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Guingona:
Constitutional Assembly is a Threat to Peasant Land Rights
Labor militants say
Danding’s bid for presidency will fail
Vice President Teofisto Guingona last week said the country's national patrimony
was under siege following his partymates' move in Lakas-Christian Muslim
Democrats (Lakas-CMD) to amend the 1987 Constitution through a constituent
assembly or Con-Ass.
BY
GERRY ALBERT CORPUZ
Bulatlat.com
Guingona
warned that the legislative agenda would disenfranchise millions of farmers,
fisherfolk, rural and urban people if the constitutional mantle protecting
national patrimony is removed from the 16-year old Charter.
A staunch nationalist who resigned from his foreign affairs post over the
presence of U.S. troops in the country, Guingona said foreign interests and
entities are demanding to have the right to own and exploit lands.
Militant and moderate groups supporting Guingona's position said the assault on
national patrimony was clothed in the move to convene the two chambers of
Congress into a unicameral body and push for a Constitutional provision allowing
100 percent foreign ownership of land.
Reports said the World Bank recently asked for the removal of constitutional
restrictions on foreign ownership of land. The same was echoed by U.S. investors
in the Philippines and was officially endorsed by U.S. Ambassador to Manila
Francis Ricciardone last month.
Another report said Japanese investors were also interested in owning lands and
had complained against the 40% limit in foreign ownership in businesses and
industries. They claim that constitutional restrictions had adversely affected
the entry of Japanese investments in the country.
The European Union likewise asked the Macapagal-Arroyo administration to allow
its nationals and business clients to own land here.
Tailor-made for market-oriented land reform
Peasant activists from the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP- Peasant
Movement of the Philippines) said the proposed amendments to the 1987
Constitution was part of the grandiose plot to re-align the bogus Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) to the needs of " free market
globalization".
"A program tailor-made for market-oriented land reform program" was
how KMP described the alleged scheme by charter change proponents in a statement
faxed to Bulatlat.com.
In an interview, Rafael Mariano, KMP chair and also president of the
worker-peasant group Anakpawis (toiling masses) said convening a Constitutional
Assembly (Con-Ass) was part of the mechanism to fast-track the corporate
takeover of farmlands from the hands of struggling peasants to landed
monopolies, local or foreign.
"Ms. Macapagal's CARP is practically a corporate agrarian reform program
attuned to serve the interests of big landlords and agri-corporations with the
U.S. as principal beneficiary," he said. Mariano asserted that Charter
change in whatever mode would open up vast tracts of land intended for
production of crops for export.
The activist church group Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) echoed
Mariano's view on the proposed sell-out of lands to foreign interests.
"The lack of genuine land reform, sovereignty and economic progress under
the Macapagal-Arroyo administration has placed millions of landless peasants to
centuries-old problem of landlessness and social injustice," PCPR said. It
said proponents would further re-concentrate huge tracts of land to foreign
powers at the expense of peasants' land rights.
Truckloads of endorsement
Meanwhile, KMP vowed to frustrate Macapagal-Arroyo's bid to rule beyond 2004
through the national elections next year. KMP secretary general Danilo Ramos
said a massive campaign against the presidential ambition of Macapagal-Arroyo
will be launched once she changes her mind and go for an extension of her term
either through the 2004 presidential elections or Con-Ass.
"We will reject an extension of the Macapagal-Arroyo presidency through the
ballots, in the streets and in the battle over public opinion," Ramos told Bulatlat.com.
"Even if truckloads of endorsement from the U.S., big landlords and
corporate giants flood in support of Macapagal-Arroyo, she would not get
the peasants' decisive votes."
”The Macapagal-Arroyo government’s denial of peasants land rights and
increasing political repression against the ranks of Filipino farmers and rural
people would make her a sure loser in 2004 elections," the KMP added.
Around 5,000 peasant activists from Cordillera, Cagayan Valley and Ilocos
regions, Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog provinces went to Manila last June
10 and staged a protest at the Mendiola Bridge to declare the 15th “death
anniversary” of the government’s land reform program.
KMP said its affiliates also staged protests in Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija,
Tarlac and Aurora in Central Luzon, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon in Bicol
region, Tacloban City, Borongan in Eastern Samar, Catbalogan City in Western
Samar, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Bacolod City, Butuan City, General Santos City,
Davao City, Misamis Occidental, Prosperidad, Agusan Sur ad Tandag, Surigao sur.
Danding, too
Meanwhile, militant workers belonging to Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU- May First
Movement) declared "war" against business tycoon and former Marcos
ally Eduardo "Danding' Cojuangco Jr.
At the anti-CARP rally, KMU national chair Elmer Labog said that although
Cojuangco continues to stir promotion of his intent to run in the 2004
presidential elections, this will not hold back workers and farmers from
protesting against him and exposing his exploitative and oppressive acts against
thousands of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) employees and farmers in Isabela and
Negros.
"Danding's lingering play with economic and political power must end. His
role as a crony helped a great deal in the rise to power of oppressive and
corrupt administrations. He placed himself well during the reign of
ex-presidents Marcos and Estrada," Labog said.
Labog said Cojuangco's political flirtation with Macapagal-Arroyo enabled him to
regain control of the largest food and beverage company.
“From an avid political campaign fund contributor to an influential
Malacanañg guest, he made himself an insider in the local politics. He already
tried his luck during the 1992 elections but he lost. Now, he's trying again,
but we won't let him succeed," the labor leader said.
Labog said militant workers, like KMP, will oppose and frustrate Macapagal-Arroyo’s
and Cojuangco's presidential bids. He said their defeat in 2004 shall be part of
a “class revolt” against their oppressors.
"Cojuangco's track record as a scheming, ruthless bureaucrat capitalist and
landlord is already enough to prove that he would not do good as president. He
is bent on getting into politics to advance his personal concerns, which is to
protect and expand his business interests," the KMU chair added.
The People Asia magazine last May quoted Cojuangco saying "not even three
million signatures asking him to run for president would persuade him to take on
the torch." But he also said that he is not closing his doors. Bulatlat.com
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