Filipinas: KMU News Release

05.Sep.03    Análisis y Noticias

For the country’s sake
It’s Gloria’s turn to resign KMU

‘Now, it’s the president’s turn to resign.’

This is the view of the militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) after the controversial resignation of Defense Secretary Gen. Angelo Reyes yesterday afternoon. “The people achieved partial victory with Reyes’ resignation. Full victory will be realized once Arroyo is ousted from Malacanang.

“We are glad to see Reyes, the government’s triggerman, vanished from the bureaucracy. He is accountable for serious crimes against the Filipino people. He is the chief saboteur of the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, he is behind the wanton violation of human rights in Mindanao and the rest of the country. He allowed the entry of US troops and worked for every will of the United States government. Reyes must be punished accordingly. We demand for his urgent prosecution. He must not occupy position in the government.”

According to KMU Secretary General Joel Maglunsod, the ’strong republic’ of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s clique is now nearing its complete collapse. He said that while Reyes was responsible for heinous crimes against civilians and even military elements as well as the initiator of deep corruption within the military bureaucracy, President Arroyo is still the most wanted enemy of the population. Mrs. Arroyo is a great threat to the nation’s overall welfare, like Reyes, she must resign too.”

The labor group also maintained that Gloria, the chief enemy, must also be ousted soon to prevent her from causing further damage to the people.”

“The Chief Executive, now acting as the concurrent Defense Secretary is responsible for terrorizing the people with her anti-people and anti-poor decisions. In her less than 3 years in office, hundreds of thousands of workers lost their jobs, urban-poor residents were taken out of their homes, peasants starve with the continuing increase in agricultural imports and ordinary citizens continue to be deprived of their right to basic social services. Corruption of Marcosian magnitude have been committed by the people closest to her. To add to that, she continue to suppress protest actions of any form. Her immediate resignation will at least give the country its timely respite,” the labor leader said.

Maglunsod added that the President is actually the one responsible for Reyes’ abrupt decision. He said that the economic, political and military crises in the country forced the worried president to make Reyes her costly sacrificial lamb to temporarily conceal her ineptness. “She already did it before to former ISAFP Chief Victor Corpus, after young military officers launched a failed mutiny.” It can be recalled that Corpus resigned after the Oakwood incident.

“The resignation of a top government official, especially the one responsible for issues on national security, indicates the crumbling into pieces Arroyo’s mythical strong republic. If she has any delicadeza left, Gloria must immediately vacate her post and allow her Constitutional successor to take over,” ended Maglunsod.