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Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume III, Number 48 January 11 - 17, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
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Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume III, Number 48 January 11 - 17, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
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While there are slight variations in their positions and stances, none of the current presidentiables have proposed any concrete measures which tackle these fundamental issues and which could lead to fundamental change. By
Alexander Martin Remollino Amid
rapidly changing daily developments in the political sphere, the hoopla of the
Philippine election season is definitely in full swing. As
of this writing (Dec. 31, 2003), four government officials and one movie actor
are topping the list of presidentiables for 2004: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
herself, whose ascent to the presidency through means beyond the electoral
process qualifies her for a term; Senators Panfilo Lacson and Gregorio Honasan
II, Atty. Raul Roco and movie actor Fernando Poe, Jr. (Honasan has dropped out
of the race and an evangelist, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, has filed his candidacy. -
Bulatlat.com) Beyond
speculations of who will actually run for the country’s top two government
posts, and which candidates movie stars, the business community or congressmen
will support, the platforms of the presidential contenders should more
importantly be scrutinized. PMC
Reports presents a critique of the presidentiables on the issues of agriculture,
labor, education, budget, human rights, foreign policy, globalization,
environment, graft and corruption, and the peace process. The
information gathered comes from a variety of sources including responses to a
PMC survey questionnaire on election issues, and research from various media
reports and websites. I.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo President
Macapagal-Arroyo once said that she was an activist in the last few years before
the declaration of martial law. A daughter of former President Diosdado
Macapagal, she studied at Assumption College, Georgetown University, and the
University of the Philippines (UP) where she holds a PhD in Economics. A
former college professor, Arroyo entered the government service as Assistant
Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry during the Aquino
administration. She entered the Senate in 1992, was re-elected in 1995 and was
elected vice president in 1998. In January 2001, she became president through a
people-power uprising that deposed Joseph Ejercito Estrada. Agriculture The
Arroyo administration has continued the implementation of the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Arroyo also proposes funding the government’s
agrarian reform program with the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses. She has also
actively been promoting hybrid rice and agricultural trade liberalization in an
effort to make Filipino farmers more competitive globally. Peasant organizations
however, score her administration for achieving the lowest land distribution
under CARP. They
also criticize the hybrid rice program and agricultural trade liberalization,
saying they will continue to devastate the conditions of poor farmers and the
environment, threaten food security and consolidate the corporate takeover of
agriculture. Labor Arroyo
has stated that a legislated P125 wage increase is "anti-labor."
Within the past three years there has been no increase in the minimum wage (P250
in NCR) beyond the P30 Emergency Cost of Living increase granted in 2001-2002.
Critics point to the 97 cases of trade union rights violations in 2003 alone as
well as the increase in the number of strikes as indicative of Arroyo's position
on unionism. Her government was also reported to be considering a proposal by
Chinese businessmen to implement a strike ban. She has also been criticized for
pushing the Anti-Terrorism Bill. In 2002, she called labor unionists
"terrorists"; according to her, they "terrorize"
factory owners who give jobs to the people. Education She
supported former education secretary Raul Roco on the implementation of the 2002
Basic Education Curriculum. Recently she is for the revival of English as medium
of instruction. She believes in tailoring the educational system to make
Filipinos "globally competitive." Budget In
her two and a half years as president, she has a record of approving all budget
programs which provide the highest allocations for debt servicing and defense
while giving the lowest priority to social services like education, health, and
housing. According to a Bayan Muna critique of the 2004 proposed budget, the
budget for debt interest payments already makes up the biggest sectoral
expenditure at P271.5 billion, or nearly one-third (31.4%) of the proposed
national budget of P864.8 billion. This amount surpasses in absolute terms the
entire social services budget of P248.3 billion (comprising 28.7% of the
budget). This is the first time this has happened since the debt crisis years of
the mid-eighties until the early nineties. Human
rights According
to data of Karapatan, there have been 271 cases of summary executions under the
Arroyo administration. This averages to two persons killed every week.
Thirty-two of these victims were members of Bayan Muna and 10 were minors. There
are currently 308 political prisoners in the country, whose numbers have been
increasing under the Arroyo administration. As well there were 41 documented
cases of involuntary disappearance. Foreign
policy Arroyo
has not taken any position on international issues independent of the U.S.
position. She has been a vocal supporter of the US-led "war on
terror," including US intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was under
her administration that the U.S. was allowed to hold prolonged military
exercises and set up "temporary" basing facilities on Philippine soil.
Under Arroyo the US-Philippine Balikatan military exercises were reinvigorated. Globalization
As
a senator in 1994, she spearheaded the entry of the Philippines into the World
Trade Organization (WTO). "The answer to globalization is to get
productively engaged in the world economy, not to withdraw from it. In turn,
developed countries must recognize their duty to open their markets, transfer
resources and reform international institutions," says Arroyo. Graft
and corruption On
her inauguration as president in 2001, Arroyo said: "To ensure that our
gains are not dissipated through corruption, we must improve moral standards. As
we do so, we create fertile ground for good governance based on a sound moral
foundation, a philosophy of transparency, and an ethic of effective
implementation." She implemented a system of lifestyle checks for
government officials. However,
her government has figured in no less than 11 allegations of corruption, most
notable of which is her supposed securing of a P20-billion commission from the
P130-billion coco levy funds the biggest amount, historically, in which any
Philippine president is said to have cornered through corruption. Peace
process As
Vice-President, Arroyo declared that if she assumed the presidency, she would,
"reverse the all-out war policy" and "resume peace negotiations
with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)." Shortly after being sworn into office,
Arroyo reconstituted formal peace negotiations with the NDFP. However, the GRP
formally aborted talks six months later after the NPA assassination of
ex-colonel-turned governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo. Since then she has been pursuing
all-out war and backchannel talks. Her
administration also supported the US-EU "terrorist" tagging on the
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NDFP and Jose Maria Sison. Recently her
government has been pushing the NDFP and MILF to sign a Final Peace Accord. In
February 2003, in the midst of peace negotiations with the MILF, and despite
both sides having declared a ceasefire, she ordered attacks on the MILF camp in
Buliok complex (the general headquarters of the late MILF Chair Hashim Salamat)
in pursuit of members of the alleged kidnap-for-ransom Pentagon gang. Sources: 4.
PGMA television interview with Solita Monsod, December 2001 5.
http://www.e-pinoy.com/news/aroyospeech.html 6.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,92276,00.html 7.
Karapatan, "The Current Human Rights Situation in the Philippines vis-a-vis
the Government's Obligations Under the 1966 International Covenant of Civil and
Political Rights," October 5, 2003 8.
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas statements 9.
"Notes on the 2004 General Appropriations Bill," Compiled by the
Office of Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, November 18, 2003 10.
Hetty Alcuitas, "Pangako sa 'Yo: President's One Million Jobs Program
Headed for Disaster, Say Farmers and Scientists, "PMC Reports, Year 1, No.
5, Nov. 7, 2002 11.
Dennis Espada, "Peace Prospects Still Dim Under President Arroyo,"PMC
Reports, Year 2, No. 2, July 4, 2003 12.
Rey Casambre, "Genuine Peace or Pacification? Status of and Current Trends
in the Peace Talks," Paper presented at the Pilgrims for Peace National
Conference, Sept. 12, 2003, Quezon City, Philippines 13.
Rhea delos Santos, "A United Voice in Congress: Another Step for the Moro
People's Struggle," Education for Development, Vol. 2, No. 11, November
2003 14. Kilusang Mayo Uno statements II.
Panfilo Lacson Former
National Police chief and now senator Panfilo Lacson is said to have been born
to a poor family in Imus, Cavite. He has a BS engineering from the Lyceum of the
Philippines and Masters in Government Management from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod
ng Maynila. He graduated from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1971 and
entered the Philippine Constabulary. During
the martial law period, he worked with the Metropolitan Intelligence and
Security Group (Metrocom), and in some accounts of the period is named as one of
the torturers of political prisoners. Under
the Ramos administration, he was the chief of the Presidential Anti-Crime
Commission (PACC) headed by then Vice-President Joseph Estrada. It was during
this period that 12 members of the Kuratong Baleleng kidnap for ransom gang were
rubbed out allegedly by members of the PACC. Under
President Joseph Estrada's term, Lacson was appointed Chief of the Philippine
National Police. But in January 2001, he was one of the last government
officials to withdraw support from Joseph Estrada. In May that same year, he ran
for senator under the same ticket with former First Lady Luisa Ejercito and was
elected. Through
his term in the Senate as well as in his presidential bid campaign, the focus of
Lacson's policies lies in "good governance and peace and order." He
has vowed if elected president to restore "justice, law and order" in
the first 180 days of his presidency. But critics warn that Lacson's alleged
involvement in the Kuratong Baleleng case and other cases may be a preview of an
authoritarian leader. Agriculture Implement
a food self-reliance approach (in policy and practice)! Food self-reliance is
the process of enabling farmers and other rural producers to continuously
increase their production to meet domestic needs. It is different from a
"food self-sufficiency" approach because a policy of self-reliance
recognizes and accepts the positive role played by international markets in
meeting national food needs while a country gradually strives to produce enough
food for its citizens. Labor
"Between
2004 and 2010, an even more market-driven environment will be in place.
Government intervention in wage-fixing shall continue, but this will be guided
by the fundamental principles of making minimum wage-fixing as a safety net, and
of helping find the market-clearing price of laborers that increases will not be
counter-productive and will not lead to more unemployment." Education
"We
have to strengthen our primary and secondary educational system so that the
requirements for gainful employment need not include finishing tertiary school
level. At present, even clerical, manual and other jobs require a college
degree, which is often unattainable to poor families. Ideally, a high school
diploma should be enough to land a low-paying job. Emphasis on vocational
training will be adhered to by our school system, so as to enhance skills for
gainful employment." Budget "Create
two special funds within the national government budget -- Local Infrastructure
Fund and Social Fund -- to be administered by a Grant Commission which will be
created by law. The creation of the Grant Commission and the two Funds are
designed to ensure some minimum level social services and local public
infrastructure for all local communities regardless of income class. Under the
LGC 1991, local governments have vast responsibilities to deliver social
services and undertake local infrastructure activities. However, anecdotal
evidences suggest that the current state of affairs can stand a lot of
improvements. The performance record of local governments in performing their
responsibilities has been uneven." Foreign
policy He
has not made any clear statement nor put forward any concrete position on
foreign policy. Human
rights In
a speech in 2001, he said: "It is only a strong government that can protect
us from crime and violence. Only a strong government call respect our basic
human rights -- civil, political, and social. And we know that government can
only be as strong as it can impose -- without fear, without favor -- the system
of criminal justice under the laws of the land." His legislative agenda
included supporting the Anti-Terrorism Bill, and a National ID system. He also
recently he filed a bill seeking to ease restrictions on wiretapping. He has
been criticized for his hard-line stance against criminals without consideration
of human rights' implications. Globalization Lacson
says: “There are more and more indicators that militate for us to rethink our
position and strategy on globalization. Globalization is to the layman free
trade. You can only trade if you have goods and services needed by the market.
Otherwise, you would be at the losing end in this era of globalization.
Concomitantly, self-sufficiency and self-reliance in food, power and technology
are imperatives for globalization and these are only possible under a government
that governs effectively.” Graft
and corruption He
advocates the speedy completion of investigations into charges of graft and
corruption, and resolution of cases within 100 days. He pushes for the complete
computerization of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs, the
introduction of the electronic procurement system in all government agencies as
well as government-owned and controlled corporations, and the weeding out of
'ghost employees' as well as a cap on the number of paid government consultants.
Lacson,
however, has been accused of money-laundering -- a violation of the Money
Laundering Bill he prides himself upon. Peace
process "Strengthen
democratic processes as an essential element in addressing the causes of
rebellion and conflict. Pursue the path of peace with our brothers and sisters
from the CPP-NPA-NDF, the MILF and the MNLF. Institute government administrative
reforms that will sensitize the bureaucracy to ethnic and religious diversity.
Restore internal security through a vigorous campaign against terrorism, drugs
and organized crime." Sources: 3.
Alfred McCoy, Closer than Brothers 4.
Tuazon, Bobby, "Da King and the Kingmaker: Movie actor joins race for
Philippine presidency," Bulatlat.com, Vol. III, No. 43, Nov. 30 Dec. 6,
2003 III.
Raul Roco The
son of a farmer and a public school teacher from Bicol, he was a consistent
honor student. He took his Bachelor of Laws at San Beda College and Master of
Comparative Law at the University of Pennsylvania. He
has been many things: student leader, corporate lawyer, congressman, senator,
and education secretary. He was the youngest Bicolano delegate to the 1971
Constitutional Convention. From 1983 to 1985, he was president of the Integrated
Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-the youngest ever to have attained the position. He
ran for president in the 1998 elections but lost. Roco's
platform is called the, "Agenda of HOPE." HOPE stands for:
"Honest government; opportunity for all and special privilege for none;
peace, productivity and prosperity and education and environment for a
sustainable environment." Agriculture He
prefers high-yielding crop varieties and advocates global competitiveness in
agriculture. Labor “The
Constitution of the Philippines says there is a social responsibility of
property. Thus there is a certain immorality when the top echelon of corporate
governance gets paid such high wages and yet has to terminate employees to down
size the company because the economy is bad.” Education He
initiated the implementation of the Basic Education Curriculum in 2002. Under
the said curriculum, social studies have been lumped together with values
education, physical education, health, and practical arts. He believes that
education must be geared towards the development of skills in demand in the
global market. Foreign
policy "What
is my attitude towards the military (presence) of any nationality? One of the
things they were saying is that it is not true that it will create problems of
prostitution again. Well, you stay in a boat for six months and you hit shore,
you think these healthy male specimens will not look for something to do? I
adhere and I understand the Constitution to say that there cannot be military
bases here. Even the American Ambassador says so. There is no debate on that.
And when there are debates about miscellaneous matters, we should see them as
such -- miscellaneous. That is my overall attitude in that regard." Human
rights As
president of the IBP, he established its Committee on Human Rights and Due
Process. Budget "We must address the deficit. We need debt restructuring. Every year we spend 240 billion pesos for debt servicing. I don't like to ask for money, but we could ask for one year of debt relief. Just one year. Not the entire 240 billion pesos, just half." Globalization He
told a gathering of the business community recently that the role of government
is to empower and remove obstacles in order for business to thrive. Essentially
this is the objective of globalization. He qualified however that business must
"make profit with honor." Graft
and corruption In
a recent speech before the Foreign Correspondents Association of the
Philippines, he said: "Corruption can be removed by transparency and by
example. The civil service must learn that they are an elite of power when they
serve the civil and when they serve with civility...The civil service, the
software and commitment of the civil service must be rebuilt. When
your management is honest, everybody tries to cozy up to you and they will try
to be honest. When they know you're finagling, everybody tries to come up to you
and say, 'Here's your percentage, Sir' because they know you appreciate
it." However,
in 2002, he was accused of corruption by employees of the Department of
Education, of which he was then secretary. Peace
process "Peace...is
the policy we will pursue." Sources: 2.
Roque Glenn A. Omanio and Alexander Martin Remollino, The 2002 Basic Education
Curriculum, Philippine Currents, June-July 2002 3.
Bobbit Sanchez, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 9, 1998 4.
http:// www.inq7.net/lif/2003/sep/27/lif_5-1.htm IV.
Fernando Poe, Jr. Son
of actor Fernando Poe, "FPJ" was in his teens when his father died,
and as a result he was forced to abandon his studies without even getting past
the second year of high school. He is now a millionaire involved in the real
estate and film production business, besides being an actor like his father. Stand
on issues: FPJ
has yet to publicize his official platform. In a recent speech he said he has a
simple goal, to "help uplift the nation and run the government in extensive
consultation and in tight cooperation with all sectors of society." Source:
GMA Reports, Phillippine Daily Inquirer A
People's Agenda? In
the Philippine experience, the establishment has always peddled the carrot of
election as a supposed hope for social and political change. Yet
none of the current presidentiables has any proposal for addressing the problem
of land monopoly. Their land reform recommendations are all premised on the
continuation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, which history has
shown to be ridden with loopholes that preserve the monopoly on land ownership. While
all the presidentiables have paid lip service to the rights of workers, none of
them has put forth any concrete proposal that, if implemented, would ensure the
Filipino worker of a just wage and all necessary benefits. Likewise
the presidentiables all talk of improving the country's educational system, but
none of them has hit the fundamental ailment of Philippine education, namely its
colonial, repressive, and commercial character. With
the exception of Roco, none of the self-declared presidential candidates for the
2004 election has any advocacy of independence in foreign policy. All
candidates also appear to recognize the primacy of eliminating graft and
corruption. However, their proposals miss the main target: high-level corruption
perpetrated by those in the highest positions of power. Moreover, many of the
presidentiables have themselves figured in allegations of corruption. The
candidates also promise to work for peace yet not one of them proposes to
address the roots of the armed conflict. The
Filipino people need a leadership that is committed to the following: genuine
agrarian reform, nationalist industrialization, an independent foreign policy, a
government that provides essential social services and is free from corruption;
an education that is nationalist, scientific, and people-oriented; full respect
for human rights; and a peace based on justice. While
there are slight variations in their positions and stances, none of the current
presidentiables have proposed any concrete measures which tackle these
fundamental issues and which could lead to fundamental change. Elections,
Philippine style This
shows the bankruptcy of the current Philippine electoral process. The lack of
concrete programs exposes the reality of Philippine elections as mere popularity
contests between factions of the elite. The
elite confine the electoral discourse to personality politics in order to evade
a type of debate that centers on fundamental social issues. They fear the
political reorientation of the people that such a type of debate would bring,
for it would certainly go against the status quo that favors their class
interests over the welfare of the entire populace. Thus,
while once in a blue moon candidates with progressive and programmatic
inclinations appear, they have always been drowned out by the
personality-centered game of traditional electoral politics. The
introduction of the party-list system as a concession to cause-oriented groups
representing the marginalized sectors of society while providing a small space
for people's interest has not changed the nature of the governing system. As
the majority of the Filipino people become disillusioned with the corrupt
electoral process, they are also realizing that fundamental social change can
only come through their own politicization and collective action. PMC Reports
with Hetty Alcuitas / Posted by Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
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Election
2004: Prospects for the People