Groups Say Aquino’s First 100 Days a Failure

“It has been 100 days and we don’t see any major achievement or results as far as genuine change is concerned. There is plenty of rhetoric but too few accomplishments that could be felt by the poor.”– Bagong Alyansang Makabayan


By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL

Bulatlat.com ^[1]


MANILA – Contrary to the passing grade Aquino has received from a survey, farmers, workers, urban poor, students, migrants and other sectors gave Aquino a failing grade in his first 100 days of governance.

Members of progressive groups led by the umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) marched to Chino Roces (formerly Mendiola) bridge Oct. 8, to mark the 100 days of Aquino in office. The groups protested what they call as a continuing absence of any meaningful reform under Aquino, and his failure to address issues such as human rights, the prosecution of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, land reform and pro-people economic development.

Solons call for probe of alleged P2M jueteng payola of two Aquino aides

House members today called for an investigation into the claim of retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz that two close and trusted officials of President Benigno Aquino are receiving a minimum of P2 million in monthly jueteng payola.

Rep. Teodoro Casino (Party-list, Bayan Muna) said Cruz's allegations are serious enough to merit an investigation by Congress. "If his claims are true, then the officials concerned should be sanctioned and charged appropriately."

Under Aquino III: Promoting Ties of Dependency with the U.S.?

Under Aquino III: Promoting Ties of Dependency with the U.S.?
By the Policy Study, Publication, and Advocacy
Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG)
August 14, 2010

Those who are watching the first 100 days of the new administration can now start focusing their lens on President Benigno S. Aquino III’s coming visit to the United States in September - his first major official foreign trip. The decision to make the U.S. as his maiden foreign destination is not only symbolic but will have far-reaching implications not only on foreign policy but also on the so-called special relationship between a former colony and a superpower. In the long run, it will have broad implications on the Filipino people.

P-Noy calls for hourly broadcast of original Pilipino compositions

President Benigno S. Aquino III has directed the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to fully implement Executive Order No. 255 requiring all radio stations to play in the airwaves at least four original Filipino music every hour from hereon.

KMU to Lucio Tan: heed PAL workers’ demands

Amidst a brewing strike by the Philippine Airlines’ ground employees and cabin crew, labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno called on PAL owner Lucio Tan today to immediately heed the PAL workers’ demands, saying Tan has clearly gone overboard in implementing his anti-worker policies.

"State of the Climate"

Senator Loren Legarda in her "State of the Climate" privilege speech today called for the synchronized implementation of the following laws - Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Climate Change Act of 2009 and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010;

"Never before in history have humans proactively worked together to avert a global catastrophe, as what we now attempt to achieve with the threatening challenge of climate change."

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Climate change asserted, "Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger is impossible to achieve without taking extensive measures to minimize the impacts of recurring floods, droughts, and other hazards that push Filipinos back into poverty. "

"It is time to recognize that disasters, turbocharged by a changing climate, have undone years of development gains, and that unsound and short-sighted development practices themselves are playing a significant role in worsening disaster risk, " Legarda cautioned.

Pagbabalik ng ROTC haharangin ng kabataan

Pagbabalik ng ROTC haharangin ng kabataan
Darius Galang, Pinoy Weekly

Tinututulan ng iba’t ibang grupo ng kabataan, maging ng kabataang kinatawan sa Kamara, ang panukala sa Kamara na ibalik ang Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) sa mga estudyante sa kolehiyo.

“Tinuturuan ng ROTC na magbulag-bulagan at walang-imik ang mga estudyante. Ginagamit pa ng AFP ang programa sa red-baiting laban sa progresibong mga grupong pang-estudyante, sa pamamagitan ng mga lektura nila sa ROTC na ang mga aktibistang grupo na ito ay may-ugnay sa rebeldeng New People’s Army,” ayon kay Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino.

Iminungkahi ni Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas sa Kamara na ibalik ang mandatory na (ROTC) at lusawin ang National Service Training Program (NSTP) para sa mga mag-aaral ng mga kolehiyo at unibersidad. Bahagi raw kasi ng programa ng ROTC, na pinamumunuan ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ang pagtuturo ng patriyotismo sa mga kabataan.

‘Dato’s melodramatic privilege speech: pathetic,’ says IAM

Due to the crimes of the former First Family to the Filipino people
‘Dato’s melodramatic privilege speech: pathetic,’ says IAM

Reference: Mark Louie Aquino, IAM Spokesperson

The Imprison Arroyo Movement (IAM) today said that Camarines Sur Second District Representative Diosdado ‘Dato’ Arroyo’s privilege speech on Monday is indeed melodramatic and pathetic. They also said that it is very obvious that the former First Family only wants to solicit sympathy and appeal to emotions of the Filipino people to be able to save themselves over criticisms to their vast crimes against the Filipino people.

IAM insisted that the ‘son-defending-mom’ picture that we witnessed is not effective and will no longer make the Arroyos innocent to the massive corruption and human rights violation cases that Pampanga’s Second District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and minions executed during her nine years stay as president.

‘Arroyos must be in jail, not in the halls of Congress,’ says IAM

Anti-Arroyo movement cries foul over proclamation of Mikey as party-list representative
‘Arroyos must be in jail, not in the halls of Congress,’ says IAM

Reference: Mark Louie Aquino, IAM Spokesperson

The Imprison Arroyo Movement (IAM) today cries foul over the recent proclamation of Mikey Arroyo as party-list representative for Ang Galing Pinoy (AGP). This movement calling for the imprisonment of the Arroyos against their crimes against the Filipino people said that the junking of the disqualification case against AGP representative is a clear bastardization of the entire party-list system.

IAM stresses that the former First Family, including Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Mike Arroyo and the rest of their kin and minions deserves to have detention cells rather seats inside the halls of the House of Representatives or any other government posts. They said that the proclamation of Mikey Arroyo will serve as a bad precedent to future nomination in the party-list race.

Drilon files resolution calling for Senate probe on excessive salaries of gov't officials

Reacting to reports of excessive and unwarranted salaries and other perks received by certain top government officials, Senator Franklin Drilonl last Thursday filed a resolution directing the committees on Finance, together with the Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, to conduct an investigation into the matter.

"Reports of excessive and unwarranted monetary remuneration and perks accruing to the benefit of board directors and top officials of government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financial institutions (GFIs), in the guise of allowances, per diem, honoraria, and bonuses, is like rubbing salt to an already open wound," Drilon laments.

Cojuangco-Aquinos Used ‘Impostors’ Who Misrepresented Luisita Workers in ‘Sham’ Deal

By Ronalyn V. Olea
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — The so-called compromise agreement entered into by the Hacienda Luisita Incorporated (HLI) and the farm workers of the sugar plantation owned by the family of President Aquino is a sham, with the management having allegedly used as signatories individuals who misrepresented themselves as leaders of the hacienda’s farmers and workers.

Jobert Ilarde Pahilga, the lawyer of the group of farm workers who had earlier filed a petition for the revocation of the stock distribution option (SDO) in Hacienda Luisita, said he would file a petition citing HLI and these individuals in contempt of court...

Cojuangco-Aquinos Used ‘Impostors’ Who Misrepresented Luisita Workers in ‘Sham’ Deal

She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named-in-the-Plenary

She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named-in-the-Plenary
Privilege Speech of Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino
August 4, 2010

Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleagues.
I wish to speak about the events this week which I think might affect my duties as a member of this House. We are all adjusting to the new situation: a former president is now a member of Congress.
Sabi ng marami, we are now at the crossroad of history. In the President’s own words, narito tayo ngayon sa isang punto kung saan pipili tayo kung alin ang tatahakin nating landas—ang daang baluktot o ang daang matuwid.

The role of the progressive party list bloc in the 15th Congress

The role of the progressive party list bloc in the 15th Congress
Privilege speech delivered by Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño
August 3, 2010

Mr. Speaker, my distinguished colleagues.

At the opening session of the 15th Congress last week, Bayan Muna and the other partylist organizations comprising the progressive party list bloc – Gabriela Women's Party, Anakpawis, Kabataan, and Act Teachers Party – voted with the majority in electing Congressman Feliciano Belmonte as Speaker of the House.

Marami ho ang nagtatanong. Ngayong nasa mayorya kami, kami ba daw ay mananahimik na? Pipigilan ba daw namin ang sarili sa pag-kwestyon sa mga disisyon at legislative agenda ng administrasyon at ng liderato ng Kamara? Magbabago na daw ba ang aming papel bilang mga kritiko ng status quo at ng gobyernong nagtataguyod nito?

Mr. Speaker, ang mga tanong na ito'y nagpapakita ng kalituhan sa papel ng mga progresibong kinatawan ng party list sa Kamara. Nakadagdag ang nakaraang eleksyon sa kalituhang ito. Ang pag-domina ng mga party list group na sinuportahan ng mga makapangyarihang political dynasty at malalaking interes sa negosyo ay nagsasalaula sa sistema ng party list at nagbibigay duda sa kakayanan nitong kumatawan sa mga dehado at walang boses sa Kongreso.

New Economics for a New Administration

PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF REP. BELLO

Mr. Speaker, the title of my speech is New Economics for a New Administration.

Corruption was the signature of the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This is why this Representation shares the public disgust with a record of orgiastic compensation, brazen manipulation of government agencies and funds for political purposes and massive waste of the people’s money, detailed by President Benigno Aquino III during his State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 26, 2010. The public is still reeling from the presidential revelations about the rotting of millions of sacks of imported rice in the warehouses of the National Food Authority, the way that the National Power Corporation (NPC) was commanded to sell electricity at a low price for electoral gain and the amazing privileges which the board and top executives of the MWSS gave themselves. However, I fully agree with my friend from Cavite, Hon. Elpidio Barzaga, when he said that President Aquino should not stop at that issue of MWSS because there are other government-owned and -controlled corporations and government financial institutions that have arrogated more exorbitant rewards for
their directors.

Marcoses make political comeback

Three prominent Marcoses duly elected as senator, governor and congresswoman respectively, will be working under the 2nd Aquino presidency. This year marks a comeback for the Marcoses despite past animosity between the two political families.

Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., son of former president Ferdinand Marcos, won a seat in the Senate last May 10 polls. He has earlier expressed willingness to work with President Noynoy Aquino and his administration.

Imee Marcos, daughter of the late strongman Marcos and three-term Congresswoman of the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte, is now governor of Ilocos Norte. She won by a landslide victory against former Gov. Michael Marcos Keon.

Pagtutol sa taas-pasahe sa MRT, LRT, lumalakas

Pagtutol sa taas-pasahe sa MRT, LRT, lumalakas

Patuloy na lumalakas ang pagtutol ng iba’t ibang sektor sa pagtaas ng pasahe sa Metro Rail Transit (MRT) at Light Rail Transit (LRT).

Kaninang umaga, nagpiket sa estasyon ng MRT sa North Avenue ang mga manggagawa ng Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) at nagpapirma sa mga biyahero ng isang petisyon laban sa posibleng taas-pasahe.

Ayon kay Lito Ustarez, executive vice-chairperson ng KMU, mga bangko at pribadong kompanya lamang ang makikinabang sa taas-pasahe. Nanawagan siya sa gobyernong Aquino na muling makipagnegosasyon sa mga ito sa halip na ipasa sa mga biyahero ang mga sinasabing pagkalugi.

State of the Nation Address 2010

State of the Nation Address 2010
His Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III
26 July 2010

15th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines
Session Hall of the House of Representatives
Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City
26 July 2010


Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay, Chief Justice Renato Corona, Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps;

My beloved countrymen:

Our administration is facing a forked road. On one direction, decisions are made to protect the welfare of our people; to look after the interest of the majority; to have a firm grip on principles; and to be faithful to the public servant's sworn oath to serve the country honestly.

This is the straight path.