Ma. Theresa Pangilinan will be coming to Manila on Thursday and we are hoping to get an inteview with her. Meanwhile, cheers pour in:
Conrado De Quiros thanks god for Theresa. Ellen Tordesillas thinks the act is a good form of a social boycott aimed at isolating Arroyo. Business Mirror's Colonel calls her the Gutsy Girl.
Mong slams Defensor's response. Rep. Teddy Casino says Mahiya ka naman, Mike!, while Tonyo says: Kapal ng Mukha!
Luis Teodoro hits Defensor but also notes the apparent decline of the student movement as shown by the reported boos from Pangilinan's co-grads.
Nepal People Power update:Did the opposition parties sell-out? Opposition parties end general strike as King declares reinstatement of parliament; protests continue. Maoists say the opposition parties commited a "historical blunder."
Technorati Tags: Philippines, students, protests, graduation, Arroyo, politics, Nepal, activism, people power, revolution, democracy
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kudos to Maria Theresa Pangilinan, student council president of the Cavite State University, for exemplifying what our new grads really think of president arroyo and her godforsaken regime.
despite super efforts to hide it, president arroyo was visibly pissed and will probably think a zillion times before accepting another invitation to speak in any graduation rite. her chief of staff mike defensor was, of course,
on the defensive. he had the gall to invoke his 'student activist' days, that they had 'more decorum' then. crap, crap, and more crap. he even mentioned former UP student regent jerry barican's similar protest in his graduation rites during marcos' martial law days. no surprise there. barican after all seems to be his, ehem, 'idol'.
according to defensor: "What Barican spoke out against was martial law. This is just Charter change-it's a different issue which could have been conducted in a different place and different time." if he truly believes this, he was not much of a student activist at all.
i am posting the editorial article i wrote for the debut issue of NOYPI (News Outlet of the Young Pinoy), timely ngayong panahon ng mga graduation marches. at sa mga susunod pang graduation marches, notwithstanding defensors and baricans and other former student activists who have acquired a twisted sense of 'decorum' through the years.
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Subverting Subversion
Last weekend March 31, Cris Hugo, a 20-year-old student activist, was brought to his final resting place.
He was supposed to have graduated with a degree in journalism at the Bicol University this March. But march he did not. He was assassinated last March 19 in Bagumbayan, Albay as he walked home with his professor-friend from an outing.
At the time of his death, Hugo was the newly-elected Grand Chancellor of the Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity chapter in BU. He was also a National Council member and regional coordinator of the League of Filipino Students, a student group popular for being critically vocal of the Arroyo government. LFS, incidentally, is one of the numerous groups tagged by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Arroyo government as a communist front organization.
Ironically, a day after, Major General Jovito Palparan was decorated anew with the Distinguished Service Star for his ?exemplary performance? in the military. Numerous accolades were lavishly thrown at him by no less than President Arroyo herself, particularly for his latest stint in the Samar regions. Palparan?s major achievement ? he took command over a methodical and ruthless liquidation campaign of activist leaders, members and sympathizers of progressive organizations and party-list groups.
The death of Hugo earned the ire not only of his comrades but even of ordinary citizens who would not accept any justification that he deserved to be silenced simply for his convictions. The police and military were quick to divert allegations that Hugo?s death was an addition to the countless cases of extra-judicial killings under the Arroyo administration. They insinuated frat-related violence. They even later suggested that Hugo?s fellow LFS members were responsible for the murder, an idea so preposterous to his fellow activists that they did not bother at all to engage it.
It does not make it less preposterous that the AFP and the government actually believed that the public would accept such insinuations. It could not be less obvious who the culprits in the killings are. We, after all, have a government which honors and promotes officers like Palparan, while on the other hand consistently turning a deaf ear on numerous accusations of human rights violations hurled at him.
As Hugo?s death caused considerable alarm to civil libertarians and concerned citizens in the country and internationally, the government continues to appear nonchalant and unaffected. Countering accusations with childish impertinence ? that the death of Hugo and 34 others killed within this year were purely incidental, ?Why are they always quick to lay the blame on us??
The way we see it, the government?s casual indifference is a clear indication of the cold-bloodedness imperative for it to even concoct, much less implement, a campaign as shadowy as ?enemy annihilation.? We are impelled to ask the question of who dictates who the so-called enemies of the state are. What threat does a bright-eyed youth like Hugo pose to this government that he deserved to be silenced by an iron-fisted regime?
We now find ourselves in danger of being politically persecuted, gagged, stripped of our freedom of speech and killed for exercising our right to dissent in perfectly legitimate arenas. Progressives and so-called leftists are denied democratic space. Journalists are gagged, kept under close watch Civil libertarians are tagged destabilizers. Under her very own chain of command, President Arroyo went so far as to announce to newly-graduated military and police officers that they are only mandated to do as they are told, shut up or risk being court-martialed.
The way we see it, these do not water down rebellion at all. It is an open invitation to insurgency, a challenge to defend democracy when a government is continuously, against all odds, denying it.
If they persist, so shall thousands like Hugo in schools, universities, urban poor communities, in the impoverished countryside, and even in impressionable ranks in the AFP.
President Arroyo will have to reconcile and accept foolproof lessons in history ? it will take more than an iron fist for the youth to desist. ###
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Nepali people's movement updates:
Nepal's King Gyanendra offers multi-party democracy yesterday but failed to stop the protests. Protesters reaching 500,000 are determined to march to the King's palace and end the Gyanendra's monarchy.
Protesters are met with batons and bullets. At least 15 protesters have been killed by armed police and security forces.
Here's an article from Countercurrents and another from NY Times. Here's a timeline of the events. Photos here.
Here's a statement from the Nepal Maoist Communist Party.
United We Blog has regular updates on the movement.
See also: Nepal: Last Stand of a Monarchy
Technorati Tags: Nepal, activism, people power, revolution, democracy
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Maria Theresa Pangilinan, student council president of the Cavite State University, led an 'in-your-face' protest of graduating students against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Pangilininan and other students chanted and held placards saying "
pahirap sa masa, patalsikin si Gloria!" as the president held her speech as guest of honor.
Inq7.net story and more photos
here. Phil Star's coverage
here.
From YR, congratulations, Maria Theresa! In your face, Gloria!
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Here is an update on the pro-democracy protests in Nepal from
Countercurrents:
They came in their tens of thousands, ordinary Nepalis who defied a curfew and shoot-to-kill warnings, and marched through their capital to demand the King give up his power and restore democracy. And he greeted them with bullets.
Soldiers and police opened fire on the protesters, shooting them down in the streets.
At least three were killed, and more than 40 were in critical condition last night. A young man, one of the subjects who King Gyanendra claims to rule over, lay dead on the street yesterday, his head in a pool of his own blood.
And still the protesters came, refusing to be cowed. "These are not protests any more. This is a revolution," said Harish Dhal, a demonstrator. "We don't want a monarchy. We want real democracy."
Read the whole story here.
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KRITIKA ni Teo S. Marasigan
Sa isang banda, ang pagsusulong ngayon ng Charter Change o ChaCha ng rehimen ni Pang. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ay padrong halimbawa ng mga taktika nito para manatili sa kapangyarihan laban sa mga pagkilos ng taumbayan para patalsikin ito sa pwesto.
Alam na ng marami ang kwento hinggil sa pekeng 'people's initiative' ng Malakanyang: Sa mga pumirma, lumilitaw na nagkaroon ng mga bagong residente ang iba't ibang baranggay, dumami ang mga Pilipino, at nabuhay ang mga bangkay para pumirma -- mga lumang pakana tuwing eleksyon sa bansa. Sa mga totoong pumirma, marami ang pinapirma ng mga opisyal ng barangay nang walang paliwanag, o nang may kapalit na pera, bigas o sardinas. Sabay-sabay kumikilos ang mga lokal na gobyerno para rito, sinasabing dahil sa kumpas ng Department of Interior and Local Government o DILG.
Malinaw, kahit sa madla, na hindi totoong inisyatiba ng taumbayan ang nagaganap, kundi inisyatiba ng gobyerno sa pangunguna ni DILG Sec. Ronaldo Puno. Ginagamit pa raw ang isang hotel na nabanggit sa usapang 'Hello Garci' na sentro ng pandaraya ng kampo ni Arroyo noong 2004. Tinatayang milyun-milyong piso ang winawaldas ng gobyerno para sa 'people's initiative' na ito. May opisyal ng COMELEC na nagsalita sa isang beses nang kritikal sa pekeng 'people's initiative,' para lamang tumahimik sa kasunod na araw. Gastos na nga ang bilangan ng pirma, gastos pa ang suhulan dito.
Para saan ang malaking 'kalokohan' - salita ni Prop. Winnie Monsod, tutol sa 'people's initiative' - at gastos na ito? Para mapanatili si Arroyo sa pwesto. Sa pagtanggal ng mga restriksyon ng Konstitusyong 1987 sa pamumuhunan, pag-aari, at pagpasok ng militar at armas ng mga dayuhan sa bansa, kabig ni Arroyo ang gobyerno ng US. Sa panukalang pagpapahaba sa termino ng mga lokal na pulitiko, kabig sila ni Arroyo. Sa pagpwesto ng isang parlyamento, magiging mas makapangyarihan ang dominanteng partidong hawak ni Arroyo. Sa panukalang Konstitusyon, mas madali nang magpataw ng Batas Militar.
Ilulusot dahil kayang ilusot. Pupwersahin dahil kayang pwersahin - ito ang paglalarawan sa pagsusulong ng rehimen ng ChaCha. Ito rin ang wastong paglalarawan sa iba pang taktika ng rehimen para manatili sa kapangyarihan: Gagamitin ang lahat ng yaman at kapangyarihan ng estado para isalaksak ang mga kontra-taumbayang patakaran at panatilihin ang sarili sa pwesto - kahit pa bistado na ng publiko ang mga pakana nito. Hindi matatayog na prinsipyo, pagpapanatili ng kaayusan o kaunlaran ng bansa ang batayan, kundi ang ganid at masamang kagustuhang magkapit-tuko sa kapangyarihan.
Kung tutuusin, nasa ganitong diwa ang mga hakbang ng rehimen sa paunang pagsisinungaling sa usapang 'Hello Garci,' pagpatay sa kasong impeachment noong Setyembre, saglit na pagpapalutang kay Garcillano, at 'imbestigasyon' sa pandaraya sa halalang 2004. Sa ganito rin mauunawaan ang pagpataw at pagpapatupad nito ng Expanded Value-Added Tax o E-VAT, patakarang 'No Permit, No Rally,' Calibrated Pre-emptive Response, Executive Order 464, Proklamasyong 1017 at iba pang kontra-taumbayang patakaran. 'Might makes right,' wika nga. Lakas ang nagtatakda ng wasto.
Naaalala ko ang kolumnistang si Teodoro Benigno ilang linggo bago mapatalsik si dating Pang. Joseph Estrada. 'Beware of historical flukes,' babala niya. Magbantay o mag-ingat daw sa mga aksidente ng kasaysayan na maaaring maging hudyat ng kagyat na pagbagsak ni Estrada. Dumating iyon sa porma ng hindi pagbukas sa ikalawang envelope ng ebidensya sa pagdinig sa kasong impeachment sa Senado. Sa partikular na yugtong iyon ng pagkasukol ng rehimen ni Estrada, nagsikap itong humulagpos. Pero iyun na ang naghudyat ng Edsa 2 - ng aksyong masang tumapos sa kanyang rehimen.
Sa pagpapatalsik kay Arroyo, dapat pa ring bantayan ang mga katulad na 'aksidente' sa kasaysayan. Pero hindi dapat matali rito, nang umaasang ispontanyong kikilos ang libu-libo o milyun-milyong taumbayan kapag nangyari ito. Ang totoo, nangyayari na ito. At sa tindi ng pagkasukol ng rehimen ni Arroyo, sa dami ng kontra-taumbayang patakaran at pakana nito, at sa garapal na pagpapatupad nito ng mga garapal na taktika para manatili sa pwesto, tiyak na marami pang aksidenteng pangkasaysayan na laban dito ang mangyayari. Ang tanong pa rin, gayunman, ay ito: Makakalusot bang muli ang rehimen?
Pangunahing magtatakda nito ang lawak at lakas ng pagkilos ng taumbayan para sa pagpapatalsik kay Arroyo. Dito pa rin dapat magdiin ang mga grupong gustong patalsikin si Arroyo: sa pagpapaliwanag at pagpopolitisa sa taumbayan para kumilos.
Walang lusot ang rehimeng Arroyo sa pwersa ng paglaban ng sambayanan.
Sumulat sa tsmarasigan_kritika@yahoo.com
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This article getting published on the Inquirer is a good reason to rejoice this Easter. It is written by Ramon Farolan on his column and is entitled
"The gift of Erika."Erika was a friend from high school, perhaps we can call her a "true blue" young radical, who passed away a few days before the holy week. I do not know the author, and have no idea how he got to know Erika, but I'm really thankful that he wrote about her in his column this Easter Sunday.
(We are posting the article in full because I learned last night that inq7.net was limiting its online archive posting to only 7 days.)The gift of Erika
April 16, 2006
By Ramon J. Farolan
Inquirer http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=72674
A WEEK before Palm Sunday, we attended a retreat organized by the Holy Name Society of the Mt. Carmel Parish. The retreat was held at Caleruega, the beautiful complex of cottages and facilities set up by the Dominican Order in Nasugbu, Batangas. Its lovely chapel on the hill has long been the favorite for wedding ceremonies, and the quiet serenity of its surroundings make it an ideal site for retreats and recollections.
Our retreat facilitator was Fr. Thaddeus (Ted) Valencia of the Congregation of St. Basil (OSB). In 1979, he became the first Filipino priest to be ordained in Canada. He spent much of his time in missionary work in the American continent. Two years ago, he came home for good. And he is now with the Good Shepherd Cathedral in Fairview, Quezon City.
Father Ted's topic was the Matthew version of the beatitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
or they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted
for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven.
As we were going through each of the Beatitudes, I found myself constantly reminded of a young girl who recently passed away under difficult circumstances.
Erika was the daughter of middle-class parents. As a kid, she was more of a spoiled brat, always fighting, kicking and screaming in order to get her way. She had chubby cheeks, a cute smile and was a happy individual, but overbearing when she got into one of her selfish moods.
At the age of 7, she lost her Dad and a short while after, she began to change. Her tantrums became less frequent and she made a lot of friends in school. She blossomed physically as well and her smile became lovelier and infectious. People were attracted to her and she reciprocated with great affection.
Erika also developed a great sense of humor and when asked why the turnabout in her personality, she replied that at a certain point, she had paused to ask herself why she didn't have that many friends and why she tended to turn people off. She examined herself and identified the traits which needed discarding and she made an effort at replacing them with positive values. It was a kind of awareness so rare in such a young individual-a maturity exceeding that of older people.
Erika became concerned over the welfare of others, visiting families of friends who were in need. One day, she brought home a classmate, a boy half her size. She told her Mom that he was being physically abused by his father and she planned to bring the case to the barangay captain later. Over the years, Erika would bring home various classmates simply because they needed her help.
There is a saying: "If you are young and you are not a revolutionary, you don't have a heart. If you are old and you are still a revolutionary, you don't have brains."
At age 15, in only her third year in high school, Erika knew what she wanted to do. Like many young people around the country who have witnessed first-hand the sufferings of people and the injustices and inequalities of the system, she joined the movement, believing that she could help change the world.
She gave up the simple pleasures of window-shopping in an air-conditioned mall, of seeing a movie once in a while, of going with friends to some beach resort, of enjoying the company of relatives in family gatherings. She exchanged all these for rubber sandals, open skies and field mice for dinner every now and then. She didn't hate anyone. She simply believed fervently in a better world. While many of us expressed similar thoughts, Erika lived her belief. There can only be one explanation-nothing is more powerful than the idealism of youth.
For the next six years, Erika would share hardships and deprivations with others like her who believed in the same ideals and had a common vision for society. Wherever she went, she spent her time and efforts for the poor people of the community around her. In those six years, she was home only a few times, but seeing her so unbelievably happy, one would never guess how hard life must have been for her. Perhaps, she was a good actress. Her sense of commitment to the cause never faltered.
Last month, a few weeks short of her 21st birthday and on the same day her father died 14 years ago, Erika returned to the Lord.
There is no reason to grieve for Erika. She is back with her Dad and all her friends and relatives who left ahead of her. She doesn't need our prayers. She is, without doubt, in a place where all people who have toiled in the service of their fellowmen are enjoying eternal rest. It is we, the living, who need her intercessions.
This is not a time for regrets or sorrow or petitions. It is a time for thanksgiving and gratitude for the gift of Erika.
A Happy Easter to all!
©2006 www.inq7.net all rights reserved
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The Batasan 6: Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casino, Liza Masa, Ka Paeng Mariano, Joel Virador, and Ka Crispin Beltran blogs about their stay in the House of representatives in their
new blogsite.
The entries highlight their personal views and testimonies regarding their stay in the House of Representatives, due to threats of illegal arrest and detention. (Ka Crispin Beltran is an exception as he is now detained in Camp Crame. More on their case
here.)
I was particularly moved by
Ka Satur's entry on how he misses his mother the most this Lent:
What saddens me is the thought that I wouldn't be able to see my mother, all of 95 years now. I will not be able to comfort her with the assurance that I am okay, and that her brood of 12 children, all living, would become whole one more time: within view of her failing sight, her hearing our familiar voices that are music to her, as she gives us her tender loving caresses and blessing.
We really should feel bad that our highly respected reps are being treated this way by the Arroyo government. I have always thought of them as examples of genuine leadership with utmost sincerity and humility.
I just do not understand how some could equate Ka Satur and the other congresspersons with the traditional politicians such as Prospero Pichay and Mikey Arroyo. Just a look at them will tell you the difference, that unlike the latter, the former's position in Congress did not come from wealth and influence "the trapo way," instead, from genuine mass support for their party and the progressive and pro-people politics it carries.
Ask a trapo like Pichay to tour you to the district he represents, he will surely have you to meet the "power blocs," the influentials and will bring you to see his vast lands and assets. Ask Ka Satur to bring you to his constituents and he will introduce you to the poor, the toiling people, the workers, the peasants, the activists who commit themselves to struggle and service, the people who have nothing but dreams of a better future.
The last time I marched with Ka Satur in the frontlines of a rally last February 24, I realized how much the people really respected and loved the congresspersons. It was a three hour march from EDSA to Ayala Avenue, and there were a lot of people watching, along the sidewalks, the march of around 10,000 people. Most expressed their enthusiasm and support to the rally, and the moment they see Ka Satur, they would wave and shout "idol!" or "mabuhay kongresman Satur!", some would salute while some would unhesitatingly go to the middle of the crowd just to shake Ka Satur's hand.
It wasn't because of power or wealth, it wasn't because of "political machinery" or a "personality cult," it was simply because the people sees in the reps the hope, that despite their helplessness and their poverty, they have the Batasan 6 to stand up for them in the halls of congress. That despite the grim reality they are facing, they have a hope for a better future in the programs and actions of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela.
Keanna Reeve's Batasan visit have drawn different reactions from some, but for me, it was a perfect illustration of how the "masa" (which Keanna also appealed to, leading to her victory in Pinoy Big Brother) supports the reps.
In the news: the Mayuga report comes out, absolves "Hello, Garci" generals. (Perfect timing, all broadcast news are off.)
Ina reports the death of a youth immigrant in HK.
International update: here's an article on the Nepal protests.
Note: for easier blog viewing, you can subscribe to us using bloglines.com or other subscriptions using feeds.
Technorati Tags: batasan 6, activism, people power, people's initiative, Philippines, politics
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sa totoo lang, ayoko na sanang mag-post ng kahit ano tungkol sa 'Paglaban sa Kataksilan' at iba pang bidyo-dokyu ng AFP at gobyerno ni Arroyo. baka kasi sumikat pa, e wala namang nakakapanood at may interes na manood kundi ang mga avid-viewers ng channel 4, 9 at 13 (na sa totoo lang, sila-sila lang din naman).
pero dahil may bagong release na naman (
Paglaban sa Kataksilan 2 nga ba ang pamagat nun?), naisip ko na ring 'patulan'. hindi sa kung anupamang layunin pero sabi nga ni
rebyuwer sa pinakahuli niyang artikulo,
"tatlong istasyon ng TV ang nagagamit ng gobyerno kaya maya?t maya na lang ay naipapalabas ang mga ?dokyumentaryo? na ito. Kaya hindi natin masisisi kung may mga karaniwang tao na makailang ulit na itong napanood, lalo na kung mahilig silang magpalipat-lipat ng istasyon. Isipin nyo, kahit pa labag sa loob nyo ang makabisado ang themesong ng Pinoy Big Brother, ano ba naman ang magagawa nyo kung kahit saang sulok na lang kayo magpunta, ito ang pinapatugtog?".
totoo, sa desperasyon ng gobyerno, mag-aaksaya talaga ito ng pera, rekurso at talento (baket, talento namang maituturing yung modulated/radyo-brodkaster na boses nung narrator kahit na hari siya ng monotono...) mabigyang-katwiran lang ang lahat ng mga paratang na iwinawasiwas nitong panlinlang sa mamamayan. kaya kahit na walang taste, boring at parang hindi pa naiimbento ang art sa pagkagawa at eksekusyon ng mga nabanggit na bidyo, hindi dapat seryosohin sa artistikang pamantayan, ika nga, seryoso at malagim pa rin ang implikasyon ng mga ito. at sa totoo lang, nagagamit na lisensya ng gobyernong Arroyo at AFP para sa tunay at ibayo pang 'kataksilan sa mamamayan.'
nasapul ito ni rebyuwer: "Hindi na nga bago ang ganitong propaganda ng gobyerno. Matagal na itong kinokondena ng mga rebolusyonaryong pwersa at maging ng mga progresibo na dinadawit ng AFP at gobyerno sa red-baiting at witchhunt laban sa mga komunista, at pinaghihinalaang komunista. Kumbaga, nakakasuka at nakakarindi na. Ang tendensya na nga, maging ng rebyuwer na ito, ay agad itong idismis bilang basura kahit hindi pa naman napapanood nang buo ang mga ?dokyu? para mahanapan man lang ng kahit kaunting artistikong merit bilang katubusan. (HAHAHA!)"
"Pwera biro, bagamat alam naman ng mga progresibo at rebolusyonaryo, gaya na lang ng organisadong hanay ng mga artista, manunulat at aktibistang pangkultura, kung ano ang ibig sabihin at gustong ipalaganap ng mga ?dokyu? na ito, mahirap ang maging kampante sa implikasyon at epekto nito sa masang manonood. Kung ang mga mulat ay madaling magsabi na ito ay basura, madaling isantabi at ?wag nang pansinin o patulan ang mga ?dokyu? na ito, hindi ganoon ang kaso para sa mas marami na hindi pa matalas o kritikal sa anumang nasasagap nila sa masmidya."
"Ang totoo nyan, hindi lang ito sa hanay ng masa. Dahil hindi naman pantay-pantay ang kamulatan natin, ang mga ?dokyu? na ito ay pwede pa ring maghasik ng kalituhan, takot at alinlangan sa hanay ng mga masasabi na nating organisado o mulat na. Kung tutuusin ay hindi lang naman mga bidyo-dokyu ng gobyerno ang kasali rito pero kumbaga, sa sopistikado at ?malikhaing? opensibang pangkultura ng imperyalismo at naghaharing-uri, ito na nga ang pinakagarapalan at pinakamagaspang na panlilinlang na ?maihahandog? nila sa atin."
pero di tulad ng ibang sulatin niya sa kanyang blog, malinaw ang disclaimer ni rebyuwer sa bagong entry niya, "Hindi ito rebyu."
sa halip, may ibinato siyang hamon sa mga kapwa niya manunulat at artista na huwag ipagkibit-balikat ang bagong venture na ito ng gobyerno : "Isa na nga sa pinakamahusay na paraan para labanan ang ganitong klase ng ?opensibang pangkultura? ay ang paggawa ng sariling ?dokyu? ng mga rebolusyonaryo at progresibo."
pero nakatuon pa rin ang mahigpit na responsibilidad ng pagpapaliwanag at paglilinaw di lang sa mga manlilikha kundi lalo na sa mga akitbista, organisador at progresibong mamamayang kontra-Arroyo. marami pa rin kasi ang 'walang bilib' sa bidyo, tula, awit atbp bilang mahusay na daluyan ng protesta. mas marami pa nga sila, kung tutuusin, kaysa sa ilang bilang na napapalaganapan ng tagisan sa bidyo at iba pang porma ng propaganda ng gobyerno at mga kaaway nito.
ang tunay na hamon? may ideya ang rebyuwer na ito.
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Some points should be taken notice regarding the on-going Arroyo Cha-cha train campaign:
1. Arroyo sees cha-cha as the only way she can hold on to power. She holds this move as one that will, at least legally speaking, consolidate government and concentrate power for her and her minions, and save her from the various opposition movements to oust her. (Cha-cha before July means goodbye to the part 2 of the impeachment complaint.)
2. The "people's initiative," is now the only way her cha-cha train can push through. Everybody knows that this is a Malacanang funded and initiated undertaking and is not a citizen's effort. This is a last resort as Arroyo failed in trying to circumvent the law in its effort to turn the Congress into a constitutional assembly. The senators have blocked the move and Arroyo operators have failed to gather the 194 signatures in congress.
3. The "people's initiative" is an illegal move. There is already a Supreme Court ruling that the initiative lacks implementing laws and is thus illegal. But as we have seen in the past, Arroyo cares not about what the law says as it was she who appointed 11 out of the 15 justices in the SC.
4. Although some might believe that the way the government is conducting this cha-cha is reason enough to oppose it, the people must understand the essential provisions that Arroyo is pushing, which makes it "self-serving," anti-people and will create a government ala-Marcos:
- From presidential to puppet parliament. The parliament that will be formed will be no different from the parliament under Marcos which served to uphold martial law. It will be a parliament dominated by Arroyo puppets. No special elections for parliament will be held. The transitory provisions will allow the current members of senate and congress to be the provisional parliament. Plus 1/3 of the appointed cabinet and 30 more appointed by Arroyo. That makes an Arroyo mega-majority. To elude a 2nd impeachment compliant, they plan to change the original requirement of 1/3 to 2/3 of the parliament in order to file an impeachment.
- A fascist dictatorship on the rise. Provisions on civil liberites will be erased. The word "responsible use" will be placed on the Bill of Rights, restricting the freedom of speech and right to assembly. Pro-people and libertarian aspects of the 1987 constitution will be deleted. Martial law restrictions will be deleted as well.
- Puppet government. In order to get US and other foreign support for her cha-cha, sell-out provisions are all over the cha-cha. 100% foreign ownership of resources and businesses will be allowed. Schools and even the mass media will be allowed to be foreign owned. Even the provisions banning nuclear weapons and foreign bases in the 1987 constitution will be scrapped. This will bring further destruction to our land and oppression on our people.
5. We are expecting a broad anti-chacha movement to develop. There are those who are not necessarily anti-Arroyo but are now taking the anti-chacha position. 21 senators have expressed their anti-chacha stance. The CBCP, who kept its play-safe position regarding Arroyo's ouster, delivered a very strong anti-chacha statement. The Makati Business Club, followed suit. And now we hear staunch pro-Arroyo Winnie Monsod and others also taking the anti-chacha position. Various groups are now gearing for a nationwide information campaign against charter change, as BAYAN started the anti-chacha street protests high with a back-to-Mendiola rally last April 6.
If the various political and anti-Arroyo groups mobilize their forces effectively and be able to wage a nationwide mass information campaign, we can expect a huge anti-chacha gathering on the 1st of May.
Here are previous YR entries on cha-cha:
Breeding Apathy, References, YCHAT and Why at All?
On the international scene, here's an in-depth article on the France protests. Here's another featuring particular views of some of the protesters.
Technorati Tags: charter change, activism, people power, people's initiative, Philippines, politics
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Yes, we know. It is the blogger's mortal sin not to update. We were too busy these past few days and it was already late when we realized that no one has entered a YR update.
But now we're back and making up for lost moments. Here's what we have been up to these past few days. Some, unfortunately, kept us away from our YR blogger selves:
Switched our tellies to CNN and BBC and watching people power actions and riots in Thailand, France, Belarus, Nepal, the immigrants' protests in the US, and others.
Vencer went to Bicol to attend Cris Hugo's tribute and interment. Others were busy coordinating protests nationwide and even abroad.
Literati friends are watching out for more and more hate messages from the literary critics to Krisp Yuson for his bitter rantings on the National Artist selection against Bienvenido Lumbera's nationalism.
Two of our friends tangoed to the police detention cells. They were arrested as they held a community discussion on Arroyo's Cha-cha.
And yes, we 'reclaimed' Mendiola with around 3,000 marchers last April 6 and faced riot police.
See you on the 12th for the Blogging Summit.
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1. IntroductionThe Church "must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice." (Deus Caritas Est, 28) This challenging call of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, impels us to express to you, our beloved People of God, our deep concern over the attempt of certain sectors to make hasty and substantial changes to our Constitution, supposedly through the "People's Initiative" provision in our present charter. We speak to you, not as lawyers or politicians, but as Shepherds, applying principles of our Catholic Social Teaching to our present situation, and inviting you to discern, decide and act in the light of the Gospel.
We recognize and respect those many concerned and thoughtful Filipinos who see constitutional reform as a necessary remedy to the country's many problems at present. In our pastoral statement of January 2006, we already stated that "we agree that certain aspects of our Constitutions may need amendments and revisions." What we wish to challenge and express unease about is the process by which these challenges are being brought about.
2. Concerns about the present campaign
First, we believe that "changing the Constitution involving major shifts in the form of government, requires widespread participation, total transparency, and relative serenity that allows for rational discussion and debate." (CBCP Statement, 2006) The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church teaches that "the shared participation of citizens in the destiny of their communities calls for work for information and education." (No. 191) The provision for a "People's Initiative" in the present Constitution was precisely an attempt to allow our people this participation.
We view with alarm, however, the present signature campaign endorsed by the government. Signatures are apparently collected without adequate information, discussion and education. The manner in which these signatures are supposedly collected, including door to door campaigns, are not conducive to the kind of informed participation that such fundamental changes demand. The changes that are being proposed for signatures of citizens are dangerously unclear and open to manipulation by groups with self-serving interests. The complexities and variations of the parliamentary system are not adequately explained and have not been sufficiently discussed by our people.
Second, we believe that "the reasons for constitutional change must be based on the common good rather than on self-serving interests or the interests of political dynasties." (CBCP Statement, 2006) The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church teaches that: "An authentic democracy is 'the fruit of' a commitment to the common good as the purpose and guiding criterion for political life." (No. 407)
In other words, charter change can only be morally justifiable if the revisions being proposed will lead to authentic reforms and development for the nation. Changes must assure shifts towards: principled politics, transparency and accountability, electoral and institutional reform, and more efficient delivery of services to the people, especially the poorest.
However, no such provisions have been clearly specified in the present signature campaign. What form of parliamentary system, how such a parliamentary system will truly serve the common good and the interests of the nation, especially the poor, have not been articulated. Instead, people are given general and sweeping promises of political stability and reform that will allegedly automatically come with a new political system.
This lack of clarity on how the changes will truly benefit our nation raises disturbing questions about who will truly benefit from these changes. It seems that the changes as they are being proposed now will benefit mainly those who already hold positions of power and privilege in the current political system. This raises questions as to the authenticity of this signature campaign and the motives of those who promote it. Is this truly a "people's initiative" or the initiative of self-seeking political players wanting to entrench themselves in power? We might further ask the question of the source of funding for this entire operation.
3. Conclusion
A call to discernment and action. In the light of the difficulties connected with the present efforts to change the Constitution, we, your Pastors, invite the People of God to take up once again the responsibilities of good citizens, who love this country and seek its true good. We remind you of the words of our Holy Father: "The direct duty for a just ordering of society is proper to the lay faithful. As citizens of the state, they are called to take part in public life in a personal capacity. They cannot relinquish their participation 'to promote' the common good."(Dues Caritas Est, 29)
We invite you then to reflect and pray over what we have presented in this statement. If, before God speaking in your conscience, you agree, we call upon you to discern the appropriate actions. As Christians, we cannot be complacent and inactive in the face of this present issue of charter change, which is so crucial to the future of our country and people. Vigilance, education, principled opposition may be necessary steps to take.
As Holy Week draws near, we pray that the self-sacrificing love of Christ, that along brings life to the world, may fill the hearts of all Filipinos and bring about the new life we all desire for our nation.
For the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
+ ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO
Archbishop of Jaro &
CBCP President
April 7, 2006
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