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Baguio youth jam against GMA

BAGUIO CITY (June 30) — Two days after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo admitted that it was her voice on the wiretapped phone conversations, around 400 people led by the youth sector of Metro Baguio gathered for a mini-concert at Malcolm Square, here last June 30 to demand her ouster.

During the said event, students from Saint Louis University (SLU), University of the Cordilleras (UC), Baguio Central University (BCU), Pines City Educational Center (PCEC), Easter College Incorporated (ECI), Benguet State University (BSU) and the University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB), assembled to listen and watch various youth organizations perform songs and plays. All the said performances have one common theme – the Ouster of GMA. The activity was initiated by Anakbayan and League of Filipino Students (LFS).

The group also called for the formation of a broad alliance of youth calling for the president’s ouster, dubbed as Youth Demanding Arroyo’s Removal (Youth DARE).

A number of youth organizations showed strong interest in the formation of the said alliance, which include the National Union of Students of the Philippines – Baguio-Benguet (NUSP- BB), College Editors Guild of the Philippines – Baguio Benguet (CEGP-BB), Anak ng Bayan Youth Party, Progressive Igorots for Social Action (PIGSA), Artista ti Kordilyera para iti Wayawaya (ARKIW), Student Christian Movement of the Philippines-Metro Baguio (SCMP-MB), Tanghalang Bayan ng Kabataan sa Baguio (TaBaK Baguio), League of Filipino Students (LFS), ANAKBAYAN Metro-Baguio, Gabriela Youth, Sigma Kappa Pi-UP, Sigma Delta Pi-UP, Palaris Confraternity-UP, Democratic Action Party for the Youth-BCU (DAP-AY-BCU), SLU Debate Society, Alliance of Concerned Students-SLU and UP, and the Democratic Party for the Youth-UC (DAP-AY-UC).

Other progressive organizations such as LFS sold recordings of the Gloria-gate audio with various versions of the popular “Hello Garci?” ringing tone.

The NUSP-BB who earlier led student protests agrees with the proposal of a transition council following GMA’s ouster.

Meanwhile, ANAKBAYAN-MB launched a signature campaign against fare hike and the removal of student fare discount during weekends, holidays and summer vacation. These issues are some of the consequences of the steadily increase of oil price that happened under GMA’s administration.

Mass mobilizations, even from the outskirts of Metro Manila grew stronger when the president blatantly denied rigging the polls last May elections despite the existence of the controversial wiretapped conversations. While GMA already claimed that it was her voice on the audio, Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano’s whereabouts remain obscure. # Angelica Campo for NORDIS

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