagpaganap
KAISA KA
Marso 21, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Uncertainty is the “in” word nowadays.
Various massive company lay-offs and corporate downsizing schemes; a number of abrupt bank holidays and closure of financial institutions; the ill economic news left and right – these are just the surface of a deepening global economic recession (we dare say depression) that is not an inch of good news at all.
No matter how much the present GMA regime and the reactionary forces from here and abroad sugarcoat the series of events leading to the global depression, the prevalence of poverty and economic turmoil among the ordinary citizenry is the real score.
And this purported lack of adherence to the principles of truth by those who banner the dying cause of capitalism (in general) is a blatant insult to the injury of the world’s populace – and truth is what we all should pursue if we intend to solve our present misery under the rotten present social system.
How the global economy, triggered by the strategic downfall of U.S. imperialism, ended up bleeding profusely to the point of dying – and why we Filipinos should be caring to take notice of these events?
Tied in servitude to U.S.’s imperialist interests, let’s analyze the annals of history to better understand how the current American demise brings forth doom to our livid nation.
Needless to say, the reality is that the Philippines – being a neo-colony – isn’t too invincible not to be affected, Mrs. Arroyo.
U.S. Imperialism – An Interlude
Inspired by the bourgeoisie revolution erupting in various parts of Europe and fueled by the technological innovations of the industrial revolution (ushered and maximized by capitalists themselves in order to hasten their profit), it didn’t take long before the emerging American capitalist nation (fresh from winning its independence from colonialist Britain) made itself known to the world politically and economically.
But because the capitalists’ mind is programmed for “more profit”, monopolist American tycoons and small market investors sought to double their profit in the most feasible way without having to hassle themselves with putting up resource-consuming industries or formal businesses – hence the stock market was born.
Add this to U.S.’s rapidly expanding industries and booming banking system and it was no sooner that America bloomed to the point of deterioration even as early as the 1870’s.
As feared by experts, U.S.’s and other imperialist nation’s speculative economy (e.g. Wall Street or the stock market – the gambling juncture for big-time capitalists and ordinary investors) busted half a century later and paved the way for the Great Depression (1920s).
In those times, millions of workers lost their jobs and millions of families suffered hunger pangs and literal nothingness (very much like the impoverished condition in our country now) in a daily basis while basic commodities flooded the market to rot. Indeed, the Great Depression was the darkest fiscal turmoil the world has ever seen in decades.
This imperialist crisis of overproduction and shrinking market pointed to one solution: WAR, the most lucrative business up to date in the capitalism era.
Fast-track to post-World War II.
America was the least ravaged country among the warring imperialist nations – in fact, it even profited and fed-off from the destruction that rampaged across the Atlantic and beyond (save for Pearl Harbor and U.S.’s armed forces who were sent as war machinery).
After the war, the vastly devastated European and Asian countries had incurred not only war damages in the process of the fighting but also a ballooning indebtedness – to no other than the U.S.
This debt bondage to U.S. and its apparent military strength served as the basis for the nation’s rise to economic prominence and its transformation into an imperialist superpower.
America at present.
Being a dominant superpower after World War II, America is currently in the middle of a wide scale economic uncertainty. In truth, it’s this fear of what lies beyond an institutions’ financial comfort zone that is spelling doom to the general economy of the world.
After almost a decade of failed policies under the war-freak, terrorism-obsessed Bush administration, the American people sought for a relief from the ongoing financial crisis that shook the nation’s economy (which first manifested in the form of the housing mortgage flop early last year).
November 2008, the presidential elections – Bush goes OUT and Obama comes IN.
The Obama hype, apart from being a history-setting racial win, was largely due to the fact that U.S. was deep in recession and it needed somebody to come pick it up from despondency.
Now that all the confetti has fallen, the question is: has the world, especially the American people, found a savior in president Obama? Or is the world forgoing another chapter in its history books where the faces change but nevertheless poverty prevails?
NO and YES.
In what has been dubbed as an impending depression far worse than the Great Depression, the scale of this foreseen period is unprecedented – the expected global shockwave is off the Richter and the forecasted 200,000,000 jobs shed off during the year (according to International Labor Organization – ILO) is just the tip of the iceberg.
Now, where’s Barack’s “distribution of wealth” platform when he himself signs a bail-out plan that covers big financial institutions and not the ordinary citizen?
Funny but it’s also the move of various imperialist governments that are affected by the “crunch”
Clearly, the capitalist-riddled bureaucracy has no heart for the toiling masses – as is the case in the Philippines.
Going Back to Our Shores.
Recently named among BizNews Asia magazine’s “Power 100,” Gloria Arroyo surely succeeded building an iron-walled regime based on sleaze, puppetry and fraud.
Looking back, in the eye of the global economic storm, she assured the public of stability and even boasted of the dubious 0.3 GDP growth that the nation recently enjoyed – now, she calmly assures the public on one side still but strongly urges the present and upcoming labor force to search for greener pastures abroad.
This logical move by GMA to rid the country of more of its labor resource is due to the fact that our economy floats merely from the increasing OFW remittances (and the news of continuous lay-offs of thousands of OFWs overseas knocks on Malacañang’s doors like an inevitable catastrophe). Locally, unemployment is expected to soar higher than never before this year – leaving a bulk of ‘09 graduates to be on an indefinite standby.
To top this scenario is the fact that:
- 7 out of 10 Filipinos suffer involuntary hunger (eat less than 3 times a day).
- DOLE conservatively predicts that there will be 300,000 Filipinos who will lose their jobs until June this year (not counting the overseas lay-offs).
- Only 25% companies in the country abide by the minimum wage law (Cebu – Php 267.00) while the daily cost of living for a family of 4 has already climbed to Php 750+.
- Our total debt has reached 7.6 trillion pesos – divided equally among the populace equates to an individual debt of 89,000 each one.
- An astounding number of 45 million Filipinos don’t own a land or a decent home to live in.
To the rising incidence of poverty in our country, what is Arroyo’s call on the nation? Charter change – a clear ridicule of Juan dela Cruz’s plight.
Yet, when did the reactionary elite of our country ever have the heart to see the misery of the ordinary Juan? Isn’t it that they took a seat in power for further profiteering and not to heed the people’s cry for true equality and economic equity?
Feng shui experts may have recommended that in this Year of the Ox, it pays to persevere and toil doubly hard to achieve our short and long term goals – yet let that not serve as a reason to be passive to all the anomalies that pester our nation to utter wretchedness.
In capitalism’s collapse comes the immediate need to study for other alternative social system that could well push the world to further advancement without having to result to widening the gap between those who have and those who have nothing.
The best time to usher in a new kind of society? NOW.
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