This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 27, August 14-20, 2005
White Ribbons for Change In
the call for the resignation or removal of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
white is the color of the day for a new alliance of anti-Arroyo personalities
and groups from the so-called middle forces. The White Ribbon Movement (WRM),
the middle-force alliance has stood that Arroyo must step down from the
presidency by, among others, the tying of white ribbons in cars, posts, houses
and buildings around Metro Manila. BY
ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO In the twilight years of
the Marcos regime, yellow was the color of the day: yellow confetti rained from
buildings as anti-Marcos protesters marched on Ayala Avenue in Makati City. The
protesters were also singing “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree.”
In the present campaign for
the resignation or removal of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - who is under
fire for alleged cheating in the 2004 elections as well as large-scale
corruption and what cause-oriented groups describe as her government’s
imposition of anti-national and anti-people policies – white is the color of the
day for a new alliance of anti-Arroyo personalities and groups from the middle
forces. Calling itself the White Ribbon Movement (WRM), the middle-force
alliance has stood that Arroyo must step down from the presidency by, among
others, the tying of white ribbons in cars, posts, houses and buildings around
Metro Manila. Launched July 23 at the La
Salle Greenhills School, the WRM describes itself as a movement of concerned
Filipinos calling for Arroyo’s exit from Malacañang as a prerequisite for the
institutionalization of “meaningful reforms” in the country. Point of unity What is the WRM’s main
point of unity? “The White Ribbon Movement
is a movement of middle forces launched by several individuals, some of whom
represent groups, who are united by one thing, which is that…Mrs. Arroyo no
longer has the right (to govern), or it is best for the country that she steps
down,” said Dr. Minguita Padilla, one of the alliance’s members, in an interview
with Bulatlat. “That’s why,” Padilla
continued, “our initial call was resignation. Because we believe that the (Garci)
tapes are authentic, we believe that it is…a matter of public trust and there’s
no longer that – if you’ve lost public trust you could no longer rule
effectively. But unfortunately as we have seen, she has not stepped down. She
keeps saying, ‘Bring it to the proper forum.’ And that is why we are also
supporting the impeachment.” Other individuals and
groups are also open to the idea of ousting Arroyo and installing as a
replacement a transition council that would preside over the
institutionalization of urgent reforms before calling for a genuine election.
Progressive groups under the Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance) have been actively batting for a
people’s transition council to be composed of “patriotic and pro-people figures”
with a track record of integrity and competence as political leaders, as well as
democratic and progressive elements from the opposition parties that play
significant roles in the anti-Arroyo campaign.
The transition council, according to Bayan,
would draft a nationalist-oriented and progressive constitution. After that, it
will call for genuine elections.
It would also undertake a number of urgent
tasks, including: investigation of the involvement and culpability of Macapagal-Arroyo,
former election official Virgilio Garcillano, military officials, and others
involved in poll fraud; implementation of electoral and political reforms;
rendering of justice and indemnification to human rights victims; and ensuring
the protection of and respect for civil liberties; resumption of peace
negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the National
Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) through the fulfillment of all
existing agreements; solving the fiscal crisis by canceling or repudiating all
odious debts; and protecting the country from the ravages of free-market
globalization and reversing the disastrous structural adjustment programs
imposed by the country’s creditors.
Other personalities and groups campaigning for
Arroyo’s ouster, like Laban ng Masa (The Masses’ Fight) and some groups in the
mainstream political opposition, have broadcast their own versions of a
transition council.
Among the WRM members pushing for a transition
council is Mike Pante, editor-in-chief of Matanglawin, the Ateneo de
Manila University’s official national-language student publication.
But he also recognizes the WRM’s openness to
groups and individuals calling for Arroyo’s resignation or impeachment. “What is
important is for people to rally around a common cause, which is to effect a
change in the presidency and in our political system,” Pante told Bulatlat
in a separate interview. Do those in the WRM who
support the impeachment process feel confident that the case will prosper?
“If you’re only talking
about...numbers, then you’d say no,” Padilla says. “But it’s more than that,
there’s a conscience bloc, and we believe the conscience bloc will vote
according to their conscience. Once the evidence is presented, they cannot
possibly play blind.” Changes While Padilla and Pante
have different personal views as to how Arroyo must be compelled to step down
from office, they agree that there would have to be reforms beyond a changing of
the guard. As Pante said, “It is a waste of effort if we only change presidents
without enacting political and economic reforms.” “We have a dysfunctional
political system,” Padilla said. “And it gets worse and worse and worse because
so many have turned a blind eye for so many years on the system.” Padilla said that major
reforms would have to be done in public health and education. She deplores the
yearly decreases in the budgetary allocations for health and education, which
she says are of primary importance to the people. The doctor also pushes for
a massive anti-corruption campaign as a prerequisite for debt relief. “If we can
show the world that we can clean up our tax collection system, we can clean up
our legislative system, we will have earned the right to ask the world to give
us debt relief,” she explained. “Because how can you ask for debt relief – we
need debt relief, we have too many debts which we should not be paying for –
when you’re not fixing your own backyard, you’re not fixing corruption?” Other reforms Padilla
wishes to see are the revamp of the Commission on Election (Comelec), the
abolition of the pork barrel, and a reexamination of the 1987 Constitution. Pante, meanwhile, thinks
that the most important reforms would be those involving “genuine agrarian
reform, the scrapping of GMA-sponsored laws that are anti-people such as the
EVAT, and more representation for marginalized sectors in the government.”
Bulatlat © 2004 Bulatlat
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