Militants Want GMA Out of Edsa 2 Anniversary Celebrations

Militant peasant groups want President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to stay away from the second anniversary of People Power II, which will be commemorated on Jan. 16-20. The second Edsa uprising led to ouster of President Joseph Estrada two years ago and paved the way for the assumption of then Vice President Macapagal-Arroyo to the presidency.

BY GERRY ALBERT CORPUZ 
Bulatlat.com


Rural-based activist groups led by Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines or KMP), Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Center for Genuine Agrarian Reform or Sentra) and youth supporters from National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates (Nnara-Youth) in separate statements over the weekend called on the president to exercise delicadeza and not attend the celebration.

"After betraying the spirit and legacy of People Power II, we believe Ms Macapagal should stay away from the celebration. She's a national disgrace and undeserving to be part of the people's commemoration of a brilliant and historical victory," said Pamalakaya chair Fernando Hicap.

KMP national chair Rafael Mariano for his part urged organizers of Edsa 2 celebrations to stop entertaining the idea of inviting or giving President Macapagal-Arroyo a role during the five-day celebration.

"Let us make this day the people's day and not another photo opportunity for the discredited Edsa 2 turncoat. In fact, the peasantry will come here next week to start a weeklong protest against Ms Macapagal's super betrayal of Edsa II. They will also call for Ms Macapagal's ouster," the peasant leader said.

According to Mariano, close to 1,000 farmers from Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon, Northern Luzon and the Cordillera Region will stage a peasant caravan to Manila. Dubbed as the Reunion of Edsa 2 Heroes, the activity will start on Jan. 16. 

Youth power for GMA's ouster

Meanwhile, peasant advocates from NNARA-Youth told President Macapagal-Arroyo to voluntarily step down from her post. The group's chair Ashley Dy in a statement warned the president of the same deluge of mass actions that would compel her to resign if she would not vacate the presidency soon.

Dy said Macapagal-Arroyo was given a chance to make this country recover from the political and economic devastation brought by the Estrada regime but that she "wasted all opportunities awarded to her. It is judgment time and Ms Macapagal should not only drop her ambition in 2004, she better resign now or face the consequences of her round-the-clock puppetry and opportunism," he said.

Champion of political accommodation

Meanwhile, the KMP and Pamalakaya warned that Macapagal-Arroyo may use the Edsa 2 celebrations as a venue to "foster unity and national reconciliation" among the warring factions of the ruling elite. The groups said President Arroyo championed the interests of narrow groups and major players like Eduardo “Danding" Cojuangco Jr,, the Estrada faction and military establishment at the expense of the people.

Both groups said the policy of political accommodation and bargaining of political concessions to adjudged enemies of the people has been nearly perfected by the Macapagal-Arroyo government despite  the clamor for real and meaningful change.

The militant rural groups current view on Ms Macapagal's prowess to strike political accommodation was further bolstered by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Maria Sison's views that Ms Macapagal might choose either House Speaker Jose de Venecia or Cojuangco as prime minister if her allies in Congress succeed in their campaign to change the form of government from presidential to parliamentary.

"The GMA-JdV-Danding troika is behind the move to change the charter and pave way for congress to convene into a constituent assembly. Opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara is the troika's pointman in the upper chamber to push Chacha, stop the 2004 electoral exercises and give way to parliamentary form of government that would allow Ms Macapagal to stay beyond 2004 with either de Venecia or Cojuangco as prime minister," Pamalakaya's Hicap said.

"If the Chacha game fails, Ms Macapagal has still options to stay and rule beyond 2004 by retracting her previous statement and fabricate stories that there is a public demand for her to run in 2004. She may also  choose either de Venecia or Cojuangco as the administration's standard-bearer," he added.

Edsa 2 protest opens with anti-Chacha, No-Elections pickets

Pamalakaya, KMP and Nnara-Youth will stage a picket in front of Batasang Pambansa Complex on Monday when Congress resumes session. Picket organizers said the rally is in opposition to Palace-backed plan to push Charter Change and the shift in the form of government from presidential to parliamentary. Bulatlat.com

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