By recklessly adhering to the NAMA and agriculture texts during the WTO Mini-Ministerial, Ambassador Teehankee not only wrecked whatever credibly the country has gained in its alliance work, he also endangered the jobs and livelihoods of millions of Filipinos who will be negatively impacted by the country’s inability to protect large sections of its economy.

Ambassador Teehankee should immediately be recalled.

Fortunately for the working people, the trade talks once again collapsed as rich countries failed to seriously take into consideration the developmental needs of the developing countries.

The APL vowed to push Congress to investigate the work of the Permanent Mission to the WTO in Geneva.

The APL also warned government that the Doha failure should not lead to more bilateral negotiations. After all, bilateral treaties are sometimes even more extreme than the WTO as we have seen in the case of the Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).

Instead, the focus should be on how the world can develop a more democratic multilateral trade system where our country can take advantage of the benefits of trade for growth and development, while ensuring that international agreements addressing serious issues of agriculture, energy, climate, human rights, and labor rights are more important than just increasing exports and imports.

In the end, the ambition that has been driving these talks since the Doha round was launched in 2001, became too much and the aggressive push by the rich countries led by the US and the EU for more trade liberalization at a time of global crises of food and fuel too blatant for developing countries to stomach.

The talks have collapsed because developing countries gave more importance to protecting and supporting its agriculture and industries rather than being hi-jacked into a bad deal that would limit their development options.

The talks have collapsed because the peoples’ resistance to the Doha round and to unfair and unjust trade made their collective voices heard throughout the globe.

In the wake of the collapse, we expect the machinery of the “free trade” dogma to spin the news in order to shift the blame to developing countries. We will hear lamentations about the lost opportunity for poor people with the failure to secure a deal.

We say, developing countries should take the credit for the collapse of an extremely bad deal that would have been detrimental to their own interests.

We urge the Philippine government to reject unfair trade deals whether they come as a multilateral package like Doha or in the form of bilateral and regional free trade and economic partnership agreements.

Now is the time to seriously think outside the WTO-box and move towards an alternative global trading system that puts poor peoples’ interests at the center.

The Doha round did not collapse over small technicalities. The talks collapsed over the wide divergence between WTO members on how to achieve development. The U.S. argued that opening markets was the best way to achieve food security and to promote livelihoods. India and China, supported by the majority of developing country members, argued for a strong safeguard mechanism to protect food security and livelihoods in the event of major disruptions to agricultural markets.

The APL and the civil society organizations were unanimous in their assessment that the rich countries failed to seriously take into consideration the developmental needs of the developing countries. Once again, the profits of corporations from rich countries dictated the conduct of the negotiations of the developed countries.

Developed countries did not make substantial concessions with regard to the billions of dollars in subsidies that they give to their farmers. At the same time, these rich countries want to pry open the market for industrial goods in developing countries, and are attempting to prevent developing countries from nurturing their local industries.

Practically all of the rich countries that are demanding lower trade barriers in developing countries are the very same countries that became rich through the use of protectionism when they were still at the initial stages of their industrialization.

Finally, more liberalized trade in services is being pushed by rich countries in order to penetrate the lucrative banking and insurance industries, among others, in developing countries. Worse, the rich countries also want a deal that would allow them to attract the highly skilled personnel from the developing countries. This brain drain will badly deny the developing countries of crucial skills needed for heath care, commerce, industry and agriculture.

This proves that the WTO model should now be buried. Developing countries no longer support what is on the table. And the undemocratic “Green Room” processes in the WTO are no longer acceptable.

However, the APL warns government that the Doha failure should not lead to more bilateral negotiations. After all, bilateral treaties are sometimes even more extreme than the WTO as we have seen in the case of the Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).

Instead, the focus should be on how the world can develop a more democratic multilateral trade system where our country can take advantage of the benefits of trade for growth and development, while ensuring that international agreements addressing serious issues of agriculture, energy, climate, human rights, and labor rights are more important than just increasing exports and imports.

APL participated actively in the social movement and civil society initiatives under the banner of “Our World Is Not for Sale” to convince governments, both of the developed and developing countries, to hammer out a deal if and only if that would be in the interest of the developing countries during the negotiations in Geneva that started last July 21, 2008.

The activists held images of Senators in silhouettes with a question mark emblazoned where the Senators’ faces ought to be. A giant streamer bearing the message “JPEPA is Anti-Filipino” served as the main backdrop for the many placards held by the demonstrators.

“At the center of this controversy really is whether JPEPA will be clearly beneficial to Filipinos,” explained Atty. Golda Benjamin, MJJC lead counsel. “From the past hearings conducted by the Senate on this very issue the Government has totally failed to prove its case that this damned treaty is good for the country.”

The issue of the JPEPA once again took center stage after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by several party-list lawmakers and NGOs requesting Malacanang to divulge negotiation information about the much contested treaty. Last week Senate President Manuel Villar intimated the JPEPA will be one of their priorities when session resumes this week.

NO FOOD FOR FILIPINOS

“Our study shows that much of the trumpeted JPEPA gains are imaginary, but the losses are real in terms of job displacement and worsened poverty for rural people who will be driven away from their land and natural resources. The Senate cannot ignore the impacts of JPEPA to the basic food producing sectors,” stated Ms. Arze Glipo of the Task Force Food Sovereignty (TFFS), a member of the MJJC.

The group further argues that the JPEPA’s text allows the full entry of Japanese multinational companies in crop plantations, fishery, mining, power, etc, depriving the Filipinos the prior right and access to their land and other productive resources.

NO JOBS FOR FILIPINOS

In addition to the loss of jobs in the agricultural sector, JPEPA’s is poised to axe at least 77,000 Filipino workers in the automobile industry. Even without the JPEPA, second hand vehicles are already coming in through various ports, most recently the controversy involving Port Irene in Cagayan. With JPEPA, it will open the floodgates to imported used four-wheeled motor vehicles despite the existence of Executive Order 156 that clearly prohibits the same.

“If JPEPA passes in spite of these clear threats to Filipino jobs, it will only worsen the jobless growth we have been experiencing under the Arroyo regime,” exclaimed Josua Mata, Secretary General of the Alliance of Progressive Labor, another coalition partner of MJJC.

“The supremacy of Japanese interests in JPEPA, and not the interests of the Filipino people has totally eroded any shred of JPEPA’s presumed political and economic ascendancy,” Mata emphasized.

NO FUTURE FOR FILIPINOS

JPEPA disregards the basic contract between the government and the Filipino people. Unbiased and respected legal experts, such as retired Justice Florentino P. Feliciano have out rightly called JPEPA as unconstitutional. No less than Senator Miriam Santiago, agreed to Justice Feliciano’s conclusion when she spoke to the press after the Senate hearing on the Constitutionality of JPEPA, “it (JPEPA) will be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. That is my humble opinion as a scholar of constitutional law.”

As if the issue of unconstitutionality is not enough, JPEPA’s threatens the Philippine environment as well, since the entry of toxic wastes, and other banned or controlled substances such as ozone depleting substances, chemicals that are attributed to climate change, persistent organic pollutants, such as the cancer causing PCBs, and nuclear wastes are facilitated, promoted, and protected under JPEPA. The Administration attempted to plug this loophole with a side note with Japan, but according to the MJJC no amount of side notes would safeguard the interests of the Filipinos against the problems of JPEPA.

“Can the Senate remain untarnished amidst Malacañang manic push for this illegal and immoral treaty? How will our Senators comport themselves amidst this offensive from President Arroyo? The answers to these questions will be the bellweather of our Senate’s independence, their nationalism, and if they are even worthy to be considered come 2010. We hope for all our sake they muster the needed courage to say no to GMA and to JPEPA,” the MJJC stated.

Confronted with a plummeting -38% net satisfaction rating, 11.4% inflation rate, 16.3% hunger incidence, PGMA is reportedly set to unveil a social protection package patterned after various interim programs such as Katas ng VAT, Pantawid Kuryente and the other cash transfer programs.

“The current crises requires a whole set of policy reforms, and not dole-outs aimed at propping up a moribund government’s sagging popularity,” Edwin Bustillos, APL spokesperson, said. “Clearly, PGMA set her sight on mitigating her own crisis – the lack of legitimacy – rather than the larger crisis that leaves the working class in dire straights,” Bustillos added.

“No amount of fantastic claims about her government’s performance could hide the reality of the Arroyo regime’s glaring failure: its inability to generate 1.5 million jobs a year, as it promised, which then led to a yawning gap in income inequality,” Bustillos said.

The recent UNDP Human Development Report shows that while the economy was growing, Philippine per capita income growth was the ‘worst in Southeast Asia’. According to the report, per capital income grew at an average of only 1.9% between 1990-2005, in contrast with Vietnam (5.9%), Thailand (2.7%), Laos (3.8%) and Cambodia (5.5%). Even Burma fared better at 6.6%!

Moreover, glaring disparities in income distribution continue to deepen as incomes of the richest grew 16 times more than the incomes of the poorest, with the poorest families getting a meager 2.16% of the total annual family income growth, while the richest families got 34.26%.

“Arroyo would want us to believe that the current crisis should be blamed on everyone and everything else but itself. But the truth is, we are in this current rut because of government’s flawed policies,” Bustillos said.

APL demands that jobs generation be the centerpiece of government policies. This means that all policies, including monetary, fiscal trade as well as industrial and agricultural policies should be cohesively geared towards full employment.

In the short term, the APL is calling for a living wage, the scrapping of the oil deregulation law, price control on food, removal of EVAT for oil and food products, moratorium on demolitions and budget for socialized housing.

APL has no illusion that Arroyo regime to listen to the working class. “That is why, ousting this corrupt government would be a good start in strategically addressing our current problems.” Bustillos said. “After all, Arroyo herself is one of the problems!” he added.

In the NCR, APL will march along Commonwealth Avenue with other labor organizations and social movements under Mamamayan Laban sa Pagtaas ng Presyo ng Langis at Pagkain at Toyota Commonwealth.

“We are tired of being neglected. We refuse to be bought by cheap dole out programs. We want a comprehensive response to poverty now!”. Fatima Cabanag, KAMAO Secretary General, declared.

It has been estimated that there are at least 30 million urban poor or informal settlers around the country. This would include at least 700,000 families or 52% of the population in Metro Manila.

“The jobless growth and low income has led to an explosion of urban poor workers,” Cabanag said. ” This was exacerbated by the fact that government has neglected its housing program for a very long time,” the labor leaders added. According to the General Appropriations Act of 2007, government allocated a measly amount of P28.33 per capita for housing and community development. This is just 4% of the 6,908.15 per capita budget for debt servicing for the same year.

“To make matters worse, the Arroyo regime has opted to literally eradicate the housing problem by issuing Executive Order 708,” Cabanag said. EO 708 amended EO 152, series of 2002, and devolved the function of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor as clearinghouse for the conduct of demolition and eviction of informal settlers to the local governments.

EO 708 is now being abused by some local government units to demolish urban poor communities, sometimes even without the proper court ruling. It even allowed incumbent LGU leaders to use the policy to hostage informal settlers during elections by suspending demolitions during elections in exchange for votes, only to be implemented right after the ballots are counted.

It is clear that the Arroyo regime, like any other governments, treats urban poor workers as the problem, rather than the victims of a far deeper problem – the poverty caused by flawed government policies.

“Nobody wants to be poor. We remain poor because we are locked in poverty by anti-poor policies and by repression. And when it comes to repressing urban poor rights, the Arroyo regime holds the worst record next to the Marcos dictatorship,” Cabanag said. “Arroyo regime should be ousted!” she added.

KAMAO is demanding for the shifting of debt servicing to comprehensive socialized housing program. This would not only help solve the housing shortage, but would even generate millions of jobs.

KAMAO is also calling for a moratorium on all demolitions and an investigation into fraudulent claims for land ownership, especially the so-called friar lands like Tala Estate, with the end in view of identifying public lands for socialized housing.

KAMAO stands for Kapisanan ng mga Maralitang Obrero. It is a 10,000 strong confederation of urban poor workers organizations from Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Bulacan and Rizal. KAMAO is a founding member of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL).

Ihahambog ba ni Gloria na sa nakalipas na isang taon “nakalikha” na naman siya ng daan-daan libong “trabaho”? Na dahil sa sinusunod na programang “pangkaunlaran” ng pamahalaan, “matatag” ang “pundasyon” ng pambansang ekonomya kaya’t kayang harapin ang umiiral na pandaigdigang krisis pangkabuhayan, laluna ang di-masawatang pagtaas ng presyo ng langis at mga pagkain, pangunahin na ang bigas at ang kasalatan ng suplay nito sa Pilipinas? Na tuluy-tuloy na naisasaayos ang pamamahala ng kanyang administrasyon, kabilang ang pagiging episyente, matapat at dedikadong paglilingkod sa taumbayan, at pagsunod nito sa mga panuntunang demokratiko?

Kahirapan ng mayorya, hungkag na ‘kaunlaran’ nina Gloria

Sa ikawalong SONA ngayon ni Gloria ano na ba talaga ang tunay na kalagayan ng ating bansa at mamamayan mula nang mailuklok siya noong 2001 matapos mapatalsik ang korap ding gobyernong Estrada, at tumuloy pa sa kaduda-dudang “pagwawagi” ni Gloria sa eleksyon noong 2004? Tiyak na uulitin niya na parang sirang plaka ang umano’y record-breaking niyang natamo noong isang taon sa “pagpapaunlad” ng pambansang ekonomya – ang “28 quarters of economic growth” at “pinakamabilis na paglago ng GNP (gross national product) ng bansa sa loob ng nakalipas na 30 taon!” Tunay ngang record holder ang rehimeng Arroyo sa maraming bagay, ngunit hindi talaga para sa kagalingan – kundi para sa kapinsalaan – ng mayoryang taumbayan:

Dalas at lawak ng karukhaan:Ayon sa poverty studies ng mismong gobyerno na ginagawa tuwing tatlong taon, lalong lumubha ang antas ng kahirapan mula 24.4% noong 2003 tungong 26.9% noong 2006. Kaya’t ang pagdami pa ng mahihirap na pamilya mula 4 na milyon hanggang 4.7 milyon – o katumbas ng 23.8 milyon hanggang 27.6 milyong katao. Ayon nga sa ibang pag-aaral, 85% sa mga Pilipino ay nabubuhay sa kulang pa sa $2 o lampas lang konti ng P80 kada araw. Isa sa mga epekto nito ang kawalan ng kakayahang magmay-ari sa lupa o magkaroon ng sariling disenteng tahanan. Kaya’t tinatantyang may 30 milyong urban poor o informal settlers sa buong bansa, kabilang ang 700,000 na pamilya o 52% ng buong populasyon sa Metro Manila! Sa kanayunan naman, pito sa 10 magsasaka ay hindi pag-aari ang kanilang lupang sinasaka, habang di-aabot sa 1/3 ng mga panginoong maylupa ang nagmamay-ari ng mahigit sa 80% ng mga lupaing agrikultural!

Agwat ng mayayaman at mahihirap: Lalong lumalayo ang lamang sa yaman ng iilang dambuhalang mayayaman sa higit na nakararaming mahihirap mula 2003 hanggang 2006, ayon mismo sa pinakahuling Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) ng gobyerno. Aabot lang ng 8.6% ang pinagsamang kita (total family income o TFI) na pinaghahatian ng pinakamahihirap na 30% ng mga pamilyang Pilipino, habang 64.7% naman ang TFI ng pinakamayayamang 30%! Kaya kumakabig ang mayayaman ng P7.53 sa bawat P1 namang kinikita ng pinakadukhang 30%.

“Food-poor”: Lumaki pa ang bilang ng mamamayan na hindi kayang tugunan kahit ang minimum na pangangailangan sa pagkain. Ayon mismo sa gobyerno, mula 2003 hanggang 2006, tumaas sa 14.6% mula 13.5% ng mga Pilipino ang hindi sapat ang kinakain – o 10.8 milyon hanggang 12.2 milyon kataong gutom. Mababa pa nga ang pagtatayang ito dahil base ito sa mababang food threshold na ipinalabas ng gobyerno – P27.47 bawat araw lamang bawat tao o P137.35 bawat araw bawat 5-kataong pamilya. Salungat ito sa isa pang ahensya ng gobyerno, ang National Wages and Productivity Council o NWPC, na nagsasabi na ayon sa itinakda nitong living wage noong 2006, aabot ang minimum food requirements sa P33.52 bawat araw bawat tao o P167.60 bawat araw bawat 5-kataong pamilya. Hindi nakapagtataka na ilang milyong batang Pilipino ay malnourished o kulang sa timbang: 3.7 milyon na mga batang limang taon pabababa, at 2.4 milyon na 10 taon pababa. Ayon pa sa sarbey ng Social Weather Station (SWS), patuloy din ang pagdami ng mga pamilyang nakararanas ng gutom (involuntary hunger): 16.3% o 2.9 milyong pamilya mula Enero hanggang Marso lang ngayong taon.

“Inseguridad sa pagkain” at krisis sa bigas: Lalala pa ang problema sa kagutuman dahil sa kasalukuyang krisis sa pagkain, kabilang ang grabeng pagmahal at malaking kakulangan ng suplay ng bigas. Noong 2001 ang karaniwang presyo ng bigas ay P17 bawat kilo, sa ngayon pumapatak na ito ng P34 hanggang P36/kilo, at maaari pang tumaas. Sa kabila din ng nandito sa ating bansa ang International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at ang Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) – na bantog sa buong mundo sa mga pananaliksik at programa kung paano paunlarin ang pagtatanim ng palay – pero ang Pilipinas pa ngayon ang pinakamalaking importer ng bigas sa buong mundo! Mula sa 808,000 metriko toneladang (MT) bigas na inangkat ng bansa noong 2001, ito’y sumirit pa sa 1.7 milyong MT noong 2006, at aabot sa 2.2 milyong MT ang pinaplanong angkatin ng ating bansa ngayong taon! Dagdag pa, sa unang apat na buwan lang ngayong taon, tumaas ang presyo ng bigas ng 44%, isda ng 14.3%, baboy ng 23%, manok at gulay ng 20%, at prutas ng 25%. Malaking repleksyon ito ng isang dispalinghadong polisiya ng gobyerno sa agrikultura at pati sa repormang agraryo, pagdepende sa importasyon, at sa kabuua’y kawalan ng maayos na programa sa food security.

Krisis sa enerhiya o langis: Patuloy na pumapailanglang ang presyo ng langis at iba pang mga produktong petrolyo. Tumaas ng 380% hanggang 420% ang halaga ng mga ito mula 2001 hanggang 2008, at tumataas pa – P62 na ang dating P16.56/litro ng gasolina; at P58 ang dating P13.82/litro ng diesel. Nito lamang Enero hanggang ngayong Hulyo o sa loob lang ng anim na buwan, 20 beses itinaas ang presyo ng mga produktong petrolyo – bagama’t nakakaloko, nakalilito at wala ring silbing “ibinaba” ng tatlong beses ang presyo ng mga ito. Ngayong Hulyo ang minimum na pamasahe sa Kamaynilaan lang ay tumaas ng 13% sa mga jeepney, 33.3% sa mga taksi, at 11% sa mga bus. Damay siyempre ang mga petrochemical-based fertilizers na ginagamit ng mga magsasaka, na tinatayang madodoble ang presyo sa P1,500 hanggang P1,900 bawat bag! Bagama’t may kinalaman ang international market (partikular ang samahang OPEC) sa pagtataas ng presyo ng petrolyo, mas grumabe ito sa atin dahil sa walang pakundangang pagkakamal ng tubo laluna ng “Big 3” oil companies – Shell, Petron at Chevron (dating Caltex). Tinatayang pinagtutubuan nila’y 47% hanggang 54% ng bawat retail price ng produktong petrolyo, na bilyon-bilyong tubo ang katumbas! Hinahayaan ito ng gobyerno dahil sa Oil Deregulation Law, na kung tutuusin ay pabor lang talaga sa naturang mga kumpanya – simula nang ipatupad ito noong 1996, tumaas ang presyo ng unleaded gas ng 492% at ang diesel nama’y 607%! Dagdag pa dito, ang ipinatong ng gobyerno na 12% expanded value-added tax (E-VAT) sa mga produktong petrolyo na pinapasan naman ng mga mamimili.

Mababang tunay na kantidad ng kita o sahod: Ayon pa sa FIES, bumaba sa P20,400 ang tunay na halaga (real value) ng average family incomes ng lahat ng mga pamilya sa panahon ni Gloria o mula 2000 hanggang 2006. Implikasyon nito para sa pinakamahihirap na 10% ng mga pamilyang Pilipino ay ang paglusong pa ng kanilang taunang kita mula sa mababa nang P25,000 noong 2000 tungo sa P23,000 noong 2006. Kaugnay nito, dahil sa kakarampot na “pagtaas” ng daily minimum wages sa Metro Manila mula 2001 hanggang 2007, hindi nga talaga aabot sa 1% ang itinaas sa real value ng mga ito o mula P246 noong 2001 hanggang P249 noong 2006, sa gitna naman ng pagtaas sa 21.5% sa presyo ng mga pagkain sa parehong panahon. Gayundin, ang pinakahuling P382 minimum wage ngayong taon sa NCR ay 38% lang talaga ng itinatakdang family living wage (FLW) dito na P871. Sa labas ng NCR, ang average na sahod ay 29% lang ng FLW at 34% naman sa antas-nasyunal.

“Inseguridad sa trabaho”: Isa sa mga pangunahing salik sa lumalala pang kahirapan sa gitna ng inihahambog na “kaunlaran” ni Gloria ay karamihan sa sinasabing mga hanapbuhay na “nalikha” ay mabababa ang kalidad at walang katiyakan. Mula 2001 hanggang 2006, lumalabas sa Labor Force Survey (LFS) ng DOLE na malaking bahagi ng mga naiempleyo ay yaong may mabababang sahod at di-regular na mga trabaho (at bawal ding mag-unyon, kaya’t mas lalong “api”) sa sektor ng agrikultura, wholesale and retail trade, construction, private households, at pati mga unpaid family workers. Samantalang kaunti lang ang itinaas ng mga regular na trabaho sa mahahalagang sektor sa manupaktura at agrikultura. Kahit sa pinakabagong LFS (Abril 2008), lumalabas na isa sa limang nakaempleyo ay naghahanap pa rin ng dagdag na trabaho dahil sa kakulangan ng kita. Sa isang sarbey nga ng Ibon noong Abril, naiulat na 71% ng mga Pilipino ay di sapat ang kinikita para matustusan ng maayos ang kanilang pamilya. Kaya nga’t ang underemployment rate ay tumaas sa 19.8% (6.6 milyong tao) mula 18.9% (6.3 milyon) noong Abril 2007. Tumaas din ang unemployment rate sa parehong panahon mula 7.4% (2.6 milyong tao) hanggang 8.0% (2.9 milyon).

Inflation: Nabanggit na ang walang humpay at mabilisang pagtaas ng presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin o produkto at pati na ang iba-ibang serbisyo. Nito lamang Hunyo, umabot ng 11.4% ang inflation – ang pinakamataas sa loob ng 14 na taon!

Pandaraya dito, pandaraya doon; kurakot dito, kurakot doon

Lalong lumubha ang katiwalian sa ilalim ng pamamahala ni Arroyo. Ayon sa taunang sarbey ng Transparency International, isang pandaigdigang samahan na nag-aaral ng korapsyon sa buong mundo, ang pang-65 ranggo ng Pilipinas sa pinakatiwaling bansa noong 2001 – nang mailuklok ng Edsa II si Gloria bilang pangulo kapalit ng pinatalsik na si Erap – ay lumusong pa sa ika-131 noong 2007. “Pinakamatino” sa corruption index ng TI ang pang-una (1), at “pinakamasahol” naman ang panghuling bilang o 179 na mga bansa noong isang taon:

• Ang eskandalong “Hello, Garci,” ang usapan sa telepono nina GMA at Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, na naglantad sa sistematikong pandaraya sa eleksyong pinagwagian ni Gloria noong 2004.
• Ang “fertilizer scam” ni Joc-joc Bolante, kung saan ang para sana sa mga magsasaka na pondong P728 milyon sa Department of Agriculture ay inilihis bilang pondo sa pangangampanya nina Gloria sa halalan noong 2004.
• Ang misteryosong deposito sa bangko ni umano’y “Jose Pidal” (pinaniniwalaang si Mike Arroyo, asawa ni Gloria), na malamang ay galing sa iba-ibang katiwalian at umaabot ng P200 milyon.
• Ang patagong paggamit ng nakukuhang buwis sa road user’s tax para sa mga “operasyong pulitikal” laban sa mga “kaaway” ng rehimeng Arroyo o para “pagandahin” ang imahen nito.
• Ang tinatayang P532 milyon na “patong” sa paggawa ng Macapagal Blvd. mula Pasay hanggang Parañaque.
• Ang patuloy pa ring mga payola o “lagay” ng mga sindikato sa jueteng, katulad din noong panahon ng gobyernong Estrada.
• Ang malaking panggagantso sa konstruksyon ng NAIA Terminal 3 ng PIATCO.
  Ang panunuba sa planong poll computerization o automation daw ng Comelec, na nagwaldas lang ng P1.3 bilyon.
• Ang katiwalian sa North Rail project, na binuriki sa $503 milyong badyet dito.
• Ang mala-tulisang kontrata ni Norberto Gonzales sa kumpanyang Venable para “pabanguhin” sa Amerika ang nakakasulasok na “amoy” ng gobyernong Arroyo.
• Ang ZTE broadband deal na nagkakahalaga ng $329 milyon, na kung natuloy ay titiba sana ang mga itinuro ni Jun Lozada (Mike Arroyo, Benjamin Abalos, atbp.) ng di-bababa sa $130 milyon o bilyun-bilyong pisong kurakot!

May ”maitim” na pakana din sa paghirang (o paggantimpala) kay Romulo Neri bilang bagong administrador ng Social Security System (SSS) umpisa ngayong Agosto, at pinakapinuno ng bagong tatag na national social welfare program (NSWP). Dahil sa kanyang baluktot na katapatan kay Gloria – nakimagmatigasan siyang huwag idawit si Gloria kahit halatang-halata naman na may kinalaman ito sa ZTE scam – delikadong “pakialaman” na naman ng grupo ni Arroyo ang bilyon-bilyong pondo ng NSWP (P45 bilyon) at ng SSS (P247.74 bilyon), na mula sa pinaghirapang pera ng mga manggagawa sa pribadong sektor. Bukod sa personal na gamit, maaari ding gamitin ito sa nalalapit na pambansang eleksyon sa 2010 (na ginawa na nga sa ferilizer scam ni Bolante noong 2004). At dahil sa pagtalaga kay Neri bilang miyembro ng gabinete, sakop muli siya sa inaabusong ”executive privilege” ni Gloria.

Umuusbong na munting pasista

Kasabay ng paglawak ng malakihang korapsyon – na palaging direkta o di-direktang naiuugnay sa mga kapamilya at galamay ni Gloria – ay ang walang pakundangang pagpapataw o pagbaluktot ng mga batas o patakaran upang maprutektahan sa anumang paraan ang kanilang kontrol sa kapangyarihan, at pigilang malantad sa publiko ang kanilang mga iregularidad (sa mga “proyekto,” sa mga eleksyon, sa mga “gapangan” sa Kongreso, lalo na kapag may tangkang impeachment kay Arroyo, atbp.).

Pinakatampok dito ang polisiyang calibrated preemptive response (CPR) noong Setyembre 21, 2005 (na anibersaryo pa man din ng batas militar ng diktadurang Marcos), na naghudyat sa marahas na pambabasag ng mga kilos-protesta; ang Executive Order (EO) 464 noong Setyembre 26, 2005, na ikinatwiran ang “executive privilege” daw una’y para pigilan ang imbestigasyon ng Senado sa hokus-pokus sa halalan noong 2004 at sa anomalya sa North Rail Project (at sa huli’y sa mga sumunod pang mga katiwalian ng gobyerno, kabilang ang sa ZTE); at ang Presidential Proclamation (PP) No. 1017 noong Pebrero 24, 2006, na nagdeklara ng state of emergency para masupil ang malawakan sanang kilos protesta.

Ipinawalambisa ng Korte Suprema noong kalagitnaan ng 2006 ang maraming bahagi ng mga naturang “batas” – isang patunay na hindi lang di-makatarungan, kundi iligal din ang “ligal na pagsasangkalan” nina Gloria para supilin ang malawakang pagtutol sa kanyang rehimen at para pagtakpan ang kanilang mga pandarambong.

Kaagapay ng nasabing “ligal na mga panunupil” sa mga karapatan at katotohanan ay ang pagdami din ng mga kaso ng pagpatay at pagdukot, lalo na sa mga aktibista at iba pang kritiko ng pamahalaan, kasama ang mga manunulat o mamamahayag, relihiyoso, at mga estudyante. Maraming insidenteng ganito ang masusi at obhetibong naidokumento, kabilang ang ginawang imbestigayon ni Philip Alston sa Pilipinas noong 2007, bilang United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings.

Hatol ng Bayan

Hindi nakapagtataka na tuluyan at grabeng lumusong ang “popularidad” ni Gloria sa negative 38 noong Hunyo, ayon sa sarbey ng SWS. Ito na ang pinakamababang approval rating ng isang pangulo ng Pilipinas buhat noong 1986 o nang papabagsak na si Marcos. Pagpopormalisa nga lang talaga ito ng matagal nang kinikimkim na poot at yamot ng mamamayan sa rehimeng Arroyo – bunga ng malaganap at lumalala pang kahirapan, anomalya, at pagsupil sa katotohanan at mga demokratikong karapatan.

Sa unang pagkakataon, mayorya ang narehistrong “dissatisfaction level” kay Gloria sa lahat ng mga rehiyon sa buong bansa, kahit sa sinasabi niyang “balwarte” sa Kabisayaan: 63% sa Metro Manila, 60% sa Luzon (labas ng NCR), 56% sa Visayas at 62% sa Mindanao. Gayundin ito sa lahat ng mga social classes (mayayaman, middle class, masa at mahihirap) at lahat pa ay negatibo ang ibinigay na grado kay Gloria: -37 sa class ABC, -35 class D, at -45 class E!

Mistulang gahibla na lang ang lamang ng diktador na si Ferdinand Marcos kay Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa tala ng kung sino ang pinakainaayawang presidente sa kasaysayan ng ating bansa. Lamang pa rin talaga si Marcos sa bigat ng ginawa niyang pagyurak sa demokrasya’t kalayaan; sa dami ng pinapaslang, pinadukot at pinakulong; sa laki ng kinamkam na mga yaman; at sa lawak ng pininsalang kinabukasan. Subalit nagawa lahat ng mga ito ni Marcos sa loob ng 20 taon – samantalang marami na at mabilisan pang dumadami at sumasahol ang korapsyon, paniniil, kahirapan, pagbaluktot sa batas at katotohanan sa ilalim ng rehimen ni Gloria sa loob lamang ng pito at kalahating taon ng pagkakaluklok niya sa kapangyarihan!

Hindi na kailangan pang hintayin ang pagtatapos ng kanyang termino sa 2010. Base sa karanasan, tiyak na may niluluto na namang “milagro” ang pangkating Arroyo para manatili sila sa puwesto – puwedeng si Gloria pa rin o kaya’y isang masunurin niyang bata-bata. Panahon na para tuluyang hugutin sa puwesto ang pekeng pangulong ito na nagdulot lamang ng malawakang kahirapan at kaapihan sa sambayanang Pilipino.

Ang isang sukdulang ganid at mapanlinlang na gobyerno – at sa paglipas ng araw ay matulin pang nagiging mapaniil – gaya ng kay Arroyo, ay wala nang pag-asang “magbago” o “magreporma” ng sarili. Samakatwid, dapat itong tanggalin sa puwesto sa pamamagitan ng aklasang bayan o ng people power sa mas madaling panahon – bago ito makapanakit ng marami pang tao, lalo pang makapagnakaw, at lalo pang makapaminsala sa ating bansa at sa ating kinabukasan.

Sona ni Gloria, hindi Sona ng bayan!

Tama na ang pagtitiis at “pasensya,” lumaban na!

Wakasan na ang pananamantala, patalsikin ang rehimeng Arroyo!

Mabuhay ang uring manggagawa!

Mabuhay ang mamamayang Pilipino!

Mabuhay ang kilusang paggawa!

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“Massive unemployment, skyrocketing oil and food prices, repressive taxation, left and right demolition of informal settlers’ housing, and the continuing trade union repression and political killings… this is the real state of the working class, not the delusional claims that the moribund Arroyo regime would once again make during the SONA,” Edwin Bustillos, APL Deputy Secretary General, said.

“Damang-dama namin ang kawalan ng kaunlaran, ang kawalan ng pag-asenso,” Bustillos added, parodying government’s infomercials that features supposedly ordinary workers extolling the improvements in their lives.

Wrong policies, particularly government’s decades-long flirtation with market policies, are responsible for the sorry state of the workers. The country’s accession to the WTO, government’s blind faith in trade liberalization, the privatization of government enterprises, the attrition of public sector workers, and its dependence on labor migration as the causes of the jobs crisis.

Meanwhile, oil deregulation has left the people vulnerable to the profiteering of oil companies. It has been reported that Shell’s net profit rose 54 per cent from 2006, from P4.12 billion to P6.36 billion while Petron’s net profits rose 6.3 per cent, from P6.02 billion to P6.4 billion.

“Government has been consistently violating our right to development. This is one of the many crimes that this government has committed,” Bustillos added.

Today’s action kicks-off workers’ protest actions for Monday’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“These unprecedented set of crises has paved the way for unprecedented solidarity among workers’ organizations,” Bustillos said. “Henceforth, we will fight together to push this government to act on the people’s demands for jobs, food, housing and workers’ rights,” Bustillos added.

On Monday, in time for the President’s SONA, the Caucus of Labor Organizations (CLO) will march to Batasan with thousands of its members to demand for decent work for all, living wage, regulation of the oil industry, price control on food, removal of EVAT for oil and food products, and moratorium on demolitions. Bustillos explained that the CLO is composed of unions and labor organizations under SULONG and LABOR.