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.

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

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

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

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