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After victorious anti-Bush rallies in RP
Workers continue actions vs. Bush-Arroyo ruling clique
The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno today said that they will keep on protesting against the Bush-Arroyo ruling clique especially now that US President George W. Bush officially endorsed President Macapagal-Arroyo’s candidacy in the 2004 presidential elections. “Both of them will not succeed in the 2004 elections. They are only shielding their personal interests by supporting each other’s political agenda.”
KMU Chairman Elmer Labog said that with Bush’s official endorsement of Arroyo as his presidential bet, workers will exert more effort to expose and oppose Arroyo’s leadership. “We will see to it that she will not win in the coming national elections. We will expose the serious corruption happening within her government. We will gather the support of political allies, government officials, businessmen and known personalities for the formation of a broad Oust Arroyo movement to counter the Malacanang-controlled political campaign machinery for Gloria.”
Labog asserted that the nationwide protests led by Bayan, Bayan Muna, ANAKPAWIS, KMU, KMP and other progressive organizations against Bush’s visit last Saturday signaled the strengthening anti-imperialist and ‘Oust Gloria’ movements in the country. Workers are always at the forefront of the struggle against globalization and other exploitative foreign dictated policies.”
The nationally coordinated mass actions in major provinces and urban centers gathered more than 75,000 participants. Protesters from Baguio, Ilocos, Pangasinan, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Cebu, Negros, Panay Island, Samar, Davao City, Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro City, Agusan provinces, General Santos City, Zamboanga and other areas launched various forms of protests to show their discontent and intense resistance to US imposed economic, political and military policies implemented by the Arroyo government. “Bush and Arroyo made our lives more miserable. They both deserve to be ousted.”
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STRONG PROTESTS VS. BUSH GAINS NATIONWIDE SUPPORT, MILITANT WORKERS SAY BOTH ARROYO AND BUSH WILL NOT
WIN IN 2004 ELECTIONS
The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) led thousands of workers in the nationally-coordinated protests on the arrival of US President George W. Bush in Manila for an 8-hour state visit.
As Bush delivers his address to the Joint Houses of Congress today, KMU said that “both the US President and his most trusted lackey in Asia, president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, are meant to be defeated in the 2004 presidential elections in US and the Philippines.”
Bush and Arroyo are not elected officials and both are seeking for another term in White House and Malacanang. “Their track record as Presidents do not merit popular support from their constituents. The American and Filipino people will strongly reject them come election time because of their abusive anti-people and anti-worker policies. We demand the immediate ouster or resignation of Bush and Arroyo,” said KMU Chairman Elmer Labog.
Labog stressed that “Bush and Arroyo’s policies of governance brought serious setbacks in the economies of both countries. High unemployment and massive retrenchment caused widespread industrial unrest among workers and labor unions. Poor people and other patriotic and peace-loving sectors continue to protest over the unjust war launched by Bush and supported by Arroyo. We declare them enemies of the working class.”
The labor group said that local protests are aimed at the Bush government’s exploitative political and military policies and war crimes against humanity. “Bush is not in any way welcome in the Philippines. We don’t want him here, not even for a minute. He didn’t ask permission from the Filipino people if we want him to be here.”
Together with political party list Anakpawis and other people’s mass organizations, the KMU contingent converged at Philcoa in the morning and will proceed to Batasan (Congress). They will hold another round of protests in Welcome Rotonda and Mendiola in the afternoon for the “People’s Dinner.” The largest contingent of anti-Bush protesters will assert their way to Batasan and will resist all forms of harassment and dispersal by the police force.
Meanwhile, KMU Secretary General Joel Maglunsod assailed Malacanang and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the exaggerated blockade and use of force against protesters. “Workers have all the right to demonstrate against Bush and Arroyo. It is our legitimate and democratic right to disapprove policies that do not benefit the majority of the people.”
Maglunsod said that protests all over Asia must be done to junk the US agenda in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Thailand. “Bush wants to impose what he failed to achieve during the World Trade Organization (WTO) Conference in Cancun which is to forge ‘free trade agreements’ with Asian states. “In the Philippines, he wants to implement a bilateral trade agreement that will further bind our economy to liberalization policies. We urge peoples all over Asia to frustrate the US economic and military agenda in the region.”
Parallel protests in Baguio, Cordillera, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Cebu, Iloilo-Panay, Samar, Leyte, Negros, Davao, Cotabato, Agusan Provinces, Cagayan de Oro City and other major urban centers and provinces.
Maglunsod further said that workers will continue to lead global protests against Bush and the global war of terror on October 25 during the International Day of Protest against War. Workers from US, Europe and Asia Pacific will join the activities.
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Workers challenge FPJ “Be the opposite of Joseph Estrada”
Workers from Kilusang Mayo Uno labor center (KMU) today said they are open to a consultation with Action King and probable opposition presidential bet Fernando Poe Jr. to know this platform of governance and discuss with him the issues and demands of Filipino workers.
“Workers only know him as a superstar and “FPJ the King of Filipino movies,” we also need to know if he has the capability and decisiveness to address the concrete issues of Filipinos especially the concerns of workers and ordinary masses. Running for president is definitely not as simple as making an entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival.”
KMU Secretary General Joel Maglunsod said that FPJ must promise to be the opposite of his bestfriend and fellow movie actor ousted President Joseph Estrada if he is serious on running for president in the coming 2004 elections. “He must possess the disposition of a patriotic and incorruptible public servant and shun the undesirable character of trapos (traditional politicians). If he could take the challenge of being everything that is not Estrada or Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Ping Lacson and Danding Cojuangco, then he might have a chance to gain broad support from workers and the labor movement.”
“If he is thinking of shifting from showbiz to public service, he must set aside his friendship with Estrada. If he wants to run for public office, he must put the people’s interest and welfare above anything else. He must prove that he is worthy to even think of running for the highest position in the land. If he is indeed running, he must not use his candidacy to bail out Estrada from his crimes against the people.”
Maglunsod said that instead of using his movie star popularity to gain public support for his possible candidacy, Poe must clearly bare his principles and political objectives. “Given the current difficult economic situation, workers will judge him based on his sincerity to uplift their livelihood and poor condition, not with his popularity and charisma.”
The labor leader further stressed that the previous experience of having a movie star for a President was traumatic for the nation with Estrada’s corrupt, oppressive and fascist leadership. He noted that during Estrada’s presidential campaign in 1998, “he portrayed himself as pro-worker and protector of the masses. But he only did awful things to workers and poor people when he was already in Malacanang. He even wanted to impose strike moratorium during his term as President. Who could forget his offensive comment against workers’ demand for additional pay hikes. On top of the popular clamor for the P125 wage increase in 1999, his rude reply was, “Bakit, nakakain ba ang dagdag na sahod (Why, can we eat the wage increase?) Now we ask FPJ, what does he have to say on the wage hike issue?”