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Aquino Resign: Establish the People’s Council for National Unity, Reform and Peace

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Illustrated manifesto of the Noynoy Out Now (NOW) Movement, which was launched March 5, 2015 at the Quezon City Sport Club, laying down the context, basis, and goals of the people’s ultimate drive for the ouster of President Noynoy Aquino.

“Tayo’y mga Pinoy”: Noynoy Resign Now!

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Heber Bartolome of Banyuhay, with Mae Paner aka Juana Change, renders “Tayo’y mga Pinoy” at the Manila protest march rally calling for Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s resignation. Aquino was depicted as a Pinocchio puppet of the United States whose nose gets longer as he tells more lies about the Mamasapano incident. Elmer “Bong” Labog, Chair of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and the Philippines Chapter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS-Phils), speaks at the program covered live by nationwide TV broadcasts for the evening news.

KA SATUR: Pananaw hinggil sa Board of Inquiry (BOI) Report (Part 5/6)

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Sa panayam ng Kodao Productions kay Ka Satur Ocampo, presidente ng MAKABAYAN Coalition hiningi ang kanyang opinyon hinggil sa inilabas na Board of Inquiry (BOI) Report kaugnay sa insidente sa Mamasapano.

KA SATUR: Pananaw hinggil sa Board of Inquiry (BOI) Report (Part 4/6)

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Sa panayam ng Kodao Productions kay Ka Satur Ocampo, presidente ng MAKABAYAN Coalition hiningi ang kanyang opinyon hinggil sa inilabas na Board of Inquiry (BOI) Report kaugnay sa insidente sa Mamasapano.

International Women’s Day 2015

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March 8, 2015

International Women’s Day

Women from different sectors held protest actions in Manila and other major cities in the country under the banner of GABRIELA, the largest women’s organization in the Philppines. They reiterated their call for truth and justice for the Mamasapano victims and demand for Aquino’s resignation.

“Our demand for Aquino’s resignation is not just about his failure in Mamasapano but everything about the failure of his presidency to serve the interest of the people and uplift the situation of women. In his 5 years in power, he served the interests of the US and big businesses despite the fact that women and their families are already deep into poverty,” said Joms Salvador, Secretary General of GABRIELA. She cited the rise of poverty incidence to 25.8%, amounting to a quarter of the population.

The group paraded a large effigy of Pres. Aquino perched in a drone emphasizing the US’ role in in Mamasapano and the drone, in turn, is perched on board the USS Pelleliu to symbolize the violence that women experience as a result of US intervention in the Philippines.

Earlier at daybreak, members of GABRIELA trooped to Camp Crame to give support and express solidarity with the widows of Mamasapano in their quest for truth and justice for their loved ones in the activity tagged as “Walk With Widows, Run for Heroes” led by Philippine National Police Alumni.

“International Women’s Day provides a platform for all women to express their issues and demands as one voice,” Salvador said. “The widows of Mamasapano are fighting for a legitimate issue – truth and justice – and we are standing with them in this fight.”

The mobilization in the capital is just one of the many Women’s Day actions led by GABRIELA in different cities in the country and abroad. A total of 25,000 people, mostly women, are expected to join the actions nationwide, with Metro Manila accounting for half of the total.

Aside from Metro Manila, International Women’s Day protests are also ongoing in major cities like Baguio City, Angeles City, Tuguegarao City, Calamba, Batangas, Daet, Naga City, Masbate, Legazpi City, Sorsogon City, Iloilo City, Roxas City, Tacloban City, Bacolod City and Davao City. GABRIELA overseas chapters in the US East and West Coasts, Australia and Hongkong also spearheaded protest actions today

KMU: Game Over, Aquino Resign

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Multisectoral groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) resume protest in Mendiola to press for Aquino’s resignation in the aftermath of the bloody Mamasapano incident. This time the groups were joined by the students from different universities in Manila who marched from different points going to Mendiola. It was the first big protest march to Mendiola one month after the Mamasapano incident.

Mendiola, Manila
February 27, 2015

Groups resume protests in Mendiola to press for Aquino’s resignation

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Mendiola, Manila
February 27, 2015

Various groups today marched to the historic mendiola bridge to again press for the resignation of President Benigno Aquino III in the aftermath of the bloody Mamasapano incident. This time the multisectoral groups were joined by students from different universities in Manila who marched from different points going to Mendiola. It was the first big protest march to Mendiola one month after the Mamasapano incident.

“From EDSA we return to Mendiola, which is near the seat of power. We come from various communities, school and workplaces demanding that the current leadership step down and that a People’s Council for National Unity, Reforms and Peace be established,”said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“The people’s demand for genuine change is spreading across the country. The lying president must go along with the rotten social system. People Power should lead to something more beneficial than just a change of leadership and a return to the old ways,” he added.

Speakers at the protest action discussed Aquino’s role in the Mamasapano incident, corruption issues, human rights violations, failed social services and other economic issues.

The protests come at a time when the French president Francois Hollande is holding a 2-day state visit to the Philippines. “Aside from brushing up on his French, now would be good time for Aquino to read up on the French revolution to remember what motivates people to rise up in struggle,” Reyes added.

The groups decried the Palace cover-up of aquino’s role in Mamasapano. “The Palace story line changes every week. The congressional hearing are being influenced to clear the President of any liability and instead pin all blame on officials such as General Napenas and General Purisima to run the operation along with the involvement of the US government,” Reyes said.

“We will be awaiting the results of the probe of the Board of Inquiry next week. we however won’t be surprised if the report clears the President of any wrongdoing. That is already a given. Still, from what has been revealed so far, the president cannot escape accountability,”he added.

More mass protests are expected to take place in the coming weeks in anticipation of the release of the finding of the PNP Board of Inquiry and as hearings at the House of Representatives are set to resume.

Bayan Ko: People Power 1 @29

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBFa5FKqoxg

February 25, 2015

This year’s EDSA anniversary coincides with the first month of the Mamasapano incident and what could well be the worst political crisis to hit the Aquino administration. Protests across the nation were held to call for Aquino’s accountability in Mamasapano. In Manila, groups held an interfaith prayer and human chain despite being blocked by hundreds of police along EDSA Santolan.

Pahayag ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan sa ika-29 anibersaryo ng People Power 1

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February 25, 2015

This year’s EDSA anniversary coincides with the first month of the Mamasapano incident and what could well be the worst political crisis to hit the Aquino administration. Protests across the nation were held to call for Aquino’s accountability in Mamasapano. In Manila, groups held an interfaith prayer and human chain despite being blocked by hundreds of police along EDSA Santolan.

“The nation is at a crossroads. Whether to simply accept a lying, inept and puppet President or to continue the great tradition of People Power for genuine change. We choose the latter. We choose to fight for truth and accountability and meaningful change. Thus, Aquino must go,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“The past month has seen the President repeat one lie after another in order to escape accountability in the Mamasapano debacle. Aquino merely shuffles the blame between SAF Director Napenas to suspended PNP Chief Purisima. Aquino takes none for himself. He has no regrets authorizing a suspended general to run the operation,” Reyes added.

Bayan said that Aquino’s biggest sin to date is authorizing a suspended PNP chief to run a sensitive operation via remote control while disregarding all necessary government coordination. “The problem is not that Purisima lied to Aquino. The problem was Aquino placing a suspended official in charge and relying on that official instead of the proper government officials and agencies. The problem was the President all along. Now he lies to us repeatedly to cover-up his role,” Reyes said.

Bayan said that Aquino cannot continue invoking the memory of his parents and the anti-dictatorship struggle just to shield himself from any accountability. “EDSA was also about holding those in power accountable. Aquino cannot make himself an exception in the quest for truth and accountability,” Reyes added.

“EDSA is not about one color (yellow) nor the plight of one family. It is about the people rising up for change,” he added.

Power of the People

The group said that in the face of the lies and cover up of the President, the people are called on to summon the great tradition of “people power”.

“The power of the people is truly realized in united action. It is a potent weapon for change. Yet in the past, its fruits have largely been enjoyed only by a few, as the rotten social system remains. It is therefore necessary that people power yield something more than business-as-usual outcomes,” Reyes said.

In calling for a People’s Council for Unity, Reforms and Peace to immediately replace Aquino before holding elections, Bayan is hoping that the next people power would be more beneficial to the people and would pave the way for more meaningful changes.

“Apart from calling on Aquino to step down, the people demand land reform, national industrialization, sovereignty and peace. There is of course no illusion that one ‘people power’ would be able to achieve all these. It would necessary that the people wield their power as often as possible to advance these goals,” he added.

Bayan will lead a march to Mendiola on February 27 to again call on Aquino to step down. It is expected to be the first major protest near the Palace after the Mamasapano incident. ###