The belated involvement of Makati Business Club and other elite groups in the campaign to oust Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is welcome. But we should not let them steal victory from the people.

The ouster of GMA will bring no significant improvement if the system of elite rule is left intact. Whoever accedes to Malacanang in this political framework will remain a captive of the greedy and colonial-minded elite.

For as long as the elite hold effective power, a snap election will be another contest between trapos who enjoy their financial blessings. Democracy is a fraud where people are merely asked to choose who among the candidates of the elite will represent and repress them.

The truly democratic alternative to GMA is a Transitional Revolutionary Government, a collective leadership that has the strength and political will to institute fundamental reforms. Since the country is damaged beyond repair after decades of oligarchic rule, it has to be rebuilt from top to bottom. New structures for popular participation at the grassroots level should replace the present pseudo-representative system. The neoliberal policies now dragging the country to the brink of disaster should be reversed. The public and private centers of power should be democratized. The bureaucracy, military and police should be cleansed of officials whose opulent lifestyles can only be sustained by graft and corruption.

We are appalled to hear the executive director of the Makati Business Club claim that his outfit financed the inter-faith rally last Friday. Laban ng Masa never received and will never accept any assistance from such a source. That is how the elite manipulate the elected trapos. That is why we are not only fighting for regime change; we are fighting for system change. We do not only want to rid the country of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; we want an end to the system that breeds her type of leadership.

Related posts:

1. GMA Must Go!
2. That the World May Know of GMA’s Hypocrisy and Deceit
3. A Call to the Filipino Youth to Stand Up for Truth

Ang pinakahuling pahayag ng Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) ay naghahatid ng mariing mensahe sa mga buwayang nakatira sa Malakanyang: Magpaliwanag kayo — or else!

Ang “Seeking the Truth, Restoring Integrity” ay mensahe sa mga pinakamamahal na nilalang ng Diyos. At kasama sa pinapaabutan ng naturang mensahe ang mga obispo mismong nakaupo sa CBCP at sa Permanent Council.

Himayin natin ang mga nakakabit na mensahe.

1. Nililinaw ng pahayag na ang mga Obispo ay hindi mga lider-politikal. Sila ay mga pastol na gumagabay ay nagbibigay proteksyon sa atin mula sa mga masasamang elemento ng lipunan, para sa kabutihan ng lahat.

2. Kinikilala ng pahayag na hindi lang ang kaayusang politikal ang batayan ng isang malusog na demokrasya. Kung babalikan natin ang “Reform Yourselves and Believe in the Gospel! (Mark 1:15)” na pastoral letter ng CBCP noong ika-27 ng Enero, makikita natin ang mariing panawagan ng simbahan para sa pagbabago: pagbabago ng ating mga sarili (pagkilala sa ating naging partisipasyon sa kasalukuyang kalagayan ng ating lipunan) patungo sa pagiging matatag na bahagi ng ating pamilya, pamayanan at lipunan. Patungo sa pagiging malinaw at malinis na konsensya ng lipunan.

3. Kinikilala ng pahayag na lugmok tayo ngayon sa krisis na hatid ng korapsyon, at kawalan ng moralidad ng kasalukuyang pamunuan ng pamahalaan. Kung babalikan ang “Reform…” makikita natin ang ilinatag na kalagayan ng mga obispo ayon na rin sa mga kaganapan sa pambansang antas at sa mga ulat na nakakalap nila mula sa mga komunidad.

4. Ayon sa ispiritu ng pagiging patas, nais ng CBCP na ungkatin ang buong katotohanan. Pansin sa mga katagang “the search for truth… must be determined and relentless…” ang mensahe na hindi pa natin nauungkat ang buong katotohanan. Nais ng CBCP na papagsalitain ang Malakanyang at mga alipores nito upang sila na mismo ang magbigay-linaw sa isipan ng taumbayan. Sa pamamagitan nito (pagsasalita ng Malakanyang), inaasahan ng CBCP na makakagawa ng malinaw at matibay na desisyon ang taumbayan pag natiris (o hindi natiris) ng mga magiging kasagutan ng Malakanyang ang ilang pagdadalawang-isip ng ilang sektor ng ating lipunan.

5. Pagbubuo ng mga “circles of discernment” sa mga pamayanan. Pag-uulit lang ito sa malinaw na panawagan ng CBCP sa atin at sa kanilang hanay na rin na “form groups of thinking and praying people — in our schools, seminaries, parishes, mandated organizations, lay movements, social action groups, most especially in basic ecclesial communities…” Nais ng CBCP na tumbukin natin ang batayang kakulangan sa ating mga buhay pampulitika at panlipunan: ang pagpapasailalim ng “common good” sa “private good”.

6. Communal action. Malinaw ang panawagan. Sama-samang pagkilos ng Kristyanong komunidad at ng pambansang komunidad. Ngayon, para matiyak na spiritually-guided ang magiging pagkilos, inuulit-ulit ng CBCP ang panawagan nila hinggil sa “circles of discernment”. Ito ang kanilang lenggwahe na ang katumbas ay ang pagbubuo ng mga sit-ins, study groups, educational campaigns on the national situation, at iba pang porma ng kampanya na magbibigay kasagutan sa ating mga katanungan at gagabay sa ating magiging desisyon hinggil sa kung anong porma ng pagkilos ang ating tatahakin at panghahawakan.

7. People power with a difference. Nais ng CBCP na maulit ang tagumpay ng EDSA 1. Pero nais nilang ibasura ang latak na nabitbit nito (ang mga power players na sumasakay sa mga lehitimong isyu ng bayan, at mga trapong mabilis pa sa kidlat kung magpalit ng maskara). Kaya nga ang unang hakbang ay ang maingat nilang pangunguna sa magiging desisyon ng taumbayan. Nais nilang magmula sa grassroots ang pagkilos. Kaya nga nananawagan sila sa kanilang mga sarili na magtayo sila ng malulusog at politically-matured na mga BEC sa kanilang mga diyosesis at arkdiyosesis. At malinaw na nagbigay sila ng instruksyon sa mga concerned CBCP commissions hinggil dito. Sa pangmatagalang pananaw, nais ng CBCP na dumating ang panahon na hindi na aasa sa kanila ang mga tao para magdesisyon. Bagkus ay kikilos ito ng isa ayon sa kanilang kolektibong pananaw, nang may isang boses, isang pninindigan at isang matatag na pamunuang mahigpit na nakaugnay sa grassroots.

Ngayon, sa ganyang batayan, binuo nila at ipinanawagan ang mga sumusunod na punto:

1. Kondenahin ang nagpapatuloy na kultura ng korapsyon mula sa pinakailalim hanggang pinakatuktok ng ating panlipunan at pampulitikang istruktura. Nais ng CBCP na isabay nating birahin ang lahat ng porma ng pangungurakot na nagaganap sa loob ng iba’t ibang tanggapan ng pamahalaan sa buong bansa. Tinukoy nilang ang korapsyon kasi ay isang porma ng pagprioritize ng private good kaysa sa common good, na mariing tinututulan ng panlipunang doktrina ng Simbahan.

2. Huling tsansa sa pamunuan ni Gloria:

A. Pangunahan ang pagbaka sa korapsyon.

B. Baklasin ang E.O. 464 na nagsisilbing tabing sa mga mata at takip sa mga tenga, ang daluyan ng katotohanan sa ating katawan.

C. Payagan ni Gloria ang kanyang mga alipores na magsalita hinggil sa usapin ng NBN-ZTE deal.

3. Apela sa mga sangay ng gobyerno na may kapangyarihang maglunsad at mangasiwa ng mga imbestigasyon, ayon sa interes ng taumbayan at hindi sa kanilang pansarili at pampulitikang interes.

4. Panawagan sa midya na maging positibong balon ng impormasyon sa paghahanap natin sa katotohanan at katarungan, at pagbaka sa korapsyon.

Ang mga mensaheng yaon ay mabigat. Sa totoo lang, isang buong People Power na ang ipinanawagan ng CBCP sa “Seeking…” Ang mga ilinatag na panawagan, particular ang ikalawa hanggang ika-apat, ay may invisible na karugtong na or else. Kapag hindi nagawa ng kasalukuyang pamahalaan ang panawagang iyan, merong or else. Saan lumalabas ang or else?

Sa kawalan ng panawagan laban sa “Resign Gloria” clamor ng taumbayan.

Ibig sabihin, ini-engganyo tayo ng CBCP na ipagpatuloy, palakasin at palawakin ang kampanya kontra-Gloria. At habang ginagawa natin ito, binibigyan natin ng tsansa ang pamunuan ni Gloria na ayusin ang sarili nitong problema.

Ganun lang yun kasimple.

Kaya tara na!

Magbasa tayo at isabuhay natin ang Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church!

Itayo at palaguin ang mga matatatag at mulat na Basic Ecclesial Communities!

Isulong natin ang Common Good!

Bakahin ang lahat ng porma ng korapsyon!

Resign Gloria! Now Na!

Related posts:

1. Katas ng VAT ni Gloria: Kukurakot Aabuso Tiba-Tiba si Arroyo sa VAT
2. Misa para kay “Ka Bel”
3. A Democratic Alternative to GMA

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has no basis to continue in office.

On 13 July 2005, at the height of the Garci Scandal, the University Council (UC) of the University of the Philippines Diliman — called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign immediately. She did not resign.

The UC observed that all her acts are “a direct assault on nearly all the values we hold sacred in the academe.”

Since then, there has been an unprecedented number of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances — which includes two U.P. students, Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.

Corruption in the highest places continues unabated and remains unaddressed. Institutions which were created by the Constitution or the law to safeguard accountability have either been ineffective or rendered ineffective.

Official government response to requests for information on matters of public concern has been to thwart the truth either by the invocation of Executive Privilege or by threats issued to the working media. The exercise of basic freedoms has been met with repressive measures such the Calibrated Pre-emptive Response (CPR) and Presidential Proclamation 1017. This criminal regime resorts to kidnapping and massive bribery to prevent the truth from coming out.

Despite GMA’s insistence that she does not tolerate corruption, she has been forced by public pressure to admit that she knew about the kickbacks long before the Senate investigations on the NBN-ZTE deal. As a result, she has entrapped herself in a web of lies.

When GMA is caught lying, she either stonewalls or orders an investigation which churns out prefabricated results. These actions are in stark contrast with two objectives which are cherished by the University — getting at the truth and forging a democratic society. Both of these are obviously anathema to GMA.

Public Office is a public trust. All public officials are accountable to the people at all times. This is one of the core principles enshrined in our Constitution. The President’s previous silence on the anomalous NBN-ZTE deal and her belated admission of prior knowledge violate this core principle. This is only the latest of her violations.

As an academic community we know that the truth cannot be found in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In UP’s Centennial year, the faculty continues to uphold its tradition of being one with our people. We commit ourselves to the struggle to build a progressive society and a responsible and accountable government which subscribes to the principle that sovereignty resides in the people and all governmental authority emanates from them.

But first, GMA must go!

The statement was unanimously approved by the UP Diliman University Council. 27 February 2008

Related posts:

1. A Democratic Alternative to GMA
2. That the World May Know of GMA’s Hypocrisy and Deceit
3. UP Faculty Demand Resignation of Romulo Neri as CHEd Chair

Sa 2010 ang susunod na halalang pampanguluhan ng Pilipinas. Sapagkat diumano’y nakapagwagi na sa halalang pampanguluhan, ayon sa Saligang Batas ay hindi na maaaring maihalalal “na muli” si Arroyo — na ang kahina-hinalang “tagumpay” sa halalan ng 2004 ay ipinagbunyi ng gobyerno ng Estados Unidos — bilang Pangulo.

Ngunit may halos dalawang taon pa hanggang sa 2010, at sa halos dalawang taon ay napakaraming maaaring mangyari. Sa loob ng halos dalawang taon ay marami pang maanumalyang proyekto ang maaaring pasukin ng pamahalaan, malaki pa ang maaaring ilawak ng agwat ng halaga ng pamumuhay at ng kabuhayan ng nakararaming mamamayan, at marami pang paglabag sa karapatang pantao ang maaaring isagawa.

Pinatalsik si Joseph “Erap” Estrada noong 2001 sa isang pambansang pag-aaklas na sa kalakha’y laban sa katiwalian, upang pagkatapos ay palitan ni Arroyong ang panunungkula’y kinatampukan ng lalo’t lalong katiwalian — mula sa anumalya sa pagpapagawa ng President Diosdado Macapagal Avenue hanggang sa kagila-gilalas na mga kickback sa kontratang NBN. Sa ilalim ng rehimeng Arroyo nasaksihan ang mga antas ng kagutuman at karalitaan sa bansa na hindi nakita sa loob ng mahabang panahon, batay sa lahat ng kapani-paniwalang panlipunang sarbey (IBON Foundation, Social Weather Station, at Pulse Asia). Ang rehimeng ito’y nakapagtala rin ng mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao — mula sa mga ekstrahudisyal na pamamaslang at sapilitang pagkawala hanggang sa mga pagbibibilanggong pulitikal, mula sa marahas na pagtugon sa mga kilos-protesta hanggang sa pagbubusal sa pabatirang-madla — na ang dami’y hindi kayang pantayan ng alinmang rehimen, marahil, sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas maliban sa kay Ferdinand Marcos (na malapit-lapit na nga nitong maungusan).

Napakadali ang magsabing “maghintay” para sa mga taong hindi nagtitiis na magpainiksiyon sa mga nars at duktor na gumagamit ng hiringgilyang naninilaw; o magklase sa damuhan, sa ilalim ng init ng araw, sapagkat ang salapi ng taumbayan na dapat sana’y inilalaan sa mga serbisyong panlipunan ay ipinapasok sa maanumalyang mga proyektong ang nakikinabang lamang ay iilang salanggapang na opisyal ng pamahalaan gaya ng mga Benjamin Abalos, at mga kamag-anak ng mga nasa kapangyarihan tulad ng mga Mike Arroyo.

Napakadali ang magsabing “maghintay” para sa mga taong nagtatampisaw sa salapi kahit na hindi igalaw ang mga daliri at hindi nagkakangkukuba sa pagtatrabaho sa mga pabrika’t opisina upang pagkatapos ng isang buong araw ng pagpapatulo ng pawis ay mag-uwi ng sahod na maaaring kitain sa loob lamang ng isang oras sa ibang bansa, o sa paggawa sa bukid upang pagkatapos ng bawat anihan ay maipagbili ang palay sa halagang kulang na pang-isang buwan ngunit kailangang papagkasyahin sa tatlong buwan.

Napakadali ang magsabing “maghintay” para sa mga taong walang kamag-anak, kaibigan o kakilala man lamang na kabilang sa mahigit na 900 na ngayong biktima ng ekstrahudisyal na pamamaslang at mahigit sa 180 biktima ng sapilitang pagkawala, o sa mahigit sa 200 bilanggong pulitikal — batay sa pinakahuling mga tala ng Karapatan — na kaya humantong sa gayon ay sapagkat nangahas na ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa sa nakabubuhay na sahod, ang karapatan ng mga magsasaka na pakinabangang lubos ang mga bunga ng lupang sinasaka, at ang karapatan ng mga mamamayan sa mga serbisyong tulad ng kalusugan at edukasyon — mga karapatang dapat ay tinatamasa ng lahat sa alinmang bansang tulad ng Pilipinas na namamaraling siya’y isang demokrasya.

Dahil sa ang alinmang pamahalaan ay lubhang nakapangyayari sa kalakhan ng buhay ng mga mamamayan, ang pag-iral nito ay dapat na nakabatay sa kapakanan ng tanang nasasakupan. Kung hindi ganito ang batayan ng pag-iral ng isang pamahalaan, karapatan ng mga mamamayan ang ito’y lansagin.

At sapagkat karapatan ito ng mga mamamayan, hindi nila kailangang maghintay ng pagkakataong gawin ito, kundi karapatan nilang likhain ang ganitong pagkakataon.

Hintayin ang 2010? Hayaan ang mga hunghang at hangal na maghintay kung siya nilang ibig.

Related posts:

1. Si GMA at ang Semantika ng Kagutuman
2. Katas ng VAT ni Gloria: Kukurakot Aabuso Tiba-Tiba si Arroyo sa VAT

However, over the last few days, we, together with the rest of the country, have seen one man — Jun Lozada — finally decide that he can no longer be part of the massive graft and corruption that permeates this government. His testimony exposed that the corruption in the project he dealt with — the NBN ZTE project — is standard in what he called “dysfunctional government procurement processes.”

Clearly, what Jun Lozada knew so terrified the powers-that-be that they unwittingly exposed what Jun called “the dark side of the state” — state-sponsored terrorism that had been rearing its ugly head in the various disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the past six years — and which almost took him as a victim in a botched kidnapping that the administration has been trying, with little success, to cover up.

In a sense, all Jun Lozada did was to confirm what we already know:

Our country is sliding into moral decadence. He also confirmed the systematic destruction of our democratic institutions and the systemic nature of our problems. We have seen this in the wanton disregard of checks-and-balances; abuse of the powers of the President; the cooptation through patronage and outright bribery of the other branches of government; politically sponsored corruption, facilitated, not thwarted, by bureaucratic procedures; the naked use of power and authority through the PNP, PSG, NAIA, among others, to strangle the truth; and the deployment of cabinet, sub-cabinet officials, and the military to obstruct justice and cover up illegal orders and acts.

In the past, for too many times that we were confronted with threats to our democracy and to our moral values, our response was: “What can we do about it? What is our choice? Who will lead us?”

These questions persist but, today, we can no longer stay silent. We can no longer ignore the reality of a government gone wild, wreaking havoc on our rights and institutions in a climate of impunity. We can no longer console ourselves in the strength of the peso, narrowing deficits, and an expanding economy. Even these ephemeral gains have not translated into a better life for the majority of our people, especially the poor.

The future of our country is at stake. Our democratic institutions are under attack. What we stand to lose is the moral fabric of our society.

We call on all government officials — Cabinet Secretaries, Undersecretaries, Heads of Agencies — who know about these anomalous transactions to join the heroic stand of Jun Lozada to come forward and speak out. We call on all those who know about the extrajudicial killings and disappearances to go public and tell the truth. We call on all those who can no longer endure this wrongful governance, with its structures of evil and unmoderated greed: IT IS TIME TO CUT CLEAN! IT IS TIME TO GO!

Tama na! Sobra na! Panahon na!

Signed by:

1. Florencio Abad (Former Secretary, Department of Education)
2. Tomas Africa, (Former Administrator, National Statistics Office)
3. Rafael Alunan (Former Secretary, Department of Tourism)
4. Tomas Apacible (Former Commissioner, Bureau of Customs)
5. Senen Bacani (Former Secretary, Department of Agriculture)
6. Angelito Banayo (Former Secretary, Political Affairs)
7. Romeo Bernardo (Former Undersecretary, Department of Finance)
8. Gerardo Bulatao (Former Undersecretary, Department of Agrarian Reform)
9. Clifford Burkley (Former Undersecretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development)
10. Ramon Cardenas (Former Head, Presidential Management Staff)
11. Jose Cuisia (Former Governor, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas)
12. Sostenes Campillo (Former Undersecretary, Department of Tourism)
13. Karina Constantino-David (Former Chair, Civil Service Commission)
14. Elfren Cruz (Former Head, Presidential Management Staff)
15. Isagani Cruz (Former Undersecretary, Department of Education)
16. Teresita Quintos Deles (Former Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process)
17. Benjamin Diokno (Former Secretary, Department of Budget and Management)
18. Quintin Doromal Sr. (Former Commissioner, Philippine Commission on Good Governance)
19. Franklin Drilon (Former Executive Secretary)
20. Narcisa Escaler (Former Ambassador to the United Nations)
21. Jesus Estanislao (Former Secretary, Department of Finance)
22. Fulgencio Factoran Jr. (Former Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources)
23. Victoria Garchitorena (Former Head, Presidential Management Staff)
24. Ernesto Garilao (Former Secretary, Department of Agrarian Reform)
25. Peter Garrucho (Former Executive Secretary)
26. Jose Luis Gascon (Former Undersecretary, Department of Education)
27. Marietta Goco (Former Chair, Presidential Commission to Fight Poverty)
28. Jose Antonio Gonzalez (Former Minister, Ministry of Tourism)
29. Milwilda Guevarra (Former Undersecretary, Department of Finance)
30. Cielito Habito (Former Director-General, National Economic and Development Authority)
31. Edilberto de Jesus Jr. (Former Secretary, Department of Education)
32. Philip Ella Juico (Former Secretary, Department of Agrarian Reform)
33. Antonio La Viña (Former Undersecretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources)
34. Bienvenido Laguesma (Former Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment)
35. Lina Laigo (Former Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development)
36. Ernest Leung (Former Secretary, Department of Finance)
37. Josefina Lichauco (Former Secretary, Department of Transportation and Communications)
38. Narzalina Lim (Former Secretary, Department of Tourism)
39. Juan Miguel Luz (Former Undersecretary, Department of Education)
40. Felipe Medalla (Former Director-General, National Economic and Development Authority)
41. Jose Molano Jr. (Former Executive Director, Commission on Filipinos Overseas)
42. Vitaliano Nañagas (Former Chair, Development Bank of the Philippines)
43. Imelda Nicolas (Former Lead Convenor, National Anti-Poverty Commission)
44. Roberto de Ocampo (Former Secretary, Department of Finance)
45. Oscar Orbos (Former Executive Secretary)
46. Ernesto Ordoñez (Former Secretary, Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects)
47. Victor Ordoñez (Former Undersecretary, Department of Education)
48. Cayetano Paderanga (Former Director-General, National and Economic Development Authority)
49. Jose Pardo (Former Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry)
50. Vicente Paterno (Former Minister, Ministry of Trade and Industry)
51. Felicito Payumo (Former Chairman, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority)
52. Pete Prado (Former Secretary, Department of Transportation and Communication)
53. Cesar Purisima (Former Secretary, Department of Finance)
54. Victor Ramos (Former Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources)
55. Amina Rasul (Former Chair, National Youth Commission)
56. Alberto Romualdez Jr. (Former Secretary, Department of Health)
57. Albert del Rosario (Former Ambassador to the United States of America)
58. Francisco del Rosario (Former Chair, Development Bank of the Philippines)
59. Ramon del Rosario (Former Secretary, Department of Finance)
60. Melito Salazar (Former Member of the Monetary Board, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas)
61. Leticia Ramos-Shahani (Former Undersecretary, Department of Foreign Affairs)
62. Cesar Sarino (Former Secretary, Department of Interior and Local Government)
63. Juan Santos (Former Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry)
64. Corazon Juliano-Soliman (Former Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development)
65. Hector Soliman (Former Undersecretary, Department of Agrarian Reform)
66. Mario Taguiwalo (Former Undersecretary, Department of Health)
67. Jaime Galvez Tan (Former Secretary, Department of Health)
68. Wigberto Tañada (Former Commissioner, Bureau of Customs)
69. Rene Villa (Former Secretary, Department of Agrarian Reform)
70. Veronica Villavicencio (Former Lead Convenor, National Anti-Poverty Commission)
71. Deogracias Vistan (Former President, Land Bank of the Philippines)

Related posts:

1. A Call to the Filipino Youth to Stand Up for Truth
2. Where are the Filipino Youth?
3. Not Only to Listen but to March