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Bishop Labayen claims there is gov’t breakdown

Bayan Muna proposes transition council upon GMA’s ouster

BAGUIO CITY (June 24) — Catholic Bishop Julio Labayen claims that there is a breakdown in the government as manifested by the present crisis in the presidency and government’s anti-people policies while a partylist leader claims that a council should be established, which would serve later as a transition government before the election of a new set of leaders should Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) be ousted.

In a forum this week at UP Baguio, Labayen encouraged participants to espouse politics that advances the rights and welfare of the majority for a better society. The forum was well attended by militant groups, church people, and the academe.

Labayen claims that what is presently being attacked is the leadership of GMA and not her person. He added that GMA’s governance and method of leadership is not pro-people, as manifested by expanded value added tax and incessant oil price hikes.

Labayen is a member of the Makabansang Kilusang Ekonomya (MKE) which spearheaded the latest national day of mourning. The group also calls for GMA to speak the truth of a latest CD which exposes her alleged conversation with Commission on Elections’ Virgilio Garcillano to rig the Mindanao elections in favor of GMA.

He also clarified that the financial crisis is not due to the breakdown in morality but politically on the crisis of presidency and governance that resulted to the two past people power uprising that ousted Macros and Estrada, respectively.

Representatives from militant groups and the Political Science Division of the UP Baguio, who were invited as reactors, agreed to Labayen’s pronouncements and united in calling for the ouster of the president.

Chie Galvez of the Tongtongan ti Umili (TTU) the local chapter of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) said an ouster is inevitable with all the controversies and problem haunting the present administration. She said the only question is when this will take place.

Geraldine Cacho of ORNUS (Organisasyon dagiti Nakurapay nga Umili ti Siyudad) supported the call for the ouster of Arroyo, saying that GMA’s anti-people policies that rammed the urban poor deeper into poverty.

“Kahit ilang ulit tayong magpalit ng pangulo, huwag tayong magsasawa, hanggang sa maitayo natin ang gobyernong para sa atin,” she declared.

Cacho reiterated that the VAT which will be implemented on July will hit the poor the most. She added that the Community Mortgage Program (CMP), which is supposed to provide affordable housing for the urban poor community, is very expensive, in reality.

Cacho also lamented that government troops are bombarding the interior tri-boundary of Mt. Province, Ilocos Sur and Benguet as part of their counter insurgency campaign, where hundreds of women and children are caught in the crossfire.

“Ginegyera kami ng gobyerno, ginegyera kami ni Gloria,” Cacho declared.

Cacho also criticized the Arroyo government for branding organizations critical of her administration, including ORNUS, as communist fronts.

UP Political Science Professor Maileenita Penalba said that the crisis of the president is a crisis of political legitimacy.

“Mahirap mamalakad kung walang political legitimacy,” she explained.

Penalba also expressed solidarity for the ouster of the president.

Succession of the presidency

Should President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo be ousted, who would take he place?

In the same forum, Manny Loste, national vice-chairperson of Bayan Muna said that the kind of crisis the country has can not be handled by one person only.

Loste said the proposal of Bayan Muna and its allied organizations is a transition council that would be composed of people, who care for the rights and welfare of fellow Filipinos.

Loste explained that the said council will pave the way for an election of a new set of officials. “This would be different from EDSA 2, where the vice president automatically replaced the ousted president”, he said. He stressed that Vice President Noli de Castro cannot replace Arroyo because even his election into office is tainted with fraud.

Loste also said that the political crisis could be resolved if the economic and moral crisis is addressed.

Bishop Labayen agreed with Bayan Muna’s proposal for a transition council, stressing that the transition council should involve all Filipinos. # Art Allad-iw for NORDIS with reports from Kim Quitasol

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