Youth Groups File Impeach Raps against GMA, Launch Own Watchdog

BY BULATLAT
Posted 1:15 p.m., June 29, 2006

The so-called hope of the nation filed another impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo this morning, the fourth filed at the House of Representatives in four days.

Complainants, under the broad coalition Youth Demanding Arroyo's Removal (Youth Dare), include youth leaders Paolo Alfonso, University of the Philippines student council chairperson, Henry Enaje, Polytechnic University of the Philippines  student council chairperson, Raymond Palatino, Youth Dare spokesperson and Kabataan Partylist president, Marco delos Reyes, National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) president, Jose Cosido, College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) president, Lengua de Guzman, Anakbayan chairperson, Vencer Crisostomo, League of Filipino Students (LFS) chairperson, and Dion Cerrafon, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) chairperson.

The complaint was endorsed by Davao Rep. Elias Ruy Lopez.

“Arroyo's continued rule and her manuevers to stay in power compromises the future of our nation," Crisostomo said.

The youth leaders accused president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of “aggravating the education crisis by using education funds for her moves to stay in power.”

Crisostomo said that instead of increasing the budget for education, the president allegedly “used up the money intended for education for her political campaign.”

The young leaders also said that the Arroyo administration violated the law when the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) released Memorandum Order No. 14 that allegedly allowed increases without due consultations and processes.

Allowing “tuition increases amidst the already high cost of private tertiary education is definitely a crime against the youth,” said Crisostomo.

He added that youth leaders have also become victims of political killings, noting the case of Cris Hugo, a member of the LFS national council and the Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity in Bicol, who was killed by hooded men men on March 19.

Meanwhile, they also launched i-MONITOR, the youth sector’s impeachment watchdog that aims to mobilize youth support in the impeachment initiative.

“If we witness another mockery of democracy happening in the halls of Congress, the streets around Batasan will be filled with young, angry people that will not let their intelligence be insulted the second time around,” warned Crisostomo.

According to delos Reyes, 15 student council leaders from different universities have already signed up for the i-MONITOR campaign. Bulatlat