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Cha-cha forum pax chide organizers

BAGUIO CITY (June 30) — Educators from the different schools and government offices in Northern Luzon, who participated in a forum on constitutional reforms, demanded the refund of a portion of the P3,500 registration fee when the forum aimed towards an informed choice turned out as a one-sided campaign for charter change.

In a two-page letter signed by more than half of the 40 participants to the forum, the complainants raised why such a forum collected a registration fee when it is an advocacy forum for charter change. Irate participants put the main organizer Student’s Actions Vital to the Environment and Mother Earth Movement (SAVE ME Movement) in hot water even more when representatives of the said more than 20 signatories found out that the secretariat room of the SAVE ME Movement was already vacated at the time the letter was to be submitted this afternoon.

Conducted on June 29-30 at the Romulo Hall, Teachers Camp in this summer capital, the forum listed as organizers the SAVE ME Movement and the National Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in cooperation with the National Youth Commission, Charter Change Advocacy Commission and Sigaw ng Bayan.

“The theme says “Towards an informed choice”, but how could we have an informed choice if we are presented only one side of the issue?” stated the letter that they will now furnish to the CHED regional offices in Northern Luzon.

As contained in the kit given by organizers are Alex Aguilar to discuss labor and employment; Richard Alvin Nalupta to discuss youth and education; Atty. Romila Bengson for economic reforms; and Atty. Raul Lambino for political and electoral reforms. All the listed speakers did not show up, except Lambino who arrived on the second day, despite announcement that he would speak on the first day.

Only Atty. Lourdes Tabanda of the Constitutional Consultative Commission spoke on the first day.

The said participants further asked: “Did we pay the exorbitant fee just to hear the same words that Sigaw ng Bayan had been saying on all media outlets?”

All the speakers are pro-chacha, Nordis learned from the participants.

A participant, who opted for anonymity, claimed that the activity was the most expensive forum he ever attended as the two speakers and other activities were held only for 480 minutes (or almost eight hours) with each participant paying P3,500.

Participants also pointed out that most of them wasted time on the forum. They claimed that the venue was originally at the Benitez Hall but they need to incur additional transportation expenses in going to the Romulo Hall. They also pointed out that the schedules were not followed and that some of the activities were not conducted.

The Philippine Information Agency earlier made an advisory for the media to cover the Cha-cha advocacy forum on June 29 at 1:00 P.M. with Atty. Raul Lambino as main discussant. Later on June 30, it again issued a media advisory on another media advocacy forum with Lambino as main discussant. Both invtations mentioned Teachers’ Camp’s Romulo Hall as venue. # Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS

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