Protests, Reflection-Education on Arroyo's Litany of Sins

to Continue

Contrary to the claim of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales that the "worst of the political crisis is over" for her President, church and multi-sectoral groups are not over yet in demanding the Arroyo government to account for multiple accounts of corruption, gross human rights violation and for bringing more economic hardships for the Filipino people.
 

Our protests will not be over until the worst thieves in power are held accountable for robbing the Filipinos of dignity and social well-being. Our protests are bound to continue as long as corruption from top to bottom inflicts injustice to our people.

The Promotion of Church People's Response invites all church people, anti-corruption advocates and all concerned Filipinos to join the March 14 Gathering for Truth, Justice and Change, 3pm to 7pm at the Liwasang Bonifacio.

The March 14 gathering is a youth-led rally aiming to highlight that young people are standing up and speaking out against systemic corruption that robs their generation and future generations of decent future in terms of education, jobs and morally upright governance.

The March 14 gathering includes an opening part of inter-faith prayers, protest songs and a message from Jaro Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo. Leaders of the Protestant churches will join Abp Lagdameo and other Catholic leaders as well as Muslim leaders together with urban poor , peasant and other sectoral leaders in symbolic partaking of "Bread of Truth" to dramatize the unity of Filipinos in seeking truth, accountability and urgent socio-economic reforms.

PCPR welcomes the presence of Archbishop Lagdameo and all church leaders who pledged to join this rally of the youth and various sectors at the grassroots who bear the consequences of unabashed corruption of the Arroyo government. Though the March 14 rally is not as big as the February 29 rally, this is a strong message of continuing unity, hope and struggle of the youth, church people and multi-sectoral groups who are determined to work for a brighter future and better Philippines that is free from the clutches of a corrupt government.
 

Gonzales and all of Arroyo's avid defenders can go on claiming "political stability" but the rallying calls for truth, accountability and substantial reforms will persist. Even during the lull of the Holy Week and summer break, we vow to organize even more reflection and discernment circles to continue exposing the litany of sins of the Arroyo government and engage the people in communal actions for truth, justice and change.

While the thieves in government who have pocketed billions of kickbacks from anomalous deals can go on a grand summer vacation, the Filipino people will be engaged in continuing protests and education campaign to mobilize an enlightened citizenry against the evil sitting in power. #

Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR)
Amie Dural, Secretary General
Contact: 9251786

***

Church groups urge Filipinos to seek truth, justice and freedom this Lent

MANILA, March 11, 2008¯"The kind of fasting I want is this; remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice and let the oppressed go free."

Quoting the above verse from Isaiah 58:6, socio-pastoral organizations, Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) and Kapatirang Simbahan para sa Bayan (Brotherhood of Churches for the Nation or Kasimbayan) call upon Filipino Christians to reflect on the current situation of the country and to act, according to the Biblical concept of justice, truth, and freedom, in line with the observance of the Lenten season.

PCPR and Kasimbayan urge Filipinos to "commit ourselves to the calling of our nation: to seek truth, justice and deliverance from the sins of those in power," pertaining to the alleged corruption done by those who were involved in the controversial ZTE-NBN deal, being investigated in the Senate today.

"Our people are virtually in a state of perpetual fasting in the face of government neglect and corruption. Majority of Filipinos suffer the worsening economic crisis as the Arroyo family and all those who benefited from anomalous contracts have pocketed billions of pesos that could have provided decent housing, jobs, education and other basic services for the poor," the joint statement said.

Kasimbayan and PCPR invite the people to join the protest rally this coming March 14, at the Liwasang Bonifacio.

According to the convenors of PCPR and Kasimbayan, this is just one of the series of gatherings aimed to protest the alleged corruption in the government and to unite the Filipino people in ending injustices and oppression in the Philippines.

"As we remember the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, let us also remember the hundreds of our sisters and brothers who were persecuted, brutally killed and forcibly disappeared, as they stood up against the corruption and abuses of the Arroyo government," ends the statement. (Noel Sales Barcelona)

Dr. Carol P. Araullo

Chairperson, BAYAN

Atty. Adel Tamano, President

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

ANG NUNAL
Sinulat ni Joi Barrios

Ang nunal.
Masdan ang nunal niyang
Malaki?t maitim.
Ano kaya ang tinatago
Nitong lihim?

Shhhhhhhhhh!
Ang nunal.
Ang sabi ng iba,
Ang nunal daw, ay tanda ng ganda.
Ang sabi ko naman,
Aba, kumporme sa bida.
May babaeng gaya-gaya,
Kamukha daw ng artista,
Nang tumakbo sa halalan,
Nunal ay ipinangalandakan.

Ang nunal!
Ang sabi ng Medical Encyclopedia,
Maaring mag-iba
Ang hitsura ng nunal.
Maaring magpalit ng hugis,
Lumaki, anong kahindikhindik,
Lumolobo sa kanyang kananakaw,
Sa kanyang kauumit!
Nunal na nagbabago ng kulay,
Nagmimistulang may buhay!
Itong nunal kaya?y nangingitim
Sa dami ng pinaslang,
Ng budhi niyang anong dilim?

Mga kababayan! Masdan ang nunal!
Hindi ito palaisipan,
Wala nang maililihim
Ang nunal na sakim.
Sa nunal na ito, anong dapat gawin,
Kung pagsisimulan ng kanser na kumakalat,
Kanser na pumapatay, kanser na pahirap?
Tanggalin natin ang nunal!
Sunugin kung kinakailangan!
Sa nunal na kanser ang siyang katulad,
Bayan natin ay iligtas!
Ito ang tawag, ang hamon sa ating lahat!
 

Download poem
 

CCP official resigns over Jun Lozada
By Lito Zulueta
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:13am (Mla time) 03/17/2008

MANILA, Philippines - Stage and film actor Fernando Josef has resigned as vice president and artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines after the CCP board voted to deny the request of a group of artists to stage a concert to raise funds for the “sanctuary fund” of national broadband network (NBN) corruption scandal witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada.Read more 

Ma. Flor Quirubin

Wife of detained Col. Ariel Quirubin

Clenched fists

for Bayan Ko

Post-program scenes:

A Bayan Muna group congratulates itself for a successful activity; folding up banners and flags for safekeeping until the next rally; cleaning up the debris with the use of the Ibasura si GMA trashcans, unplugging the electronics and piling up the chairs.

Earlier in the day at the UP Diliman campus:

The UP Diliman community’s March 14 activities kicked off at 7:00 am with the launching of miniature hot air balloons calling for truth, justice and change at the UP Sunken Garden by AGHAM, an organization of scientists. They held a program at the campus before joining the Liwasang Bonifacio rally.

◄ In the US:

"We join thousands of Filipino youth around the world in the calls for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down. We condemn the corruption spearheaded by Philippine government officials who have been taking advantage of the Filipino people over and over again. They can't even provide accessible education and can't create jobs in the homeland for the thousands of Filipino youth who graduate every year and here they are taking away the people's money for their self-serving interests. The Filipino youth will definitely not allow this kind of government to lead the country."

--- Jonna Baldres

    Secretary Genera

    Anakbayan New York/New Jersey

◄ In Baguio City

Youth rage against GMA in concert

BAGUIO CITY (March 14) — Militants and the youth voiced their outrage at the Arroyo Administration through rhyme and music in a free concert for truth and accountability entitled “Truth or Consequence” at Malcolm Square People’s Park here Friday.Read more

Photo by Noel Godinez

BONUS TRACKS:

The NBN-ZTE lexicon

The Senate hearings on the NBN-ZTE scandal have provided us with new words and quotable phrases that all point to big time graft and corruption in the government, to wit:

"Sec, may 200 ka rito"

"Back off"

"Bubukol yan"

"Moderate their greed"

"Permissible zone"

"Tongpats"

And some more.

These are present day versions of the classic statements of the 50s and 60s:

"What are we in power for?"

"We must provide for the future of our families."

"We are all giant octopuses here."

"So young and already so corrupt."

All these quotes recall to mind the term "bureaucrat capitalism" used in the book Philippine Society and Revolution by Amado Guerrero to describe one of the three basic problems of the Filipino people (see Aklat ng Bayan list of books).

In the section, Bureaucrat Capitalism, the author has these notes on graft and corruption and the problem of government officials using their positions to enrich themselves:

Graft and corruption is an integral part of a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. The bureaucracy is nothing but an instrument for facilitating the exploitation of the broad masses of the people by foreign and feudal interests. The bureaucrat capitalists merely exact their share in the profits of comprador and landlord exploitation. It is their reward. In dishing out the anachronistic jargon of "liberal democracy" or "free enterprise", they simply mean to say that private interest (individual freedom of the exploiters) is paramount to public interest.

The entire hierarchy of the Philippine bureaucracy, including the executive, legislative and judicial branches.... has always been ridden with graft and corruption. One has only to take note of how much property a certain bureaucrat capitalist has at the start of his treacherous career and compare it with his visible assets that accumulate from year to year to be convinced of the enormity of graft and corruption and how detestably rotten the present system is.....

When the Senate resumes it hearings on the graft-ridden multimillion dollar projects, remember it is all about the basic problem of bureaucrat-capitalism staring you in your face.

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