CRISIS OF THE ARROYO REGIME

Arroyo to Face ‘Storm of Protests,’ Militants Say

Days after the killing of the impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the House of Representatives’ Committee on Justice, newly-launched anti-Arroyo alliances warn she will be facing a “storm of protests” beginning this month.

BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat

GSM convenors (l-r, left photo) Rep. Satur Ocampo, Dr. Carol Pagaduan-Araullo, Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca, Rep. Liza Maza, Rep. Rafael Mariano, and Elmer Labog raise fists while presenting the People's Agenda for the Transition Council, Sept. 3 (left photo), as former President Corazon Aquino, Susan Roces-Poe and former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr. (right photo) lead opposition forces in an inter-faith action at the La Salle Greenhills School, Sept. 2.                                       Photos by Alexander Martin Remollino and Aubrey Makilan

At the launch of the Gloria Step Down Movement (GSM) Sept. 3, a loose network of various regional and sector-based formations pushing for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, one of its convenors said she must expect to face a “storm of protests” beginning this month.

Among the protest actions being planned, according to labor groups gathered at the launch of BAKLASIN SI ARROYO (Remove Arroyo) two days earlier, are a nationwide transport strike second week of this month and a Lakbayan ng Mamamayan (people’s long march) from Laguna to Metro Manila in October.

Joining the GSM’s launch as member-alliances were Artists for Democracy and the Immediate Ouster of Gloria (ADIOS Gloria), Artists for the Removal of Gloria (ARREST Gloria), Youth Demanding Arroyo’s Removal (Youth Dare), Rx Emergency: Gloria Resign, RAGE (Rise All Government Employees) 2 Resign, OUTRAGE (Overseas Filipinos, Their Families and Advocates Unite to Oust the Arroyo Regime), and the newly-formed BAKLASIN SI ARROYO or Bayang Nagkakaisa para Patalsikin si Arroyo (People United to Dismantle the Arroyo Regime).

It also counts among its member-alliances various region-based anti-Arroyo formations.

Whether or not the pro-impeachment solons manage to gather the 79 signatures needed for the articles of impeachment to be transmitted directly to the Senate, the GSM will intensify different forms of actions to “bear pressure on the President and thwart its attempts to prolong its stay in power,” said GSM convenor Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca, who read the group’s declaration during its launch at the Quezon City Sports Club.

Impeachment complaints

Arroyo has been facing three impeachment complaints at the House of Representatives. Her alleged impeachable offenses range from bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Earlier last week, the House Committee on Justice killed all three impeachment complaints – including an amended version of the complaint filed by lawyer Oliver Lozano. The amended impeachment complaint, which included among Arroyo’s alleged offenses the human rights violations or crimes against humanity committed by state forces under her watch, falling under culpable violation of the Constitution, is being pushed by people’s organizations and the House opposition bloc. Arroyo has been facing calls for her resignation, impeachment or ouster following renewed allegations that she cheated her way to victory in the 2004 election, as well as what cause-oriented groups describe as her government’s imposition of “anti-national and anti-people” policies.

Bp. Antonio Tobias (third from right) and other religious leaders celebrate Mass at the inter-faith prayer gathering for Truth, La Salle Greenhills School, Sept. 2 Photo by Aubrey Makilan

“The present wave of people power was delayed as we focused our energies on the impeachment process,” said Bayan Muna (People First) Rep. Satur Ocampo. “But with the impeachment complaint effectively killed in the House Committee on Justice and pro-impeachment solons now simply exerting last-ditch efforts, the main fight is now to be waged in the streets.”

He accused the pro-Arroyo, majority congressmen of violating the constitutional requirement of public accountability by railroading the impeachment and thus preventing the truth about the president’s culpability on the alleged crimes from being known.

In this regard, Lesaca said “If members of the House of Representatives cease to be representatives of the people and begin to be mere representatives of Malacañang, the people have no one to rely on but themselves.”

Lesaca, who is also Bayan Muna chair, likewise announced that the GSM is preparing for big mobilizations on Sept. 7 and 21.

The GSM supports the call for the formation of a Transition Council to replace the Arroyo regime. The transition council, according to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance) chair Dr. Carol Pagaduan-Araullo, will last from six months to one year and will set in place a number of reforms such as immediate economic relief including the cancellation of onerous debts, wage increase, moratorium on increases in the prices of petroleum products and other prime commodities; and political reforms like the reopening of peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), as well as investigations of widespread human rights violations.

In a related development, former President Corazon Aquino and Susan Roces, widow of actor Fernando Poe, Jr. – widely believed to have won in the 2004 election – led various anti-Arroyo forces in an inter-faith prayer Sept. 2 at the La Salle Greenhills School in San Juan City.

On Sept. 1, several labor and urban poor groups gathered at the Tandang Sora Hall of the College of Social Work and Community Development, University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City to form BAKLASIN SI ARROYO (Remove Arroyo). The alliance is composed of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May First Movement), Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston or United Nationwide Association of Drivers and Operators), Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay or Alliance of Urban Poor Associations), National Coalition of Concerned Volunteers (NCCV), FPJ for President Movement, Union of the Masses for Justice and Democracy (UMDJ), National Association of Trade Unions (NATU), National Labor Unions (NLU), National Union of Hotel and Restaurant Workers and Other Industries (NUHRWOI), and other labor organizations.

During the launch of BAKLASIN SI ARROYO, KMU chairman Elmer Labog condemned the killing of the impeachment complaint. “Dismissing the impeachment complaint is a desperate act on Arroyo’s part to save her shaky presidency,” he said. 

Collective actions

He said the killing of the impeachment complaint only showed that the people “cannot just rely on legal processes to resolve the current economic and political crisis,” and that collective actions are needed.

Meanwhile, UMDJ secretary-general Ver Eustaquio said the killing of the impeachment complaint does not mean the death of popular protests. “They may have killed the impeachment, but they cannot kill the people’s anger,” he said.

Labor expressed a similar view. “This will further incite the people to take to the streets and pursue the protests to oust Arroyo,” he said.

Recent opinion surveys have showed majority of the respondents wanting Arroyo to leave Malacañang.

Later that day, a number of BAKLASIN SI ARROYO members joined an indignation rally by various groups under the banner of Bayan against the killing of the impeachment complaint at the House Committee on Justice. The indignation rally would in a few hours also turn into a protest against the 15-0 ruling of the Supreme Court declaring the expanded value-added tax law (E-VAT) as constitutional. The VAT being a tax on goods and services, it is widely feared that the E-VAT would adversely affect the prices of prime commodities, among them petroleum products which recently hit all-time high prices in the world market. Bulatlat

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