One year ago, the Ecumenical Bishops Forum wrote a letter to then President Joseph Estrada to heed the call of the people to resign. Mr. Estrada left Malacañang before the letter could reach him. Instead it was read at EDSA a day before Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was installed President. People Power II’s message was for leaders to be true to the call of the people who put them to power and serve with integrity, putting the interest of the suffering ones high in their agenda.
We are not writing a letter yet to ask Pres. Arroyo to resign at this time. But we cannot remain silent as we witness the crumbling of the glorious spirit that reigned in January last year. In its place are growing social unrest, displeasure and a sense of betrayal.
And we can see that there is reason for the people’s growing frustration. For indeed, Pres. Arroyo has turned out to be a big disappointment. President Estrada was unseated by the people for his flagrant corruption and immorality. While projecting his image as a man for the poor, he remained insensitive to the plight of the workers, the landless and in providing the basic services to the great majority. Would that President Macapagal-Arroyo show a modicum of decisiveness in dealing with these plagues.
Her one year presidency hardly merits high approval. Militarism has reared its ugly head once more, the plunder case against the former president has become muddled and the issues raised at EDSA and elsewhere in the Philippines this time last year remain unaddressed. Global developments have become a convenient excuse for the woes besetting this nation. This is not convincing for it attests to the servility of her government to foreign interests. Genuine service to the citizens is now confined at the backseat as she trains her sight to hold on to power and ensure her victory next elections.
While others have become desperate, others have appealed that she be given more chances. Whichever, President Arroyo cannot ignore the danger signals. Social patience is wearing thin. Like us she has witnessed the capacity of oppressed people in this country to exercise and express their collective will.
To mark the one year of People Power, we continue to challenge Pres. Arroyo to heed the people’s demands as we continue to uphold our commitment to the people’s quest for meaningful changes, justice and peace to prevail in our land.
For the Executive Committee:
BISHOP GABRIEL A. GAROL
Spokesperson, EBF
One year ago this month, the Filipino people raised their shouts of jubilation and thanksgiving to the Liberator God who had, once more, accompanied them in a victorious feat of toppling an immoral and corrupt President. People Power Two was an act of courage by the people all over the country who had consistently challenged and contested the Estrada administration long before distinguished personalities, masquerading as champions of justice and freedom, massed up at EDSA and mounted the EDSA Shrine stage. To the masses go the glory. They were the real heroes and heroines.
Today, the voices of exultation have turned into exclamations of frustrations and denunciation. The people are frustrated because she who was elevated to the highest position of the land by their uprising has given very little, if at all, concretization to the people’s hopes for qualitative social change. The people denounce the present dispensation for its utter disregard for the deteriorating economic and political situation which has not known surcease despite the President’s assurances of a better life.
The church people were right there in the thick of the struggle last year, blowing our trumpets of protest and witnessing the crumbling of the walls of the Estrada regime. Along with the people, our demands, then, were for...
* The clearing away of corrupt and immoral practices
especially in high places;
* The unflagging attention of government to the
people’s basic calls: livable wages for the
workers,
adequate land for the tillers, social services for
everyone;
* A decisive halt to abject servility to foreign
interests.
One year later, the country has not moved an inch toward the fulfillment of those demands. And we confront President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with a looming question about her comprehension of the profound message of People Power II. The people did not catapult her to the Presidency so that she may have easier access to the position in the next presidential election.
* The snail-paced process toward Estrada’s
prosecution...
* The growing military superiority over civilian
authority...and the consequent human rights
violations
in many communities, especially in the
countrysides...
* The further erosion of the peace process....
* The continuing obedience to dictates of powers
external to the Philippines...
The general economic malaise gripping the people...
How do all these square with the pledge to lead this nation to the zenith of prosperity? On this first anniversary of People Power II, the impatience of our people is gaining momentum. As in times past, we, church people, can only engage ourselves with the peoples’ movement towards meaningful social change. We believe that there is no other option for us. To commemorate People Power II then, is to align ourselves with God’s continuing project of justice and peace.
KASIMBAYAN STATEMENT
A year ago the people victoriously unseated the corrupt, plunderer and machoservant of US Imperialism President Joseph Ejercito Estrada . The pain and the invaluable sacrifices the people rendered was living offering to the altar of Justice. This collective and militant action of the people is an unequivocal proof of unbending will to pursue the cause of Justice. It was rewarded with the ouster of Estrada .
This historical landmark was accompanied with great expectations and high hopes for the woman who was put into power by virtue of people’s militant action. But much to the peoples’ frustration, the historic victory of People Power 2 (PP2) is bastardized by Arroyo’s soft and compromising deals with Estrada and co-plunderers. The swift and just persecution of Estrada’s plunder case would have been the best gift to People Power 2 Anniversary. But obviously, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) turned deaf over the reverberating judgment of the people: Guilty si Erap! All throughout her year-old administration we have never witnessed her to exercise political will in pushing for the punishment of Estrada and his cronies and seizure of their ill-gotten wealth .
Arroyo’s shameful servility to foreign monopoly capitalists and local ruling elite is pushing the poor people to a deeper grave of unspeakable poverty and misery. Under the schemes of imperialist globalization, the Arroyo government slavishly implement liberalization , privatization, and deregulation to the misery of the already poor and suffering Filipinos. This triple-venom appends to the derailment of the implementation of genuine agrarian reform for the peasants and denial of just wages and benefits of the workers. Moreover unqualified support to the arrogance of US as self-proclaimed world terrorist-buster is a clear manifestation of a militaristic project. Militarization is now an emblem of the Arroyo’s administration. Lives of hundreds of civilians have been sacrificed and human rights violations have scandalizingly surpassed the record of the past administration.
The national budget speaks loud as to where her heart is : budget for the National Defense is PhP 60.244B (7.7%) while agriculture and labor has only PhP 4.781B(0.5%) and PhP4.806B(0.6%) respectively. This carry a strong and loud message to the people who worked hard to oust Estrada and become heroes of People Power 2 : GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO failed to deliver what the people deserve. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo betrayed the victory of Edsa. She turned her back to the people and betrayed the victory of People Power 2 as she adheres to the evil agenda of imperialist globalization , promotes the US unjust war of aggression ,supports the caprices of foreign big businessmen and big bourgeoisie , favors militarization and coddles the plunderers .
The celebration of People Power 2 is significantly
great to those who faithfully keep on the fight
towards meaningful changes in our society. They have
reason to celebrate and rejoice as the challenges
at hand is being faced with a commitment to carry
forward the agenda of the people :
1. Hasten the prosecution and punishment of the
crimes
committed by Estrada and his cronies against the
people.
2. Release all political detainees without
condition.
3. Junk privatization, liberalization and
deregulation.
4. Prioritize the welfare of the basic sectors:
implement genuine land reform and ensure the just
wage and benefits of the workers.
5. Stop militarization and human rights
violations.
HAIL THE VICTORY OF PEOPLE POWER 2 ! CARRY ON THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE AND MEANINGFUL CHANGE!
