NEWS AT A GLANCE

Enough of Gloria

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) scored June 17 the Arroyo administration for failing to release the P1,000 “Education Assistance” bonus that it promised to teachers and other government employees last June 1.

ACT Chair Antonio Tinio said the bonus was supposed to help cover tuition expenses of children of parent-teachers this enrolment.

Tinio noted that the Arroyo government’s policy of reducing annual per capita spending on education in favor of debt payments has resulted in more children out of school, falling achievement rates for those in school, and lower standards of living for teachers.

ACT also reiterated its demand for the immediate granting of a P3,000 salary increase and condemned the Arroyo government for refusing to raise salaries of state workers in the last four years.

 “We’ve had enough of Gloria’s salary freeze! We’ve had enough of Gloria’s lies! We’ve had enough of Gloria!” said Tinio. Bulatlat

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‘Never again to dictatorship’ -- KMU

Widespread people’s protests and resistance. This was the reaction of the militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) June 17 to reports that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo plans to declare martial law on or before June 21 and that hit squads are positioned within Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.

“Gloria can and will do anything to hold on to her weakening presidency,” KMU chair Elmer Labog said. “But she will not succeed, workers say never again to another dictatorship.”

Labog also said that there has been an undeclared martial law with the government’s militarization campaign and political repression that caused harassment, abduction or even murder of political activists and members of militant organizations.

The labor center will lead a major mobilization together with other sectors this week at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila to frustrate Arroyo's alleged martial law declaration. Bulatlat

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No coco compromise for farmers

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), the country’s largest and most militant farmer’s organization, denounced June 17 the alleged coco levy deal proposal by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), the Department of Agriculture (DA) and business magnate Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco.

“It is obvious that the PCGG, DA and Danding are orchestrating a grand sell-out of the small coconut farmer’s interest,” said Willy Marbella, KMP internal deputy secretary general and himself a small coconut farmer from Bicol. “This is a reprehensible ploy to again rob the coco farmers of their hard-earned and long-fought for funds.”

Marbella added that “the PCGG, the DA and especially Danding have no right to bargain for the small coconut farmers” because the coco levy fund belongs to them.

The group called for the resignation of Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who, they said, have done nothing to alleviate the plight of farmers. Bulatlat

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