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
Bulatlat.com
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.com)
