But the young activist leader added that the broad alliance against the flaundering regime would gain more ground should there be defections from the military and police and government officials such that of former Presidential Commission on Good Governemt (PCGG) Commissioner Heidee Yorac and National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) Chairman Roy Señeres.
Reforms
Reyes said the progressive forces wild aspire that the transitional council would commit itself to nationalization of basic industries and genuine land reform, the two factors that should give economic relief to the basic sectors of society – labor, peasant and the urban poor.
But since these reforms would take a longer time to be implemented and as the council would only be interim, some immediate reforms should be in the offing such as a wage increase.
And since the the wiretapped conversations of Macapagal-Aroyo with Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano would establish the illegitimacy of the present regime, Reyes said, “Laws signed by an illegitimate president should also be examined.”
These laws would include such controversial ones as the Mining Act and the 12 percent Value-Added Tax (VAT), he said.
The transition council should also have a policy on advancing the peace process and immediately putting a stop to intensive military operations in the countryside that have resulted to human rights violations. This would include the immediate relief from their post of notorious army officers involved in human rights cases such as Brig. Gen. Jovito Palparan, presently commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Battalion PA based in Eastern Visayas and Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippine’s Northern Luzon Command (NolCom).
Crackdown
Meantime, in its desperate attempts to suppress the growing voice of the people, the Macapagal-Arroyo government has apparently gone overboard in attacking the opposition, specifically those who have come forward to campaign for her ouster.
In news eports June 17, Justice Secretary Ramon Gonzales said congressmen who would dare play the controversial “Hello Garci” tapes at the congressional inquiry on June 21 face arrest.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), on the other hand, issued a memorandum banning the airing of the wiretapped conversation through compact discs, cell phones and the internet shall be apprehended.
Gonzales also warned media groups that if they played the tape again, the justice department could charge them with violating the Anti-Wiretapping Act or their licenses revoked.
Whistleblower Samuel Ong, former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy director for intelligence who surfaced last week with the original copy of the wiretapped conversation, has also been charged with inciting to sedition. Ong took refuge at the San Carlos Seminary in Quezon City after the revelation but was ordered to leave the seminary on June 13 for allegedly violating some rules. His whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
Talks of another martial law declaration have also been circulating like wildfire since June 17. But opposition leaders have said that the Macapagal-Arroyo regime would be putting itself down the drain if it declares martial law in an attempt to silence her critics and to stop the move for her ouster.
In a statement, the Movement of Concerned Citizens for Civil Liberties (MCCCL) called on the citizenry to be more vigilant.
“It is during this time of severe crisis that civil liberties must be upheld and respected. Further repression will only fan the crisis and would cast more doubt on the credibility of the administration,” the movement said. (With reports from Ronalyn Olea / Bulatlat)
