1 March 2008<br><br><br>AN APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY<br><br><br>Dear comrades, friends, compatriots, labour advocates and supporters:<br><br>Warm greetings!<br><br>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.<br>
<br>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.<br><br>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.<br>
<br>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.<br>
<br>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.<br>
<br>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.<br>
<br>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.<br><br>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.<br>
<br>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. <br>
<br>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". <br>
<br>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.<br>
<br>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.<br>
<br>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.<br>
<br>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.<br>
<br>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:<br>
<br>a) March 3-7 march caravan from Laguna to Malacaρang 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). <br>
b) March 3 mobile propaganda teams in communities and public places<br>c) March 4 noise barrage at Karuhatan Market in Valenzuela City led by the workers of San Miguel Corporation Polo Brewery <br>d) March 4 3pm: mass up and plackards-wearing in front of FCIE by workers from Monterey and Magnolia<br>
e) March 4 shuttle bus-hopping and noise barrage of workers from NXP Philippines (former Philips)<br>f) March 5 2pm: workers from Manila Bay Spinning Mills and other factories will march towards Marikina Sports Complex and hold a program there<br>
g) March 5 2pm: march from Delpan, Tondo going to Tutuban<br>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.<br>
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. <br> 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. <br>
j) Other actions include mass walk-outs in factories, noise barrages during lunchbreaks, education drive in factories and communities, etc.<br><br>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:<br>
<br>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<br>
b) send protest letters to the Arroyo government and concerned agencies about the above-mentioned issues <br> H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo<br>President of the Republic<br>Malacanang Palace,<br>JP Laurel St., San Miguel<br>
Manila Philippines<br>Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80<br>Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968<br>Cell#: (+ 63) 919 898 4622 / (+63) 917 839 8462<br>E-mail: <a href="mailto:corres@op.gov.ph" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">corres@op.gov.ph</a> / <a href="mailto:opnet@ops.gov.ph" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">opnet@ops.gov.ph</a><br>
c) conduct on-line petition campaigns calling for the resignation or removal from office of Arroyo<br>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<br>
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; <br>
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<br>
g) do any other actions you may deem necessary to add pressure to the Arroyo government to resign or step down from office<br><br>Together, let us witness the end of the Arroyo regime. Together, let us work for the restoration of basic democratic tenets in the country.<br>
<br>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. <br><br><br>In solidarity,<br>
KMU International Department<br><br>Reference: Tess Dioquino<br>Secretary, KMU International Department<br><a href="mailto:kmu.intl@gmail.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">kmu.intl@gmail.com</a>