Bayan ensures big mobilization to counter Arroyo’s SONA

MEDIA STATEMENT

July 21, 2009

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan ensures Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of a mobilization that will reveal the real state of the nation as against her usual untruthful statements. This year’s SONA of Gloria Arroyo is the most crucial one knowing the possibility of her declaration that will either enforce martial law or will pave the way for the Congress to convene in a “Senate-less” constituent assembly and discuss and approve their amendments to the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

In any ways that Gloria Arroyo will try to push her filthy agenda, we are making sure that we have the people with us to oppose and deny her plans. What seems to be unusual with the rigid gearing-up of the Philippine National Police for this year’s SONA, as compared to the previous ones, is their anticipation of a strong opposition from the people. Whatever it is that they think will ignite the people’s resistance, we will ensure readiness among our ranks and be as peaceful as we have always been.

Our community forums in the city’s various barangays are successful in giving education about the real situation of our country amid the worsening global financial crisis and the looming effects of charter change to our sovereignty and patrimony. The people’s responses are overwhelming and we believe that their participation to our mobilization this coming July 27 is a result of their consciousness and willingness to be active against the manipulations of the Arroyo administration.

The Filipino people have expressed enough of their dissents against Gloria Arroyo’s corrupt, sham, and fascist regime. Apparently, Gloria Arroyo is too shameless and uncaring to realize that she has never won the people’s confidence and sympathy since the time she rigged the 2004 presidential election and be seated as a sham president of the country.

Gloria Arroyo has gone further with her sins after she initiated anomalous transactions and conspired with her allies in corrupting the people’s money. This is to remind us all of Gloria Arroyo and her family’s involvement to NBN-ZTE deal scandal, the P728 million fertilizer fund scam, and many others. Gloria Arroyo has also caused gross human rights violations and senseless deaths of thousands of innocent civilians through her implementation of Oplan Bantay Laya.

Gloria Arroyo has blatantly neglected the people’s economic rights by ignoring their needs for stable and decent jobs, lands, food, shelter, and access to basic social services. These are more than enough reasons for the Filipino people to ensure the end of Gloria Arroyo’s anti-people regime. There is no way that we will allow her manipulations to stay in power and be granted the immunity from any lawsuit.

Gloria Arroyo deserves nothing less than ouster. We need to stop and kick her out from Malacañang before her evil works succeed in exploiting more the Filipino people and our nation.

No to Charter Change!

Never Again to Martial Law!

Oust Gloria!

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Mobilization is set on SONA day despite holiday declaration

PRESS RELEASE

July 20, 2009

Davao City – Bagong Alyansang Makabayan announced today that the big mobilization next Monday (July 27) will push through despite a special working holiday declaration by the Palace on Gloria Arroyo’s 9^th State of the Nation Address.

The Palace declared July 27, as a special working holiday for the founding anniversary of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

“The declaration will not affect the preparation of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan for the big protest action this July 27. Build-up activities are also set this week,” said John Birondo, spokesperson of Bayan-Southern Mindanao.

Bayan is expecting for a bigger mobilization this year than the previous SONAs.

“This is Arroyo’s last SONA. It will all be the same SONA speech showcasing deceitful figures and sheer lies but at the same time we see the desperate moves of Malacañang to stay in power with the moves to amend the charter. We have to show our numbers,” Birondo said.

“This administration is desperately trying to quell the coming public outrage come July 27. We have heard of the planned emergency rule and even the red alert status of the security forces to last until SONA. But still, the people’s wrath will prevail,” Birondo said

“We enjoin everyone to join the protest action this coming SONA. Let us show our disgust over this regime that will be leaving us with the most unbearable legacy of corruption, human rights abuses and economic degradation,” he said. #

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Bayan condemns bombings, warns reinforcement of martial law

Media Release

July 10, 2009

Davao City- Bayan condemned here today in a picket rally the recent bombing incidents in Mindanao that grisly took the lives of innocent civilians and have worsened the instabilities in the country’s present political and economic conditions.

“One lesson we should not forget about the circumstances that justified the declaration of martial law by the dethroned Marcos regime was the ploy of social unrest and the consequent military take-over and supremacy,” Bayan spokesperson John Birondo said.

“The theories and justifications of the military linking the recent bombings to terrorism sound so cliché and unbelievable. It is so irreconcilable that the military has not preempted the bombings when all these times, they claim they knew of the plans through intelligence reports,” Birondo added.

Birondo added “the military was very quick to point with certainties at the MILF and the Abu Sayaff group as the ones instigating the bombings in Mindanao, yet, they can not explain how the bombings happened beyond their control.”

“Whichever angle the military will try to situate the bombings, the people’s utmost vigilance is needed to impede any attempt that will take advantage of the situation and cause the reinstatement of martial law,” Birondo warned.

“It is not coincidence that the bombings are happening with the coming of Gloria Arroyo’s SONA three week s from now. Time and opportunities are slithering from Gloria’s hand as nothing is working to ensure her continued stint in Malacañang,” Birondo said.

“Martial law is Gloria Arroyo’s remaining hope to stay in power. The people’s movements against her sham presidency are too strong for her to contain and stop,” Birondo stressed.

Bayan recalled the aftermaths of the martial Law declaration in June 21, 1972 where opposition figures, including Benigno Aquino, journalists, and student and labor activists were arrested. A total of about 30,000 detainees were kept at military compounds run by the army and the Philippine Constabulary.

Bayan added “the assassination plot of then Minster of National defense Juan Ponce Enrile which precipitated Proclamation 1081- Marcos’ proclamation of Martial– was learned to be a ploy admitted by Enrile himself after the downfall of the Marcos regime in 1986.

“The statement of whistleblower Vidal Doble involving the military to the bombings in the country is too serious to be treated unaddressed and uninvestigated,” Birondo added.

“There are many lessons in the past and in the present times that are enough to teach us of the actions we should be making now. A radical opposition against Martial Law is a must for us Filipinos to take-on. Let us fight now before our actions become irrelevant and toothless against Martial Law,” Birondo said.

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Bayan warns US meddling in 2010 elections dubious

MEDIA RELEASE

July 6, 2009



Davao City – Bayan warned here today that the expression of possible interference of the US government in the 2010 national elections will dangerously lead to more interventions of the country’s economic and political affairs.



“The statement issued by US ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney expressing the need to pursue the 2010 national elections was not a simple gesture of concern. There is a need for the US to ensure the elections in 2010 for its agenda of having charter change to also push through,” Bayan spokesperson John Birondo said.



“The mounting protests against Gloria Arroyo’s Con-Ass and Cha-Cha have caused huge damage in the credibility of charter change in general. Issues of term extension for Gloria Arroyo and her cabals did not help in building the people’s confidence over the initiatives for charter change,” Birondo added.



“We see now a shift in the efforts of the Arroyo administration to continue with cha-cha as dictated by US. The 2010 national elections will pursue as other details of ensuring Gloria Arroyo’s top post as prime minister will come after the form of government is changed to parliamentary from the current presidential system,” Birondo warned.



“In anyways the whole thing will happen, Gloria Arroyo will surely benefit from Cha-Cha,” Birondo said.



Bayan reiterated that the declaration of national patrimony and sovereignty in the 1987 Philippine Constitution is a barrier to the full operations of foreign investments in the country. It limits the implementation of policies brought by the concepts and practices of globalization such as the Mining Act of 1995.



“The US economy trampled under recession has aggressively pushed the US government to find viable options for its survival. It is in this aspect that the Philippines’ semi-feudal and semi-colonial characteristic is sustaining the need of the US and other capitalist countries for cheap labor and raw materials and a market for its surplus products,” Birondo explained.



Bayan added that the denationalization, liberalization, privatization, and deregulation policies of globalization have annihilated the role of the government in decision makings involving local investments, taxation, employment, prices of basic commodities and services, food security, public utilities, and land use.



“The root cause of social and economic disorders in the country is systemic. The crisis that has permanently caused poverty and exploitation of the Filipino people for more than a century now can only be defeated through the people’s movements,” Briondo said.



“In any way or form, a US dictated charter change will further neglect and abuse the people’s civil and economic rights,” Birondo added.

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