Despite suspension of classes, this year’s SONA protest signified
the biggest youth delegation since the spate of rallies against the
Gloriagate expose. An estimated 10,000 youth and students from UP,
PUP, Ateneo, La Salle, UST, UE, Adamson, Trinity College, public high
schools and urban poor communities participated in today’s protest
– all under the banner of YOUTH DARE (Youth Demanding Arroyo’
Removal). Youth and students from Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon
also participated in the huge demonstration.
Despite suspension of classes, this year’s SONA protest signified
the biggest youth delegation since the spate of rallies against the
Gloriagate expose.
An estimated 10,000 youth and students from UP, PUP, Ateneo, La Salle,
UST, UE, Adamson, Trinity College, public high schools and urban poor
communities participated in today’s protest – all under
the banner of YOUTH DARE (Youth Demanding Arroyo’ Removal). Youth
and students from Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon also participated
in the huge demonstration.
“Though suspension of classes had an effect (on the expected
students’ attendance), our numbers were much compensated by the
torrent of thousands of youth from urban poor communities. Also, surprisingly
or unsurprisingly, students sacrificed their much-coveted ‘free
day’ to join the People’s SONA,” said Eleanor de Guzman,
Anakbayan secretary-general.
The YOUTH DARE delegation was a festive and lively march, marked
by red and white ribbons, pep squads, jingles and colorful placards
and streamers.
At 4pm, the program proper was cut to broadcast Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s
speech to the protesters via loud speakers. Youth and students huddled
into ‘street classes’ to discuss among themselves the ‘real
state of the nation’.
“This is a perfect opportunity to educate and strengthen the
youth’s unity in calling for Mrs. Arroyo’s immediate removal.
Classrooms cannot anymore contain our discourse on why Mrs. Arroyo
should step down. We came here to listen to her speech; not to give
credit for her so-called achievements and platform, but to critique
and validate all the lies that we expected to hear from her address,”
de Guzman added.
Youth dares to struggle for a democratic alternative
The street classes also stressed the need for the establishment of
a people’s democratic council to replace Mrs. Arroyo.
“For the youth, a democratic council to serve as transition
government is still the most viable and pro-people option. Majority
of youth and students shun a De Castro presidency…(because) it
is equally immoral and unjust to replace Mrs. Arroyo with another
whose character is of the same disposition,” de Guzman pointed
out.
She also added that a democratic council would ensure youth representation
and, in turn, pave the way for the implementation of immediate reforms
– such as a moratorium in tuition fee increases while the Education
Act of 1982 is being reviewed, and the repeal of anti-people policies
such as the Oil Deregulation Law, among others.
It will then give way to ‘genuine party elections' to allow
the people the democratic right to choose their new set of leaders.
“These cannot be achieved effectively so long as Mrs. Arroyo
and her cohorts remain in power. Even calls from some isolated sectors
for a so-called ‘caretaker council’ does not appeal to the
youth for the same reason that we have no regard for apologists and
opportunists who have done nothing to defend the youth’s interests.
These people hold a bad record for abandoning the people’s mass
movement – yet now they emerge from nowhere, claiming the people’s
mass movement’s proposal for a transition council as their own,”
de Guzman rebuked, referring to an earlier statement issued by the
Unity for Truth and Justice presenting a blueprint for a caretaker
council to replace Mrs. Arroyo.
She added that the youth is open to a Con-Con (Constitutional Convention)
to revise and repeal unscrupulous provisions in the existing Constitution
only after genuine party elections are held.
“The youth is always open to change and progressive reforms,
but we have also learned from the past and are now more careful to
analyze and discern. A Con-con at this point will not suffice, as
people with selfish political motives will be the ones to execute
it. Even the move for a parliamentary form of government would hold
no merit unless civilian representation will comprise its majority,”
de Guzman said.
She said, however, that the youth has no illusion that such an alternative
would instill fundamental political and economic reforms.
“It is not enough but it will be a good start. Mrs. Arroyo’s
removal and the establishment of a democratic council will pave the
way for the eventual triumph of the youth and the people’s struggle
for national democracy. Only then can genuine systemic changes in
society be realized,” de Guzman concluded.
Anakbayan is the co-convenor of YOUTH DARE, a broad alliance of youths
and students from different schools, communities and universities,
and a member of GSM, a multi-sectoral anti-Arroyo alliance.
