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NORDIS WEEKLY
July 10, 2005

 

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Baguio militants gear for GMA ouster, form movement

BAGUIO CITY (July 8) — While the going gets tough in Metro Manila and elsewhere on the presidential crisis, progressive organizations in Baguio City, including representatives from other sectors, converged to form the Gloria Step Down Movement (GSM) here.

The Baguio-based GSM formation aims to fast track the resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) due to the crisis she has cast upon the Filipino people, said Joe Cawiding of Bayan Muna, including alleged electoral fraud and the betrayal of public trust. The GSM was scheduled for launching on July 13, but with the quick pace of developments in the political arena, Cawiding said that it should be done earlier.

The GSM is convened by Tongtongan ti Umili-Cordillera Peoples Alliance (TTU-CPA), and partylists Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, and Gabriela Women’s Partylist. Church, academe and local government representatives in the city and Benguet province are also supporting this move, Cawiding added.

The GSM calls on Arroyo to step down from her post as president for having lost the moral ascendancy and political legitimacy to rule the nation. Cawiding added that Arroyo must be tried and sanctioned accordingly, since merely saying sorry and asking for the people’s forgiveness will never compensate for the ills she has caused the Filipino people.

Resignation not enough

Ignacio Pangket of the Anakpawis partylist clarified that a change in leadership is not the cure-all to the national crisis. “Substantial change in the system in would be more meaningful. This means that the new administration must implement economic and political policies that would respond to the needs and demands of the people. If the new administration ignores these, the Filipinos would keep on clamoring for a change in leadership”, he explained.

He added that the new administration must do away with policies on globalization and liberalization, and repeal all laws that are anti-people such as the Mining Act of 1995 and the Oil Deregulation Law, adding that GMA’s policies have hit the poor the hardest.

“The price of diesel before GMA became president was P13 per liter. Currently, the price rose to P29 per liter”, he said.

Pangket stressed that while it may seem uncertain at present, GSM and its member organizations and individuals, would later demand that all strategic industries must be nationalized.

The GSM has formations in other provinces, nationwide. Massive mobilizations in key cities are expected to take place this month, especially with the nearing of Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address, he said.

Vernie Yocogan Diano of the GWP meanwhile added that the eventual withdrawal of the United States’ support to the current administration is inevitable. “This is also true with the withdrawal of military support from the regime. The growing movement calling for the Arroyo’s ouster will make this possible,” she said.

The GSM supports the call for a transition council after Arroyo’s ouster to pave the way for snap elections later.

“The transition council will ensure not only a change in leadership. It will also pursue the incorporation of people’s issues in policy-making. With this, the Filipinos would be able to choose credible leaders,” Pangket said.

A nationwide vigil was held at the Malcolm Square (People’s Park) where leaders took turns in explaining to the public the crisis that the embattled presidency has caused the country and the need for bigger mobilizations to force GMA to resign her position. Passers-by were enjoined to sign a unity statement demanding for GMA’s resignation.

“Can you forgive a president who led this country to hardship, where new taxes were imposed, prices of basic goods rose, where political repression prevailed?” asked Chie Galvez of TTU to the crowd that gathered at the park. The crowd responded with a roaring NO when she asked, “Can you forgive a president who cheated in the election?”.

Lawyers for resignation

Like the Estrada Resign Movement in the city that ousted former Pres. Joseph Estrada, the GSM is participated by professionals, including lawyers.

“She does not have legal and moral authority to remain in power,” said lawyer Manja Bayang of the Cordillera Indigenous Law Center or DINTEG. She said that Arroyo violated the election code, anti-graft law, code and conduct in ethical standards for public officials, and the Constitution.

Another lawyer, Cheryl Daytec-Yangot, supported the GSM and inked her signature to the manifesto of the GSM movement, along with her students from the Saint Louis University (SLU). Teachers also signed the manifesto at the vigil. “We are also affected by the crisis GMA has caused”, said Ronnie Taggaoa of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT)-Metro Baguio. # AT Bengwayan and Art Allad-iw for NORDIS


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