February 23, 2012

REFERENCE: Renato M. Reyes, Jr BAYAN Secretary General

Today we gather near the Senate to add our voices to the ongoing impeachment trial against Chief Justice Renato Corona and the arraignment of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. It is a welcome coincidence that Arroyo’s arraignment takes place at the same time the Senate is hearing evidence on CJ Corona’s maneuvers in granting Arroyo a TRO which would have allowed her to escape justice.

Corona should be held accountable for his individual acts as Chief Justice that facilitated the TRO on Arroyo’s watchlist order. Corona is liable for hastening the SC issuance of the TRO, for changing the results of the SC deliberations on the conditionality of the TRO and in ensuring that the TRO would be immediately enforced through irregular means, including the extension of office hours.

Corona cannot hide behind the mantle of collegiality since documents from the SC have revealed his individual role and partiality in granting of the TRO.  The TRO fiasco showed us how Arroyo intended to use the SC as her last line of defense to evade accountability. We saw how the SC was all too willing to accommodate Arroyo’s demands.

We condemn the SC February 14 resolution which seeks to suppress evidence on this issue by declaring certain documents as confidential and by preventing court officials from testifying before the Senate. The public deserves to know what actually transpired during the deliberations of Arroyo’s petition for TRO. The Senate should oppose this grand cover up by the SC. It is frustrating that the Senate through its rulings has further narrowed the avenues for seeking the truth on Corona’s misdeeds.

The Corona impeachment and Arroyo’s arraignment remind us that much still needs to be done to hold Arroyo truly accountable for ALL her crimes.

It was the SC TRO that precipitated the filing of a criminal case against Arroyo, in an effort to render the SC TRO moot and keep Arroyo in the country. We reiterate our position that Arroyo should be jailed for the criminal case she faces in the Pasay RTC. Her continued hospital detention smacks of special treatment and double-standards. Her accountability should not be limited to the 2007 elections but should cover gross human rights violations, plunder and wholesale election fraud of 2004.

The SC TRO debacle was the result of the failure of current president Benigno Aquino III to prosecute Arroyo during his first year and a half in office. Arroyo’s attempt to escape justice was helped by no small means by the inability of the Aquino government to file cases in court against the former president. And were it not for Arroyo’s attempt to flee, through the SC TRO, the Comelec would not have immediately filed the case of election sabotage at the Pasay RTC.

What is clear is that nearly two years into office, Aquino has not prosecuted Arroyo for her more serious crimes What is becoming increasingly clear is that Aquino has used the impeachment to divert attention from this and other failures and to pin all blame on the SC.

While Corona’s removal from the SC will, to some extent, help in the prosecution of GMA, we should be reminded that it is still the Executive which has the ultimate responsibility in ensuring GMA is held accountable. Aquino too will eventually be judged based on these expectations. ###

February 22, 2012

Multisectoral group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) today said that the Aquino administration is obsessed with the 12% value added tax (VAT) like its predecessor despite its harsh impact on the poor.

Bayan was reacting to the statement of Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda that Malacañang will not support calls to remove the VAT on oil amid escalating prices. Lacierda echoed the oft-repeated argument of the previous Arroyo administration that removing the VAT on petroleum products will not directly benefit the poor.

Based on the Bayan’s monitoring, the pump price of diesel has already increased by P2.65 per liter while unleaded gasoline has jumped by P4.60 after seven rounds of oil price hikes since the start of the year. During the same period, the retail price of an 11-kilogram cylinder tank of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has ballooned by P115.50. Consequently, government’s VAT collections from diesel have increased by 26 centavos per liter; 43 centavos for unleaded gasoline; and almost P14 per tank from LPG.

The group said that removing the VAT on petroleum products will immediately reduce the retail price of diesel by almost P6 per liter; unleaded gasoline, by more than P7; and LPG, by almost P100 per regular tank. “These are very real and direct benefits for jeepney and tricycle drivers, and for ordinary households,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said, countering Lacierda’s claims.

Bayan pointed out that President Aquino, who recently said it will be a mockery of the justice system if Mrs. Gloria Arroyo will be left unpunished for her many transgressions, is sounding more and more like his despised predecessor in defending the VAT on petroleum products. It will be noted that the ever controversial VAT on oil was pushed in Congress by Arroyo’s Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who incidentally is also the Finance chief of Aquino.

The VAT on oil as well as on electricity has been under fierce criticisms during the term of Arroyo who staunchly defended the regressive tax measure including in one of her speeches in the annual State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“Mr. Aquino is proving to be as insensitive as Mrs. Arroyo in addressing the pressing economic issues facing ordinary Filipinos. By insisting the VAT on oil and refusing to mitigate even a bit the plight of the people amid skyrocketing oil prices, Aquino is making a mockery of the poor,” added Reyes.

Bayan vowed to keep on the pressure on Malacañang and Congress to pass pending legislations removing the VAT on oil and junking the Oil Deregulation Law. The group is also pushing for the enactment of House Bill (HB) 4355 that will effectively regulate oil price movements in the country. #

February 21, 2012

Reference: RENATO M. REYES, JR.  BAYAN Secretary General

We call on the Aquino government to conduct a speedy and impartial probe on the latest shooting that occurred at the Hacienda Luisita. More importantly, we call on the Aquino regime to take concrete steps in addressing the land dispute.

The footages on TV showed private guards firing their weapons at farmers who attempted to block the fencing of the land they were occupying. As in the movies, the Philippine National Police was late to arrive at the scene. We have not heard of any formal investigation and no arrests were made.

The shooting incident is just the latest in a series of confrontations between the farmers asserting their right to land and the land-owners in Luisita. As tension builds up, the President is eerily silent on the issue. His only significant statement so far since the Supreme Court issued its ruling was that the landowners deserve “just compensation”. It was a statement that obviously was more concerned with the plight of the landowners than the farmers. The president talks “justice” in the Corona impeachment but is deafeningly silent about the justice issue in Luisita.

The particular land in question in the latest incident is reportedly “owned” by RCBC through a transaction with the Luisita management. Prior to this, the land was converted from being agricultural to industrial thus exempting it from land reform coverage. Farmers have pointed out the anomalous land conversion as well as transfer of the ownership from Luisita to RCBC but the Supreme Court’s latest ruling favored RCBC and the Cojuangcos.

The Department of Agrarian Reform should act on the recent complaint of the farmers that questioned the land conversion order that allowed the Cojuangcos to sell the land to RCBC. By nullifying the land conversion, farmers will have a chance to reclaim the land from RCBC and Luisita. This can be done if the Executive really wants to address the long-standing dispute in Luisita.

The Supreme Court meanwhile should revisit its ruling on the RCBC issue as farmers have correctly pointed out the anomalies of the land conversion and transfer of ownership. This is one aspect of the SC decision which we believe the High Court was grossly mistaken. ###

The world does not revolve around the impeachment trial. With oil prices set to go up tomorrow, we have yet to hear the President’s “opinion” in the same way he expresses his on the Corona trial. The global oil cartel is gearing for more increases yet Aquino has not heeded calls for consumer relief, such as the removal of the VAT on oil. Aquino allies in congress have not taken up alternative bills to the oil deregulation law. Aquino’s indifference to the people’s plight says a lot about his “daang matuwid”. Puro Corona, inutil sa ekonomiya.

Bayan and its allied groups will hold a protest action tomorrow noon in Manila to demand that Aquino act on the problem of rising oil prices, remove the VAT on oil and initiate the steps for the review and junking of the Oil Deregulation Law.

February 20, 2012

The fight is not over and there will be tougher times ahead.

This was the statement of the umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan as it warned of more political strife in the weeks ahead. The militant group also cautioned the Liberal Party-led House prosecution panel from being too overconfident with their so-called achievements.

“Both the President and the Chief Justice are putting pressure on the Senate. Both are likely to ignore appeals for a ceasefire on public attacks. Both are massing up their forces and allies. The Supreme Court in particular has put up a shield that would prevent public scrutiny of important records and documents. The Senate meanwhile has been very conservative in opening venues for the search for truth, even bowing to the SC TRO,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“We expect the executive branch to step up its public attacks on the CJ and use the various agencies of government in a full-court press on the Coronas. The Executive will likely disregard appeals to stay out of the impeachment process. The CJ meanwhile seems to be counting on the support and mobilization of the Iglesia ni Cristo,” Reyes added.

Bayan said that ironically, what’s lost in the impeachment noise is the issue of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“The impeachment was allegedly precipitated by the SC issuance of a TRO on the watchlist order versus Arroyo. The administration claimed that it was Corona’s favors to GMA which made him unfit for the job of CJ. Now however, the issue of GMA and Corona are seldom even discussed by the prosecution, raising questions as to the real motives of the administration in pursuing the impeachment,” Reyes said.

“Even outside the impeachment process, the Aquino regime is not vigorously pursuing the cases against GMA. There is now suspicion that Aquino’s Liberal Party is making a powerplay with the impeachment as a prelude to the upcoming elections,” he added.

The group said that the presentation of Article 7 could turn out to be the first and only time the GMA-Corona issue will be taken up in the impeachment trial. Bayan and the Gloria Panagutin! Movement are planning to mobilize next week in support of Article 7.

Bayan said that it wants accountability for both Corona and Arroyo but will remain vigilant and critical of Aquino’s actions in and out of the impeachment trial. “Whatever the results of the impeachment trial, Aquino will still have to deal with bigger problems of the country, including his failure to make Arroyo accountable. The impeachment won’t be able to cover up the failures of the regime,” Reyes added. ###

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today scored the Aquino government for “making excuse after excuse for its refusal to advance the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

“There is a Filipino saying, kung ayaw may dahilan, kung gusto may paraan. This is very apt for the Aquino government. It does not seem interested in the peace talks. It has made excuse after excuse in its failure to adhere to its obligations in the peace talks. The people demand that peace talks resume but it seems that it is the Aquino government that has created impediments to the process,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

Bayan said that the GPH refuses to release detained NDFP consultants because of the alleged failure to verify their identities stored in a master list held in a safety deposit box.

“In the past, publicly known NDF personnel were released by the GPH even without having to open the safety deposit box. Publicly known NDF personnel and JASIG-holders such as Tirso Alcantara and Alan Jasminez should have been released long ago even without reference to the contents of the safety deposit box. The government can release the consultants if it really wants to move the peace talks forward,” Reyes said.

“It should also be pointed out that the GPH has not complied with its obligations in the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law with its refusal to release more than 350 political prisoners, its failure to hold accountable the human rights violators past and present and the continuing implementation of the anti-people Oplan Bayanihan,” he added.

Bayan said that the Aquino government has long known of a proposal for a concise agreement that would mean immediate truce between the GPH and the NDFP but has so far not given a response to the proposal.

“It seems that the NDFP has offered more than a ceasefire. It has offered immediate truce on the basis of principles and measures that will be beneficial to the people. Unfortunately, there seems to be no reply from the side of the GPH,” Reyes said.

“It says a lot about the Aquino regime’s desire for peace. It appears that the peace talks are just another cog in the overall counter-insurgency campaign known as Oplan Bayanihan. The Aquino government seems to be using it as just another pressure point, instead of an avenue to address the root causes of the armed conflict,” he added. ###

February 18, 2012

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today scored the Supreme Court for raising obstacles in the search for truth in the impeachment process. The Supreme Court recently issued a resolution saying that it cannot release certain documents that are considered classified and covered by judicial privilege and confidentiality.

The prosecution in the Corona impeachment trial previously requested documents in such important cases as the Arroyo watchlist order and subsequent temporary restraining order issued by the court.

“The Supreme Court for example has made it difficult to present evidence and witnesses on the actual role of the Chief Justice in the deliberations on Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s request for a temporary restraining order so that she could leave the country,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“The SC even said that it will only submit certified copies of publicly known documents and finds no need to send the Clerk of Court to the Senate. Perhaps the SC is still reeling from the effects of the previous testimony of the Clerk of Court regarding the SALN of the Chief Justice,” Reyes said.

The group said that it was ironic that the news of the SC resolution prohibiting the release of documents came on the same day the Chief justice called for transparency in the Chief Executive’s SALN and psych records.

“Truth is, none of the institutions can claim they are all-out in upholding transparency and public interest. The SC has voted to suppress the opening of Corona’s alleged dollar accounts. The SC voted not to release so-called confidential documents. The Senate buckled and voted to respect the SC TRO on dollar accounts. It has also objected to the subpoena of SC justices,” Reyes said.

“The frustrating thing with the impeachment is that when it’s time to protect the status quo, whether it’s the long-term interest of the banks, the courts, foreign interests, or the relations between co-equal branches of government, transparency and public interest will usually take a back seat. The institutions are careful not to set precedents that would make transparency the norm,” he added.

Finally, GMA

Bayan said that it looked forward to the presentation of evidence on Corona’s role in the watchlist TRO that favored GMA. It said it will mobilize next week together with the Gloria Panagutin! Movement and allied groups.

“Finally, it will be GMA and Corona. This may be the first and last time the issue of GMA will be discussed in the impeachment trial. We should support this. The public wants to know why GMA’s request for a TRO was almost immediately granted and implemented by the SC,” Reyes said. ###

February 16, 2012

Renato M. Reyes, Jr. BAYAN secretary general

As expected, President Benigno Aquino III’s public forum on the anniversary of EDSA 1 was big on impeachment and anti-Corona rhetoric but fell short once more when it came to addressing people’s issues such as the economy, human rights, land reform and rising prices of commodities.

Aquino’s rhetoric on good governance rings hollow in face of the reality that the administration has not really made Arroyo answerable for the more serious crimes of gross human rights violations, plunder and the 2004 wholesale election fraud.  The government’s failure to bring to justice fugitive general Jovito Palparan also counts among the major embarrassments of this regime. The government’s failure to make the AFP and PNP accountable for past and present human rights violations belie the claims of a “matuwid na daan”.

The president also tries to cover up his administration’s own responsibility in the filing of the rushed impeachment complaint resulting in problematic Articles of Impeachment that are now vulnerable to attacks by the Corona Defense and the Senate Court, and in the ill-prepared manner by which the LP-directed prosecution panel is pursuing the case.

Once again, Aquino made a big deal of the Conditional Cash Transfer program but was silent on pressing concerns such as the rising prices of basic commodities and the run-away prices of petroleum products. No mention was made of the Oil Deregulation Law, wage hike for workers and other forms of economic relief. No mention was made of the rising incidence of hunger, chronic unemployment and the overall economic slowdown brought about by the global economic crisis.

Aquino’s belief that the CCT can fill the gaps when economic benefits are slow to “trickle down” to the poor means that he’s adhering to the same economic philosophy of his predecessor and former economics teacher Arroyo.

On the issue of unemployment, Aquino prefers to look at the issue as a problem of mismatch between education and jobs. The real and bigger problem is not the mismatch per se but the failure of the domestic economy to generate jobs that are not dependent on the ever-changing demands of the world market. A strong domestic economy, oriented towards national development, is a requirement to absorb the growing labor force.

No mention was made of the plans to make the Philippines the host of US troops that are being re-aligned and re-deployed in Asia, as well as the US troops permanently based in Mindanao for the last decade. No mention of land reform amid the need to end the continuing dispute in Hacienda Luisita.

For all the relevant questions raised during the forum, Aquino’s loudest applause came when he answered a question related to his love-life.

Aquino cannot hide behind his impeachment “crusade” when the people are now making him accountable for his failures and misdeeds in running the country. ###