[APWSLMembers 679] intl appeal_oust Arroyo campaign

[kmu id]

1 March 2008


AN APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY


Dear comrades, friends, compatriots, labour advocates and supporters:

Warm greetings!

We are writing to ask you to join us – the Filipino workers and people - in
our clamor for the removal from office of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,
president of the Republic of the Philippines.

Since her ascent into power in 2001, the Arroyo government has been
conspicuously replete with systematic human rights violations, brazen
corruption, fraud and subservience to foreign interests.

Its rabid implementation of neo-liberal policies has brought further misery
and impoverishment to the Filipino workers and people. There is massive
unemployment and retrenchment, rampant labor contractualization and flexible
labor policies, union-busting, wage freeze, demolitions of urban poor
communities, hike in oil prices and basic commodities, subsidy cuts in basic
services, and the list goes on.

Worse, it employed an iron-hand policy in dealing with opposition forces and
those whom it regards as "enemies of the state". Since 2001, more than 870
people were killed, most of them political activists, including church
people and members of the media. Hundreds have been made missing and
thousands continue to experience various forms of grave intimidation and
harassment.

The Arroyo government is regarded as the most corrupt in Philippine history.
The First Family is involved in many irregularities such as the
Cyber-Education project, the South Rail and North Rail project, the
fertilizer scam, the PIATCO deal, the poll automation contract, the
Macapagal Boulevard, housing for the military and police, jueteng (illegal
numbers game) kickback and many others.

The latest scandal is the Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment Limited
(ZTE) – National Broadband Network (NBN) deal, which involved overprice to
the tune of US$130 million. Joey de Venecia, son of former House Speaker
Joey de Venecia, first exposed this anomaly in October 2007. On February 7,
Mr. Jun Lozada, an electronics and communications engineer who was privy to
the deal, gave more damning revelations. Prior to this, the government tried
to silence Mr. Lozada into testifying in the Senate investigations by
sending him out of the country in a supposed conference abroad and then
orchestrated to kidnap him when he came back from abroad.

The latest corruption anomaly has hit strong the nerves of many people
especially in the light of extreme poverty in the country coupled with
Arroyo's brazen lies and ruthlessness.

There is a growing mass movement calling for the Arroyo government to resign
or be ousted from office. The current wave of sentiment in the country is
one searching for truth, accountability and meaningful changes. Meaningful
change that means not just simply a change in leadership but one that will
bring along systematic democratic changes.

There is a groundswell of anti-Arroyo protest in the country. People have
been showing their outrage unprecedented since the EDSA 2 Uprising in 2001.
Walk-outs are staged in campuses and factories. At the grassroots, localized
actions are conducted ranging from petition signing, group discussions,
symposia, fora, picket protests, noise barrages and similar forms.

Even the business sector has added its voice to the clamor for Arroyo to
step down from office. And the religious sector has been very vocal in
asking the government to tell the truth, with a progressive section of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) calling for a
"communal action" and a new brand of "people power".

On February 15, around 15,000 people converged in Makati, the country's
financial district, to show their outrage and demand for truth and
accountability to the corruption issues. On February 25, widespread actions
against Arroyo marked the commemoration of the 22nd anniversary of the EDSA
1 Uprising that ousted the Marcos dictatorship in 1986. The Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan (Bayan, New Patriotic Alliance), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU, May First
Movement) and other progressive forces marched and held a program at the
historic Mendiola bridge.

Yesterday, February 29, saw the biggest show of force yet after the ZTE-NBN
scandal erupted. Around 80,000 people participated in an Interfaith rally
held in Makati. People from all walks of life – workers, peasants, urban
poor, women, youth, academe, business sector, politicians, government
officials and even church people – all were in unison in calling for truth,
accountability and for the removal of Arroyo from office, be it by
resignation or ouster.

The Arroyo government has already resorted into scare tactics to dissuade
the people from joining the snowball of protest actions. Rumors of possible
bombings, infiltration of communists, an alleged coup d'etat, assassination
plot and an absurd notion of "people power fatigue" have been circulated.
Thousands of police and military were deployed in protest areas, such as in
Makati and Mendiola. On February 29, security shield covered Metro Manila.
The Air Transportation Office declared Makati district a no-fly zone
allegedly for "security reasons", depriving aerial view of the mammoth
rally. All roads leading to Malacanang were closed and walls of container
vans and barbed wires adorned Mendiola. Contingents from Southern Tagalog
and Central Luzon were blocked for over five hours before they were allowed
to enter Manila and join the interfaith rally.

The groundswell of protest actions in the National Capital Region and across
the country is expected to continue in the coming days, weeks, and months.
The widespread mass actions of recent weeks have shown that there is no such
thing as "people power fatigue". The workers, peasants, youth, women,
religious and professionals are all at the forefront of the rising tide of
protest against the Arroyo regime. One thing is sure – the Filipino people
can no longer allow the perpetuation of a corrupt, morally bankrupt and
fascist Arroyo regime.

We are committed to stage more protest actions to add pressure and muscle to
the ouster movement. For its part, KMU will lead series of activities as its
contribution to the Oust Arroyo movement. Some of these activities are as
follows:

a) March 3-7 march caravan from Laguna to Malacañang to be led by KMU's
regional chapter in Southern Tagalog - the Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog
Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU, Solidarity of Workers in Southern Tagalog).
Dubbed as "Lakbayan ng Manggagawa at Mamamayan laban sa Panunupil at
Pamamaslang" (March-Caravan of Workers and People against Repression and
Killings), its main feature is the region's Big 3 Fight – Nestle, Nissan and
Toyota – as proof of the regime's anti-workers policies in connivance with
monopoly capitalists. It also carries the issue of massive labor
contractualization and systematic human rights violations as a result of the
implementation of neo-liberal policies. The march-caravan is Southern
Tagalog's version of a "unity walk" to seek the end of the Arroyo
government. (see attached announcement).
b) March 3 – mobile propaganda teams in communities and public places
c) March 4 – noise barrage at Karuhatan Market in Valenzuela City led by the
workers of San Miguel Corporation Polo Brewery
d) March 4 – 3pm: mass up and plackards-wearing in front of FCIE by workers
from Monterey and Magnolia
e) March 4 – shuttle bus-hopping and noise barrage of workers from NXP
Philippines (former Philips)
f) March 5 – 2pm: workers from Manila Bay Spinning Mills and other factories
will march towards Marikina Sports Complex and hold a program there
g) March 5 – 2pm: march from Delpan, Tondo going to Tutuban
h) March 7 – Workers' National Day of Protest against Poverty, Repression
and Massive Retrenchment. Workers will troop to the offices of the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) or hold protest actions in public
places in urban centers of Manila, Baguio, La Union, Central Luzon, Southern
Tagalog, Bicol, Cebu, Bacolod, Tacloban, Davao, Caraga, Cagayan de Oro and
General Santos.
We highly encourage your support to this activity by conducting actions such
as picket protests in your area, by sending solidarity letters and protest
letters or any actions based on your own capacity.
i) March 8 - women workers under KMU and Kilusan ng Manggagawang Kababaihan
will join the nationwide protest actions to mark the International Working
Women's Day. In Manila, protesters will converge in Welcome Rotonda and will
march towards Mendiola. The women alliance GABRIELA is spearheading the
activity.
j) Other actions include mass walk-outs in factories, noise barrages during
lunchbreaks, education drive in factories and communities, etc.

In the spirit of international solidarity, we call on you - our comrades,
friends, compatriots, labour advocates and supporters - to join us in our
fight to oust the corrupt, immoral and fascist regime of Arroyo. We urge you
to do any or all of the following actions:

a) conduct dialogues and picket protests in Philippine Embassies and
Consulates in your area. Bring to the Philippine Ambassadors or pertinent
Philippine officials your concern regarding political repression, massive
corruption and plunder being committed by Arroyo and her minions
b) send protest letters to the Arroyo government and concerned agencies
about the above-mentioned issues
H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Republic
Malacanang Palace,
JP Laurel St., San Miguel
Manila Philippines
Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
Cell#: (+ 63) 919 898 4622 / (+63) 917 839 8462
E-mail: corres at op.gov.ph / opnet at ops.gov.ph
c) conduct on-line petition campaigns calling for the resignation or removal
from office of Arroyo
d) conduct discussion groups, symposia, fora, teach-ins regarding the
current situation in the Philippines. Let the whole world know what is
really happening in the country which the Arroyo regime is trying to hide
from the international community
e) raise technical and financial assistance for our Patriotic Fund Drive.
The Patriotic Fund will help support the campaign to oust Arroyo from
office. It will be used to produce reading materials (leaflets, primers,
newsletters, etc), campaign paraphernalia (posters, pins, ribbons, etc.),
production of Oust Arroyo t-shirts, production of Oust Arroyo campaign
jingles to be used in educating and reaching out to communities, factories
and the widest section of Philippine society;
f) raise your concern to your government officials, especially those who
give aid to the Philippines. Urge your government to withdraw support to the
Arroyo regime and stop giving aid. This aid only goes to the military and is
being used to suppress the people's legitimate dissent and a chunk goes to
the government's own pockets for corruption; and
g) do any other actions you may deem necessary to add pressure to the Arroyo
government to resign or step down from office

Together, let us witness the end of the Arroyo regime. Together, let us work
for the restoration of basic democratic tenets in the country.

Thank you for continuously supporting the Filipino workers and people's
struggle for trade union and democratic rights, for life and livelihood, and
for genuine freedom and democracy.


In solidarity,
KMU International Department

Reference: Tess Dioquino
Secretary, KMU International Department
kmu.intl at gmail.com
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