Oust-Arroyo Movement Gains Headway in Baguio-Benguet

The mass actions calling for the President’s removal from office are not just confined to Metro Manila. Even residents of Baguio City (246 kms north of Manila) have lent their voice to the growing oust-Arroyo sentiments.

BY KIM QUITASON AND A.T. BENGWAYAN
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat

BAGUIO CITY — A broad alliance of organizations and individuals calling for the immediate resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo launched the Gloria Step Down Movement (GSM) Baguio-Benguet last July 13 at the Mandarin Restaurant here.

The GSM is composed of representatives from the youth, women, gays and lesbians, church and organizations of health workers, teachers, government employees together with progressive people’s organizations and individuals.

Youth Demanding Arroyo’s Removal (Youth Dare) representative Jado Bongadon said President Arroyo should resign now to fulfill her moral and political duty to the youth and to the entire nation. Youth Dare is an alliance of youth and students from different schools, communities and universities calling for the resignation and Arroyo’s ouster. 

Bishop Juan Marigza of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP) and a convenor of GSM said that UCCP issued a pastoral statement calling for Arroyo “to relinquish her post right away.” He said that her confession is an acceptance of ineffectiveness to lead the Filipino people towards a peaceful and united nation.

“We assure forgiveness but justice should be served,” he added.

Marigza further questioned the pronouncements of local officials expressing support to the president. He said that the local officials failed to consult their constituency. He added that the position of the local officials does not necessarily reflect the position of the citizenry.

Last July 12, Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan, along with several local government officials, expressed his support for Arroyo in a press conference.

Meanwhile, the Regional Development Council (RDC) decided to pass a resolution signifying its support to Arroyo during their meeting on July 14 here.

But Itogon Mayor Mario Godio said during the deliberations on the resolution that some local government heads are compelled to support the president because their towns are dependent on the national budget and the internal revenue allotment (IRA). He added that Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay could afford to call for the Arroyo’s resignation because Makati City is self-sufficient.  

Lawyer Gina Alvarez, another GSM convenor, stressed that resigning from her post is the most honorable thing the president could do at the moment. “I don’t know where the president gets the nerve to smile despite the political and economic pains she has caused the Filipino people,” she said.

Sectors unite

Even before the launching of GSM, various sectors launched different protest actions. Last June 30, the Youth Dare led a mini-concert where all performances revolved on the need to oust the president. Workers, the urban poor, representatives from the different sectors and progressive organizations from Baguio and Benguet also staged a march-rally last July 7.

On July 12, students from the University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB) led by the interim UPB Supreme Student Council (UPB SSC) and the Alliance of Concerned Students (ACS) took the issue to the streets with the call “Resign, Impeach, Patalsikin (Oust).” The students later marched to Session Road and held a program at the People’s Park that ended with a noise barrage. UPB SSC and ACS are member organizations of the Youth Dare.  

Two days after, government employees, health professionals, and the church discussed alternatives in governance in a forum at UPB. Lawyer Albert Velasco, president of the Katipunan ng Manggagawa sa GSIS (KMG, or Association of Workers at GSIS) based in Quezon City, discussed government employees’ basis of unity in the call to oust the President.

For five years under the Arroyo administration, the situation of the 1.4 million government employees has gone form bad to worse, he said. “Our salaries never increased since GMA became president, despite the increase in prices of basic goods and services. But it is ironic that government can allot budget for debt servicing, but not for the salaries of government workers,” Velasco added.

A broad alliance of government workers, the Rise All Government Employees 2 (RAGE 2), was formed amid the snowballing call for Arroyo’s resignation, Velasco said. “We called it RAGE 1 in 2001 during the campaign to oust former president Joseph Estrada.”

Transition council

He also discussed possible alternatives to the current crisis, which, in essence is the proposal for a transition council.

Velasco explained that the transition council would set the necessary preparations for the elections that will truly uphold the people’s choice, “thus doing away with the likes of COMELEC’s Virgilio Garcillano and Benjamin Abalos, to make the elections credible.”

He added that basic sectors would be involved in governance through the transition council. “What we need is fundamental change. You cannot expect that from the ruling elite. They would not want to change the prevailing system of governance because they benefit so much from it.” With report from Karen Nisperos of Nordis / Bulatlat

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