Ang taong 2009 ay isang malaking tagumpay sa ating lahat lalo na sa All UP Workers Union Manila!
Sa taong ito ating nakamit ang lahat halos na benepisyong nakasaad sa ating Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) na pinirmahan sa pagitan ng Unibersidad at ng Unyon noong ika-12 ng Disyembre 2009. Kabilang sa naipatupad sa taong ito ang 3-days CNA Sick Leave at 2-days Nursing Mother’s Leave. Ngayong taon din, sa pangunguna ng HRDO at HRDD ng UP Manila at PGH, ayon sa pagkakasunod, napagana ang lahat at nakita ang bentahe ng Unit APC-PERC hanggang sa Cluster/Division Level. Tayo lamang sa buong UP System ang may epektibong APC-PERC hanggang sa Cluster/Division Level dahil na rin sa ating paggigiit ng higit na “participatory governance.” Sa pakikipagtulungan ng Grievance & Negotiation Committee ng Unyon at ng Opisina ng Vice Chancellor for Administration, naitatag ang UP Manila Grievance Pool na siyang tagapagtaguyod ng UP Grievance Machinery. Dito lang din sa UP Manila mayroong gumaganang grievance machinery na batay sa inaprobahan ng Civil Service Commission para sa unibersidad Tayo din sa UP Manila/PGH ang nagtala ng pinakamaraming boto para sa kaunahang pagpili ng Staff Regent, kahit pa ang ating dinalang kandidato ay mula sa UP Diliman na ngayon ay Regente nang si Buboy Cabrera – ang Pambansang Pangulo ng unyon sa taong 1998-2008.
At sa pagtapos ng taong 2009, sa aktibong pakikilahok ng unyon sa pagpili ng PGH Direktor sa kampanyang nitong “no to third term to the incumbent” muling naitala sa kasaysayang ang napili ng UP Board of Regents ay ang hindi inindorso ng UP Administration.
Ang lahat ng mga ito ay ating nakamtan dahil sa mahigpit nating pagtangan sa mga batayang prinsipyo ng militante, progresibo at makabayang unyonismo. Pag-uunyong mulat, ayon sa pag-aaral at karanasan, mula sa kasapian at mga kawani tungo sa mga kasapian at mga kawani. At dito natin lubos at higit na pinagpupugayan ang mahigpit na partisipasyon ng mga kasapian ng unyon at kapwa manggagawa ng PGH at UP Manila.
Sa pagpasok ng taong 2010, mas malaki ang hamon sa ating magpalawak – higit na pagmumulat, pag-oorganisa at pagpapakilos para sa kapakanan ng mga kawani, ng ospital at ng unibersidad, at higit sa lahat, ang ibayong paglilingkod sa ating bayan.
Ang ibayong paglilingkod sa bayan at hindi negosyo ay hamon din natin sa bagong Direktor ng PGH. Marahil, isang salik ang hindi pag-endorso ng UP Administration, subalit hindi sila ang dapat pagsilbihan kungdi ang bayan. At kailanaman ang pusong tunay na naglilingkod sa bayan ay lubos at tunay ding kinikilala ng Sambayanan. Sa pakikipagtulungan ng mga kawani ng ospital, ng unyon, ng mga taong nagmamahal sa ating institusyon at sa bayan - tayong lahat ay may magagawa para higit na makapagsilbi sa Sambayanang Pilipino.
Mabuhay ang ating unyon! Mabuhay ang mga kawani ng Ospital at ng Unibersidad na tunay na naglilingngkod sa Sambayanan. Mabuhay ang mga kawani sa Pamahalaan na sa harap ng pambubusabos ng mga matataas na opisyal sa pangunguna ng de facto na Pangulo na si Gloria Arroyo ay patuloy tayong nagsisilbi ng tunay at tapat sa Sambayanan. Mabuhay ang Sambayanang Pilipino! Haharapin natin ang hamon ng bagong taong 2010 na puno ng pag-asa, tapang at tiwala sa sarili!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Placing Maguindanao under state of Martial law, OFW group says “No to Martial law”; joins "Gloria resign" call
For Immediate Release
5 December 2009
Migrante-Middle East, an alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East today said the impending declaration of martial law placing Maguindanao under military rule is uncalled for.
“The noise that Mrs. Arroyo will place Maguindanao province under military rule upon declaration of martial law starting on Sunday, if it is true, is un-called for and a very risky decision to be made by Mrs. Arroyo, unless there could be hidden agenda that necessitates its declaration of martial rule in Maguindanao,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Monterona opined there could be no legal basis on declaring martial law and placing Maguindanao province under military rule.
“The Constitutional requirements declaring martial law or placing the Philippines or part thereof under military rule is very clear and specific; the 1987 Constitution states martial law could only be imposed “In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it,” Monterona averred.
Monterona said though there are part of Maguindanao province considered fragile in terms of the peace and order situation such as in Sharif Aguak, Ampatuan Municipality, and adjacent places; however it does not warrant declaration of martial law.
“The fragile peace and order situation in some parts of Maguindanao is an expected off-shot due to the Ampatuan massacre that puts the country into the international spotlight, and if this should be made to be the basis of Mrs. Arroyo’s martial law declaration, then we should question the legal basis of its imposition,” Monterona added.
However, Monterona opined what necessitates the Arroyo regime for imposing martial law in Maguindanao could be seen as desperate attempt to cover and to contain the massive electoral fraud allegedly it has committed, courtesy of the Ampatuans, who might 'spill the beans' of collaborated electoral fraud they and the Arroyos committed.
The Ampatuans are Mrs. Arroyo’s close political allies who have delivered votes for her and the entire administrations ticket on May 2007 elections zeroing even the popular actor opposition Presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. in some municipalities of Maguindanao.
“As per reports by the media, with arms and ammunitions dug nearby the Ampatuan house are election paraphernalia that might reveal something related to the alleged massive election fraud,” Monterona averred.
Monterona explained this led Migrante to join the calls for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation as she will be running for a Congressional seat while at the same time a sitting President which undoubtedly she will take advantage of her presidential power and prerogatives using the government’s machinery to advance her own candidacy and entire administration’s ticket; “This is Mrs. Arroyo’s first move to stay in power and push changing the 1987 Constitution in line to the wishes of her US imperialist master,” the OFW-leader continued.
“OFWs abroad and their families in the homeland will not allow the illegal and immoral declaration of martial law left unquestioned, uncontested, and un-protested even though it will only covers the Maguindanao province as it is intended only to cover and to contain the massive electoral fraud the Arroyo administration committed, courtesy of the Ampatuans, to prevent the damage it will bring once it becomes open to the public,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle-East Regional Coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012
5 December 2009
Migrante-Middle East, an alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East today said the impending declaration of martial law placing Maguindanao under military rule is uncalled for.
“The noise that Mrs. Arroyo will place Maguindanao province under military rule upon declaration of martial law starting on Sunday, if it is true, is un-called for and a very risky decision to be made by Mrs. Arroyo, unless there could be hidden agenda that necessitates its declaration of martial rule in Maguindanao,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Monterona opined there could be no legal basis on declaring martial law and placing Maguindanao province under military rule.
“The Constitutional requirements declaring martial law or placing the Philippines or part thereof under military rule is very clear and specific; the 1987 Constitution states martial law could only be imposed “In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it,” Monterona averred.
Monterona said though there are part of Maguindanao province considered fragile in terms of the peace and order situation such as in Sharif Aguak, Ampatuan Municipality, and adjacent places; however it does not warrant declaration of martial law.
“The fragile peace and order situation in some parts of Maguindanao is an expected off-shot due to the Ampatuan massacre that puts the country into the international spotlight, and if this should be made to be the basis of Mrs. Arroyo’s martial law declaration, then we should question the legal basis of its imposition,” Monterona added.
However, Monterona opined what necessitates the Arroyo regime for imposing martial law in Maguindanao could be seen as desperate attempt to cover and to contain the massive electoral fraud allegedly it has committed, courtesy of the Ampatuans, who might 'spill the beans' of collaborated electoral fraud they and the Arroyos committed.
The Ampatuans are Mrs. Arroyo’s close political allies who have delivered votes for her and the entire administrations ticket on May 2007 elections zeroing even the popular actor opposition Presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. in some municipalities of Maguindanao.
“As per reports by the media, with arms and ammunitions dug nearby the Ampatuan house are election paraphernalia that might reveal something related to the alleged massive election fraud,” Monterona averred.
Monterona explained this led Migrante to join the calls for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation as she will be running for a Congressional seat while at the same time a sitting President which undoubtedly she will take advantage of her presidential power and prerogatives using the government’s machinery to advance her own candidacy and entire administration’s ticket; “This is Mrs. Arroyo’s first move to stay in power and push changing the 1987 Constitution in line to the wishes of her US imperialist master,” the OFW-leader continued.
“OFWs abroad and their families in the homeland will not allow the illegal and immoral declaration of martial law left unquestioned, uncontested, and un-protested even though it will only covers the Maguindanao province as it is intended only to cover and to contain the massive electoral fraud the Arroyo administration committed, courtesy of the Ampatuans, to prevent the damage it will bring once it becomes open to the public,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle-East Regional Coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012
Friday, December 04, 2009
Clinging to Reins of Power
Streetwise
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
Her term ending in June 2010, de facto president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo finally filed her candidacy as congresswoman in the second district of Pampanga, her hometown, ending all speculation that she would seek the post. The prevarication and manipulation that preceded it, the orchestrated “clamor” for her to run and the barrage of legal, religious and political justifications for a sitting president, with all the unfair and undue advantage of her office, to seek a congressional seat – all clearly point to a vile scheme to keep the Arroyo-Ermita-Gonzales clique in power beyond 2010.
The members of the Arroyo cabal have managed to escape accountability by stretching, distorting and mangling to previously unimaginable lengths not only the laws of the land but every single norm of decency, propriety and morality. They have displayed to all and sundry - at the expense of the Filipino people - what one can do with a decaying social and political system to gain, expand and preserve power, wealth and privilege.
The Arroyo clique has been close to a decade in power. It has gotten away with stealing the 2004 presidential elections; with declaring emergency rule and cracking down on the protest movement demanding Arroyo’s ouster; and with scams to amass mind-boggling wealth together with the gagging of witnesses by invoking “executive privilege” (a trick upheld by a Supreme Court packed with Arroyo appointees).
It has masterminded, through Oplan Bantay Laya, the summary executions of critics and unarmed dissidents and displaced tens of thousands of civilians in the name of countering “terrorism” and “insurgency”. It has deliberately sustained warlordism and the concomitant reign of lawless terror in the countryside in order to “multiply” the capacity of the military, police and paramilitary forces in waging a US-directed “dirty war” against the restive populace. The recent massacre perpetrated by the Ampatuans in Maguindanao is only the latest and so far worst atrocity brought about by the Arroyo culture of state-sponsored violence and impunity.
It has driven the economy and the people’s livelihood to the ground by blindly following the neoliberal “globalization” policy framework. It has persisted in implementing the debt-driven, export-oriented and foreign investment-led economic model that has consistently failed to bring about genuine development but instead worsened the grinding poverty, want and misery of the people.
Not least of its sins is that, in exchange for continued United States backing for its illegitimate rule, it allows the world’s Superpower to establish an unwarranted, illegal and downright interventionist military presence on Philippine soil. In so doing, the Arroyo regimes has undermined the rights and welfare of Filipinos in their own country especially victims of military operations and crimes committed by US forces.
The clamor to put an end to the Arroyo regime is clearly overwhelming. Most have pinned their hopes in the coming elections, believing there is no way Arroyo and her gang can hold on to the presidency beyond June 2010.
This is deja vu circa 1971-72, when the Marcos presidency was about to reach the end of its constitutional term. Ferdinand Marcos orchestrated a series of incidents, from the Plaza Miranda bombing in 1971 to the fake ambush on then Defense Secretary Enrile on the eve of the declaration of martial law, to justify the perpetuation of his rule as martial law dictator.
Recent history and current circumstances tell us that whether or not elections take place, the Arroyo clique will still be in a position to retain power. Mrs. Arroyo may appear to have "graciously stepped down" from the presidency by running for a congressional seat, but she still has sufficient de facto control and political clout to catapult herself back in power.
The administration machinery, with all the ill-gotten wealth and the military and police establishments behind it, will certainly be utilized once more to realize the electoral "victory" of Arroyo followers at all levels (congress and local government). With such notorious characters as Garci, Bolante, Abalos off the hook and living now in even greater comfort, how many more scams and millions of votes can this machinery produce for these coming "elections"?
Moreover, the Arroyo clique has the ability, resources and the strong motivation to disrupt the electoral process itself, declare a failure of elections en toto or selectively, and resort to emergency rule anytime it estimates that this is necessary to ensure its hold on power.
The apparent complacency and cavalier attitude of the COMELEC towards addressing the gargantuan and critical problems in implementing the Automated Elections System is not at all reassuring. The entire system appears to be designed to fail and is indeed headed for failure.
We cannot allow the Arroyo gang to succeed with its evil design to remain in power. We cannot wait until after the elections to unmask, resist and defeat such a horrendous plot that portends to be even worse than the palace coup that imposed fascist rule under the Marcos dictatorship.
The broad array of anti-Arroyo forces and personages must awaken to the real and malevolent threat that the Arroyo clique presents to any semblance of a democratic electoral exercise in 2010 while recognizing the basic defects in the ruling system that breeds such evil.
Despite the substantial differences and the divergent campaigns being waged by the opposition candidates for national and local offices, a way must be found to unite once more and face the menace of an Arroyo regime entrenching itself in Malacañang for years to come.
Opposing the Arroyo gang's bid to perpetuate itself in power is the necessary first step to bringing about genuine reforms in our society.#
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
Her term ending in June 2010, de facto president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo finally filed her candidacy as congresswoman in the second district of Pampanga, her hometown, ending all speculation that she would seek the post. The prevarication and manipulation that preceded it, the orchestrated “clamor” for her to run and the barrage of legal, religious and political justifications for a sitting president, with all the unfair and undue advantage of her office, to seek a congressional seat – all clearly point to a vile scheme to keep the Arroyo-Ermita-Gonzales clique in power beyond 2010.
The members of the Arroyo cabal have managed to escape accountability by stretching, distorting and mangling to previously unimaginable lengths not only the laws of the land but every single norm of decency, propriety and morality. They have displayed to all and sundry - at the expense of the Filipino people - what one can do with a decaying social and political system to gain, expand and preserve power, wealth and privilege.
The Arroyo clique has been close to a decade in power. It has gotten away with stealing the 2004 presidential elections; with declaring emergency rule and cracking down on the protest movement demanding Arroyo’s ouster; and with scams to amass mind-boggling wealth together with the gagging of witnesses by invoking “executive privilege” (a trick upheld by a Supreme Court packed with Arroyo appointees).
It has masterminded, through Oplan Bantay Laya, the summary executions of critics and unarmed dissidents and displaced tens of thousands of civilians in the name of countering “terrorism” and “insurgency”. It has deliberately sustained warlordism and the concomitant reign of lawless terror in the countryside in order to “multiply” the capacity of the military, police and paramilitary forces in waging a US-directed “dirty war” against the restive populace. The recent massacre perpetrated by the Ampatuans in Maguindanao is only the latest and so far worst atrocity brought about by the Arroyo culture of state-sponsored violence and impunity.
It has driven the economy and the people’s livelihood to the ground by blindly following the neoliberal “globalization” policy framework. It has persisted in implementing the debt-driven, export-oriented and foreign investment-led economic model that has consistently failed to bring about genuine development but instead worsened the grinding poverty, want and misery of the people.
Not least of its sins is that, in exchange for continued United States backing for its illegitimate rule, it allows the world’s Superpower to establish an unwarranted, illegal and downright interventionist military presence on Philippine soil. In so doing, the Arroyo regimes has undermined the rights and welfare of Filipinos in their own country especially victims of military operations and crimes committed by US forces.
The clamor to put an end to the Arroyo regime is clearly overwhelming. Most have pinned their hopes in the coming elections, believing there is no way Arroyo and her gang can hold on to the presidency beyond June 2010.
This is deja vu circa 1971-72, when the Marcos presidency was about to reach the end of its constitutional term. Ferdinand Marcos orchestrated a series of incidents, from the Plaza Miranda bombing in 1971 to the fake ambush on then Defense Secretary Enrile on the eve of the declaration of martial law, to justify the perpetuation of his rule as martial law dictator.
Recent history and current circumstances tell us that whether or not elections take place, the Arroyo clique will still be in a position to retain power. Mrs. Arroyo may appear to have "graciously stepped down" from the presidency by running for a congressional seat, but she still has sufficient de facto control and political clout to catapult herself back in power.
The administration machinery, with all the ill-gotten wealth and the military and police establishments behind it, will certainly be utilized once more to realize the electoral "victory" of Arroyo followers at all levels (congress and local government). With such notorious characters as Garci, Bolante, Abalos off the hook and living now in even greater comfort, how many more scams and millions of votes can this machinery produce for these coming "elections"?
Moreover, the Arroyo clique has the ability, resources and the strong motivation to disrupt the electoral process itself, declare a failure of elections en toto or selectively, and resort to emergency rule anytime it estimates that this is necessary to ensure its hold on power.
The apparent complacency and cavalier attitude of the COMELEC towards addressing the gargantuan and critical problems in implementing the Automated Elections System is not at all reassuring. The entire system appears to be designed to fail and is indeed headed for failure.
We cannot allow the Arroyo gang to succeed with its evil design to remain in power. We cannot wait until after the elections to unmask, resist and defeat such a horrendous plot that portends to be even worse than the palace coup that imposed fascist rule under the Marcos dictatorship.
The broad array of anti-Arroyo forces and personages must awaken to the real and malevolent threat that the Arroyo clique presents to any semblance of a democratic electoral exercise in 2010 while recognizing the basic defects in the ruling system that breeds such evil.
Despite the substantial differences and the divergent campaigns being waged by the opposition candidates for national and local offices, a way must be found to unite once more and face the menace of an Arroyo regime entrenching itself in Malacañang for years to come.
Opposing the Arroyo gang's bid to perpetuate itself in power is the necessary first step to bringing about genuine reforms in our society.#
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Arroyo Administration’s Policy of Extra-judicial Killings, Patronage Politics Paved the Way for Maguindanao massacre
Pagbabago! People's Movement for Change
PRESS STATEMENT / 26 November 2009
Reference: Ms Bibeth Orteza (Pagbabago! spokesperson) Mobile 0917.7913132
The Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change joins the nation in denouncing in the strongest possible terms the brutal massacre in the province of Maguindanao. We denounce even further the apparent lack of swift action and serious effort on the part of Malacañang and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to go after the perpetrators of the worst election-related violence in the country’s history.
We demand justice for the victims and their families and this means not only arresting those directly responsible for the mass slaughter of unarmed civilians. For us, justice entails making liable all those responsible for creating the climate of impunity that has allowed the gross violation of human rights to persist and for local warlords like the Ampatuan clan to do as they please without fear of retribution from the law. For this, we hold the Arroyo administration accountable as well for the gruesome killing of at least 52 people including women, journalists, and lawyers in Maguindanao.
The Arroyo administration is the biggest warlord in this country, employing the AFP and the PNP as its own private army. Its policy and practice of extra-judicial killings and political repression of perceived enemies using the State’s security forces, machinery, and resources and then covering them up has obviously emboldened the Ampatuans to kill at whim their own political foes in Maguindanao as they had against relatives and supporters of the rival Mangudadatus, the lawyers and media people with them, and even motorists who happened to tail the convoy.
For a long time, the Arroyo administration has lavished the Ampatuans with favors such as allowing it to maintain a huge private army, including AFP-led CAFGUs which the warlord clan used to expand and further entrench its political dynasty in the region. We note that it was Arroyo’s Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) that initiated in 2006 the arming of so-called civilian volunteers in Mindanao purportedly for protection against Moro separatist rebels. This was used to legitimize the private armies of favored warlords such as the Ampatuans. These are the same armed civilian volunteers, reportedly with local police officers and armymen, who carried out the Maguindanao massacre. According to the Mangundadatos, the PNP had turned down their request for police escort in going to the COMELEC offices on that day.
This is the same private army that the Ampatuans used to terrorize the people during national elections and assure victory in the province for the Arroyo administration.
It is not a secret that the Arroyo administration owes a big political debt to the Ampatuans. This clan ensured Mrs. Arroyo wouldl get the margin she asked for against rival Fernando Poe Jr. in the fraudulent 2004 presidential elections. This clan also delivered an unbelievable 12-0 victory for the administration’s Team Unity senatorial ticket in the 2007 polls. Undoubtedly, the administration will once again utilize to the hilt the Ampatuans to give its presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro the boost he badly needs in next year’s presidential elections.
No amount of distancing and hand washing can absolve the Arroyo administration from culpability for allowing the Maguindano massacre to happen. We are further enraged that the immediate response of Malacañang has been minisculecompared to what the incensed public demands and what justice dictates, which is for the state security forces to immediately take custody of the Ampatuan family member directly implicated in the massacre for questioning, disarm the Ampatuan private army, and relieve from their posts all AFP and PNP officials responsible for securing peace and order in the area. The declaration of a state of emergency in the province does not address the basic problem that until now, despite positive identification of who the killers are, not a single arrest or even questioning by the police has been made. What we have seen so far despite strong words of condemnation not only in the Philippines but from the international community as well is a government handling with kid gloves a reliable political ally.
We call on all Filipino people who value life, justice, democracy, and accountability of public officials to pressure the Arroyo administration to act swiftly and bring justice for the victims of the Maguindanao massacre and their families. We call on the people to once and for all end the climate of impunity for human rights violators and mass murderers that has pervaded in the country under the Arroyo administration. #
PRESS STATEMENT / 26 November 2009
Reference: Ms Bibeth Orteza (Pagbabago! spokesperson) Mobile 0917.7913132
The Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change joins the nation in denouncing in the strongest possible terms the brutal massacre in the province of Maguindanao. We denounce even further the apparent lack of swift action and serious effort on the part of Malacañang and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to go after the perpetrators of the worst election-related violence in the country’s history.
We demand justice for the victims and their families and this means not only arresting those directly responsible for the mass slaughter of unarmed civilians. For us, justice entails making liable all those responsible for creating the climate of impunity that has allowed the gross violation of human rights to persist and for local warlords like the Ampatuan clan to do as they please without fear of retribution from the law. For this, we hold the Arroyo administration accountable as well for the gruesome killing of at least 52 people including women, journalists, and lawyers in Maguindanao.
The Arroyo administration is the biggest warlord in this country, employing the AFP and the PNP as its own private army. Its policy and practice of extra-judicial killings and political repression of perceived enemies using the State’s security forces, machinery, and resources and then covering them up has obviously emboldened the Ampatuans to kill at whim their own political foes in Maguindanao as they had against relatives and supporters of the rival Mangudadatus, the lawyers and media people with them, and even motorists who happened to tail the convoy.
For a long time, the Arroyo administration has lavished the Ampatuans with favors such as allowing it to maintain a huge private army, including AFP-led CAFGUs which the warlord clan used to expand and further entrench its political dynasty in the region. We note that it was Arroyo’s Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) that initiated in 2006 the arming of so-called civilian volunteers in Mindanao purportedly for protection against Moro separatist rebels. This was used to legitimize the private armies of favored warlords such as the Ampatuans. These are the same armed civilian volunteers, reportedly with local police officers and armymen, who carried out the Maguindanao massacre. According to the Mangundadatos, the PNP had turned down their request for police escort in going to the COMELEC offices on that day.
This is the same private army that the Ampatuans used to terrorize the people during national elections and assure victory in the province for the Arroyo administration.
It is not a secret that the Arroyo administration owes a big political debt to the Ampatuans. This clan ensured Mrs. Arroyo wouldl get the margin she asked for against rival Fernando Poe Jr. in the fraudulent 2004 presidential elections. This clan also delivered an unbelievable 12-0 victory for the administration’s Team Unity senatorial ticket in the 2007 polls. Undoubtedly, the administration will once again utilize to the hilt the Ampatuans to give its presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro the boost he badly needs in next year’s presidential elections.
No amount of distancing and hand washing can absolve the Arroyo administration from culpability for allowing the Maguindano massacre to happen. We are further enraged that the immediate response of Malacañang has been minisculecompared to what the incensed public demands and what justice dictates, which is for the state security forces to immediately take custody of the Ampatuan family member directly implicated in the massacre for questioning, disarm the Ampatuan private army, and relieve from their posts all AFP and PNP officials responsible for securing peace and order in the area. The declaration of a state of emergency in the province does not address the basic problem that until now, despite positive identification of who the killers are, not a single arrest or even questioning by the police has been made. What we have seen so far despite strong words of condemnation not only in the Philippines but from the international community as well is a government handling with kid gloves a reliable political ally.
We call on all Filipino people who value life, justice, democracy, and accountability of public officials to pressure the Arroyo administration to act swiftly and bring justice for the victims of the Maguindanao massacre and their families. We call on the people to once and for all end the climate of impunity for human rights violators and mass murderers that has pervaded in the country under the Arroyo administration. #
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
'Apocalyptic Corruption'
The Philippine Star - Editorial
Updated November 11, 2009 12:00 AM
From 2001 to 2009, the government collected a total of P60.5 billion, paid by motorists as road users’ tax in the registration of vehicles. Under the law that created the tax, the money, administered by the Road Board, is supposed to be used exclusively for road maintenance and improvement of road drainage, the installation of traffic lights and road safety devices, and for air pollution control.
As the colossal flooding during storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng” showed, the improvement of road drainage has been a joke. And driving around Metro Manila will quickly illustrate the lackadaisical enforcement of laws regulating vehicular emissions.
How was the P60.5 billion spent? The Commission on Audit reported that P332.64 million of the road tax, earmarked for the OYSTER or Out-of-School Youth Serving Towards Economic Recovery program, was transferred to the Philippine National Police. Why? Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago wants to know, and so does the public.
Santiago, who spearheaded a Senate probe into the use of the road tax, noted that the PNP is under the Department of the Interior and Local Government, whose head Ronaldo Puno happens to be the brother of former Road Board executive director Rodolfo Puno. Santiago also noted that in 2007, an election year, there was an “unusually large amount of allotments obligated” involving the road tax. She said the case involved “apocalyptic corruption.”
The apparent fund juggling could have been facilitated by the fact that the tax is not remitted by the collecting agency, the Land Transportation Office, to the National Treasury but deposited in special accounts under the supervision of the Road Board, whose ex officio chair is the secretary of public works and highways. On Monday night the Senate unanimously approved the filing of plunder and graft cases against Rodolfo Puno, Danilo Valero of the board and Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., who recently resigned from the public works department.
Beyond pursuing the prosecution of anyone who might have misused the multibillion-peso fund, lawmakers should also consider changing the system of handling the tax, in a way that would promote transparency and prevent its misuse. Such oversight mechanisms are needed as the tax continues to be collected and the temptation to misuse the funds increases as the 2010 elections approach.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Letter/Appeal to the BOR Re: FMAB
Letter received by the Office of the Secretary of the University as dated, regarding the appeal of the union to review the BOR's approval to the Lease Contract between the University and the Daniel Mercado Medical Center on the proposed PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB)in the light of the conditions and procedures prescribed by RA 9500 (UP Charter of 2008) on "disposition of the University's assets."
November 6, 2009
CHAIRMAN EMMANUEL Y. ANGELES; AND,
THE HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS
University of the Philippines
Dear Messrs/Mesdames:
Greetings from the All UP Workers Union – the recognized union for the Administrative Sector of the University!
This is an urgent request to the Honorable Members of the Board of Regents (BOR) to immediately remedy a serious oversight relative to the recent confirmation by the BOR of the Contract of Lease of the UP-PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB) with the Daniel Mercado Medical Center in view of certain requirements set forth by Republic Act 9500 or “The University of the Philippines Charter of 2008” as follows:
“SEC 23. Safeguards on Asset Disposition. – The preservation of the value of the assets of the national university shall be of primordial consideration.
XXX
Notwithstanding the provision of this Act or any law to the contrary, the lease of more than five (5) years of the assets of the national university and any transactions referred to in Section 22 shall be subject to the following conditions and procedures:
a) xxx
b) The transactions shall be based on a multi-year comprehensive development plan, crafted and developed by qualified urban planning professionals having at least five (5) years experience, with prior consultations with and concurrence of third-party experts and duly approved by a majority vote of all the members of the Board;
c) xxx
d) In the case of two (2) failed biddings and negotiated transactions, if undertaken, the Board, when considering the approval of any such transaction, shall secure a fairness opinion report from an independent third-party body. This body shall have five (5) members, three (3) of which shall be nominated by the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), Investment Houses Association of the Philippines (IHAP), Trust Officers Association of the Philippines, or the Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines (FINEX). Xxx
XXX
XXX
(e) If the contract or transaction involves an amount more than Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00), it shall be approved by three-fourths (3/4) of all the members of the Board: Provided, That the splitting of contracts, which is by breaking up a contract into smaller quantities or amounts or dividing contract implementation into artificial or arbitrary phases or subcontracts for the purpose of circumventing this provision, shall not be allowed. (Emphasis ours)
We believed that the Honorable Members of the BOR was ill-advised when rushed for the confirmation of the aforementioned Contract of Lease without considering these particular provisions of the new UP charter that took effect on June 2008.
To recall, the present contract was brought to the attention of the BOR only during its 1240th meeting on January 28, 2009 or six months after the effectivity of the new UP Charter. After signing the same on June 18, 2009, was brought for confirmation on its June 2009 meeting. While, the confirmation was only given on its August 2009 regular meeting, nothing in the minutes of the BOR meeting, showed that there exist discussions on the ramifications of the new UP Charter to the said contract, neither also when it was discussed again on its October 2009 meeting.
In view therefore of what we perceived as a patent violation of aforementioned provisions of the new UP charter, particularly items (b), (d) and (e) of Section 23 thereof, we are requesting for an immediate discussion of said matter in the November 2009 meeting of the BOR in order to satisfy the following:
1. A multi-year development plan by a qualified urban planning professional with at least five (5) years experience, and prior consultations with concurrence of third-party experts as required under item (b) of Section 23 of RA 9500;
2. A fairness opinion report by an independent third-party body. This body shall have five (5) members, three (3) of which shall be nominated by the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), Investment Houses Association of the Philippines (IHAP), Trust Officers Association of the Philippines, or the Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines (FINEX as required under item (d) of Section 23 of RA 9500;
3. Approval/confirmation of the contract by ¾ of all the members of the Board of Regents as required under item (e) of Section 23 considering that the total amount of transaction for lease alone of P1,000,000 per month for the first five years of the 25-years lease period already amounted to P60,000,000 - far exceeded the P50,000,000 requirement set forth in said item (e). Further taking account of the estimated amount of the property of P40,000,000, the 10% increase or escalation of monthly rental starting on the 6th year as stated on the contract itself; and the estimated amount involved for the development of the said university property; the total transaction cost of the contract involved more than a billion pesos (P1,000,000,000) for the entire duration of the contract.
We are requesting finally for the immediate cancellation of the said contract until such time that the safeguards set forth by the UP Charter of 2008 (RA 9500) as stated in Section 23 thereof, have been meet and satisfied. We feared that the continued implementation of this contract in spite of its procedural infirmities would served as a precedent in future transactions of the University, forever tarnished the image of the University, especially the Board of Regents, and open a floodgate of legal actions all the way to the Supreme Court.
In the light of this new development, the Union is determined more than ever to institute measures to protect the interest of employees of the hospital/university that will be affected by the operation of a “private FMAB” within the PGH Compound, and; the interest of the Hospital, the University and the public - especially people’s health.
Very truly yours,
MR. BENJAMIN L. SANTOS, JR.
President, Manila Chapter
MR. JOSSEL I. EBESATE, RN
National Executive Vice President, and
Secretary, Manila Chapter
Copy furnished:
SENATOR LOREN B. LEGARDA
Chair, Senate Committee on Health
REP. SATUR O. OCAMPO
Bayan Muna Partylist
November 6, 2009
CHAIRMAN EMMANUEL Y. ANGELES; AND,
THE HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS
University of the Philippines
Dear Messrs/Mesdames:
Greetings from the All UP Workers Union – the recognized union for the Administrative Sector of the University!
This is an urgent request to the Honorable Members of the Board of Regents (BOR) to immediately remedy a serious oversight relative to the recent confirmation by the BOR of the Contract of Lease of the UP-PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB) with the Daniel Mercado Medical Center in view of certain requirements set forth by Republic Act 9500 or “The University of the Philippines Charter of 2008” as follows:
“SEC 23. Safeguards on Asset Disposition. – The preservation of the value of the assets of the national university shall be of primordial consideration.
XXX
Notwithstanding the provision of this Act or any law to the contrary, the lease of more than five (5) years of the assets of the national university and any transactions referred to in Section 22 shall be subject to the following conditions and procedures:
a) xxx
b) The transactions shall be based on a multi-year comprehensive development plan, crafted and developed by qualified urban planning professionals having at least five (5) years experience, with prior consultations with and concurrence of third-party experts and duly approved by a majority vote of all the members of the Board;
c) xxx
d) In the case of two (2) failed biddings and negotiated transactions, if undertaken, the Board, when considering the approval of any such transaction, shall secure a fairness opinion report from an independent third-party body. This body shall have five (5) members, three (3) of which shall be nominated by the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), Investment Houses Association of the Philippines (IHAP), Trust Officers Association of the Philippines, or the Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines (FINEX). Xxx
XXX
XXX
(e) If the contract or transaction involves an amount more than Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00), it shall be approved by three-fourths (3/4) of all the members of the Board: Provided, That the splitting of contracts, which is by breaking up a contract into smaller quantities or amounts or dividing contract implementation into artificial or arbitrary phases or subcontracts for the purpose of circumventing this provision, shall not be allowed. (Emphasis ours)
We believed that the Honorable Members of the BOR was ill-advised when rushed for the confirmation of the aforementioned Contract of Lease without considering these particular provisions of the new UP charter that took effect on June 2008.
To recall, the present contract was brought to the attention of the BOR only during its 1240th meeting on January 28, 2009 or six months after the effectivity of the new UP Charter. After signing the same on June 18, 2009, was brought for confirmation on its June 2009 meeting. While, the confirmation was only given on its August 2009 regular meeting, nothing in the minutes of the BOR meeting, showed that there exist discussions on the ramifications of the new UP Charter to the said contract, neither also when it was discussed again on its October 2009 meeting.
In view therefore of what we perceived as a patent violation of aforementioned provisions of the new UP charter, particularly items (b), (d) and (e) of Section 23 thereof, we are requesting for an immediate discussion of said matter in the November 2009 meeting of the BOR in order to satisfy the following:
1. A multi-year development plan by a qualified urban planning professional with at least five (5) years experience, and prior consultations with concurrence of third-party experts as required under item (b) of Section 23 of RA 9500;
2. A fairness opinion report by an independent third-party body. This body shall have five (5) members, three (3) of which shall be nominated by the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), Investment Houses Association of the Philippines (IHAP), Trust Officers Association of the Philippines, or the Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines (FINEX as required under item (d) of Section 23 of RA 9500;
3. Approval/confirmation of the contract by ¾ of all the members of the Board of Regents as required under item (e) of Section 23 considering that the total amount of transaction for lease alone of P1,000,000 per month for the first five years of the 25-years lease period already amounted to P60,000,000 - far exceeded the P50,000,000 requirement set forth in said item (e). Further taking account of the estimated amount of the property of P40,000,000, the 10% increase or escalation of monthly rental starting on the 6th year as stated on the contract itself; and the estimated amount involved for the development of the said university property; the total transaction cost of the contract involved more than a billion pesos (P1,000,000,000) for the entire duration of the contract.
We are requesting finally for the immediate cancellation of the said contract until such time that the safeguards set forth by the UP Charter of 2008 (RA 9500) as stated in Section 23 thereof, have been meet and satisfied. We feared that the continued implementation of this contract in spite of its procedural infirmities would served as a precedent in future transactions of the University, forever tarnished the image of the University, especially the Board of Regents, and open a floodgate of legal actions all the way to the Supreme Court.
In the light of this new development, the Union is determined more than ever to institute measures to protect the interest of employees of the hospital/university that will be affected by the operation of a “private FMAB” within the PGH Compound, and; the interest of the Hospital, the University and the public - especially people’s health.
Very truly yours,
MR. BENJAMIN L. SANTOS, JR.
President, Manila Chapter
MR. JOSSEL I. EBESATE, RN
National Executive Vice President, and
Secretary, Manila Chapter
Copy furnished:
SENATOR LOREN B. LEGARDA
Chair, Senate Committee on Health
REP. SATUR O. OCAMPO
Bayan Muna Partylist
Monday, September 21, 2009
Spies like us
Editorial
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:01:00 09/21/2009
Martial law took effect on Sept. 23, 1972, but the number-fetishist in Ferdinand Marcos backdated the declaration to Sept. 21, a scant 37 years ago today. The declaration both changed the course of our history—and proved to be the culmination of deep historical trends that continue to haunt the national experience.
The news last week, that an apparently obtuse student enrolled in the Armed Forces’ Naval Enlisted Personnel Intelligence Course had conducted an unsuccessful attempt to spy on National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera, reminded us yet again that the Arroyo administration, in its last days in office, has calmly and deliberately given new substance to one such historical trend: the tendency of an incumbent president to consider the military as his or her own private army.
Either that, or Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, the Navy spokesperson, would like to define a much lower threshold for military intelligence.
Arevalo has admitted that the “target” of the “information verification” procedure of a “scenario activity” was Professor Lumbera, but not on purpose or by choice. “It was not intended for Professor Lumbera. It was just a part of a training that we have to very realistically [apply], so [the students] have to be dispatched to actual ground,” Arevalo told reporters, somewhat hopefully.
This accidental targeting of Lumbera is difficult to believe, in part because he lives inside a residential development with security guards and that therefore his house could not have been chosen at random, and in part because his house serves as headquarters for the party-list group of the leftist Alliance of Concerned Teachers which he used to head. Indeed, as the Navy spokesman helpfully explained, the “scenario” to be verified by the trainee spy involved monitoring a house that was supposed to be frequented by communist leaders.
If taken at face value, Arevalo’s denial would mean that, while the trainee spy may have been inept, his spymasters were lucky—to have pinpointed such a house, of such a prominent nationalist, merely at random.
“The student surely flunked that module. He not only failed the requirement of his scenario, he was even caught,” Arevalo added.
Again, if taken at face value, Arevalo’s non-explanatory explanation would mean that the burden of moral responsibility falls on the trainee—rather than on the training itself. But this innocent-sounding “module” is in actuality and by design a civilian-targeting program, to be carried out not by professional spies but by apprentices. How can that practice be defended, in a fully functioning democracy? (Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has ordered an investigation, but did not say what kind of offense would merit a court-martial. Only if the investigation includes not only the trainees and the trainors, but the training program itself, will an anxious public begin to find reassurance. )
But the Arroyo administration’s democratic credentials have worn thin—beginning with the apparent massive fraud it committed to ensure a victory in the May 2004 elections, and stretched to breaking point with its unmistakable support for or use of military “special operations” that have resulted in continuing harassment of leftist political organizations and led to a crisis in politically motivated killings and enforced disappearances.
The bungled spying on Lumbera, in other words, forms part of a chilling pattern. Thus, despite the sincerity of official spokesmen, the public cannot look upon the incident as a simple “inconvenience,” or (as Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita treated it) a mere laughing matter; it is of the utmost seriousness—because as we have learned from sad experience, military intelligence agents take their cue directly from Malacañang: as spies from a private army.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:01:00 09/21/2009
Martial law took effect on Sept. 23, 1972, but the number-fetishist in Ferdinand Marcos backdated the declaration to Sept. 21, a scant 37 years ago today. The declaration both changed the course of our history—and proved to be the culmination of deep historical trends that continue to haunt the national experience.
The news last week, that an apparently obtuse student enrolled in the Armed Forces’ Naval Enlisted Personnel Intelligence Course had conducted an unsuccessful attempt to spy on National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera, reminded us yet again that the Arroyo administration, in its last days in office, has calmly and deliberately given new substance to one such historical trend: the tendency of an incumbent president to consider the military as his or her own private army.
Either that, or Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, the Navy spokesperson, would like to define a much lower threshold for military intelligence.
Arevalo has admitted that the “target” of the “information verification” procedure of a “scenario activity” was Professor Lumbera, but not on purpose or by choice. “It was not intended for Professor Lumbera. It was just a part of a training that we have to very realistically [apply], so [the students] have to be dispatched to actual ground,” Arevalo told reporters, somewhat hopefully.
This accidental targeting of Lumbera is difficult to believe, in part because he lives inside a residential development with security guards and that therefore his house could not have been chosen at random, and in part because his house serves as headquarters for the party-list group of the leftist Alliance of Concerned Teachers which he used to head. Indeed, as the Navy spokesman helpfully explained, the “scenario” to be verified by the trainee spy involved monitoring a house that was supposed to be frequented by communist leaders.
If taken at face value, Arevalo’s denial would mean that, while the trainee spy may have been inept, his spymasters were lucky—to have pinpointed such a house, of such a prominent nationalist, merely at random.
“The student surely flunked that module. He not only failed the requirement of his scenario, he was even caught,” Arevalo added.
Again, if taken at face value, Arevalo’s non-explanatory explanation would mean that the burden of moral responsibility falls on the trainee—rather than on the training itself. But this innocent-sounding “module” is in actuality and by design a civilian-targeting program, to be carried out not by professional spies but by apprentices. How can that practice be defended, in a fully functioning democracy? (Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has ordered an investigation, but did not say what kind of offense would merit a court-martial. Only if the investigation includes not only the trainees and the trainors, but the training program itself, will an anxious public begin to find reassurance. )
But the Arroyo administration’s democratic credentials have worn thin—beginning with the apparent massive fraud it committed to ensure a victory in the May 2004 elections, and stretched to breaking point with its unmistakable support for or use of military “special operations” that have resulted in continuing harassment of leftist political organizations and led to a crisis in politically motivated killings and enforced disappearances.
The bungled spying on Lumbera, in other words, forms part of a chilling pattern. Thus, despite the sincerity of official spokesmen, the public cannot look upon the incident as a simple “inconvenience,” or (as Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita treated it) a mere laughing matter; it is of the utmost seriousness—because as we have learned from sad experience, military intelligence agents take their cue directly from Malacañang: as spies from a private army.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Elections as circus
Streetwise
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
Business World/18-19 Sept 2009
The opening salvoes praising or lambasting current and prospective frontrunners in the presidential derby appear to be generating excitement and anticipation, much like the first solid blows in the opening rounds of a world title boxing match. In truth, what is unfolding before our eyes is merely another bad, if not worse, version of past electoral contests marked by demagoguery, mudslinging, empty rhetoric, massive vote buying and wholesale fraud - unmistakable signs of a bankrupt and decaying political and social system.
The Lacson-Erap bout is grabbing more attention what with Senator Lacson’s serious, if not altogether new, allegations about ousted President Estrada’s jueteng payola and the use of strong-arm tactics to favor his and cronies’ business interests. The rumored reasons for Mr. Lacson’s sudden loquaciousness regarding Erap and the timing of his expose are less than saintly, including an alleged pact with the “she-devil” to help torpedo Erap’s presidential comeback in exchange for wiggling out of the Dacer-Corbito murder case.
It could be only a matter of time before Mr. Lacson drives the proverbial stake into his former boss’s political heart by pointing to the latter as the brains behind the double murder. Or then again, the entire brouhaha may just die down should some form of political and legal accommodation be worked out among the slugging contenders.
Philippine traditional politics is so full of the seemingly impossible. For one thing, don’t expect any honest-to-goodness investigation and prosecution to take place despite the grievousness of the charges being flung about. This appears all part of the electoral circus we have all gotten used to.
Another self-evident sign of the rotting carcass that is Philippine politics is the super-concentration of political pelf and power to a few families. Here we have the Cojuangco cousins, Sen. Noynoy Aquino and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro as leading contenders. The recycling of political personalities from clans that have ruled before and have only brought the country to greater ruin and the people to greater misery is a permanent fixture in the bleak political landscape.
Nouveau riche Senator Manny Villar, smarting from an ongoing Senate investigation into his alleged corrupt deals, was prompted to dispute the Aquino camp’s framing the 2010 contest as one between “good” and “evil”, i.e. corrupt vs. non-corrupt. Instead, he described it as one between “rich” and “poor”, misrepresenting himself as the latter.
The anti-climactic choice of Defense Secretary Teodoro as the administration party’s standard-bearer only underscores the Arroyo ruling clique’s desperation and absolute disrespect for rules, even their own. The choice was narrowed down to the two consistent survey tail-enders, Teodoro and MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando after Vice President Noli de Castro, GMA’s anointed, snubbed the draft by refusing to even join the LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD. Mr. Fernando, who bannered his loyalty to his party, appeared like a dejected dog after he unsuccessfully moved to have a national convention choose the party’s presidential candidate rather than by a questionable vote of the party’s much smaller Executive Committee.
All these highlighted a gaping wound in the side of the supposedly formidable party machinery of the Arroyo clique. Days before, former President Fidel V. Ramos and former House Speaker Jose De Venecia, the tandem who had saved Mrs. Arroyo’s political neck in the wake of damaging evidence of her direct involvement in systematic election fraud in 2004, declared their decisive break with what they consider to be an illegal merger party.
The consolidation of a significant number of former allies of Mrs. Arroyo in direct opposition to her reveals a greater worsening of the conflicts among the ruling elite. As the room for mutual accommodation of interests shrinks further, the infighting is bound to intensify and grow more deadly.
Mr. Ramos himself and Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile - two of the main pillars of the fascist Marcos Dictatorship, and veterans of so-called political brinkmanship up to and including the imposition of martial law by then President Ferdinand Marcos and the instigation of bloody intrigue and military coup d’etats during Cory Aquino’s regime - warned of plots by the current occupant of Malacañang to perpetuate herself in power beyond 2010.
These include “No-el” or no elections and what would amount to a Palace coup, or else a military/police takeover should there be a massive failure of elections leading to National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales’ scenario of a “transition government” under the aegis of the Arroyo-Ermita-Gonzales cabal.
Should such come to pass, all bets are off for what follows. For one, the overhaul of the Philippine Constitution towards a parliamentary system that will allow the continued hold on power of the Arroyo clique and an entire slew of revisions in the protectionist, civil libertarian and bases-free, nuclear-fee provisions of the 1987 Charter.
While public attention has been riveted on the posturing and pseudo-clashes among the leading contenders this election season, the Arroyo regime has been quietly intensifying its fascist maneuvers against the people and the people’s movement for change. There is an alarming spike once more in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Just recently, a Catholic priest Fr. Cecilio Lucero, who was championing the cause of human rights in the rural backwaters of Northern Samar where the military reigns supreme, was killed. Another young student activist, Noriel Rodriguez, was abducted by suspected military agents and is still missing.
Hopes for a resumption of formal peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the revolutionary umbrella formation, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), have been all but dashed with the sabotage by Executive Secretary Ermita and Presidential Peace Adviser Razon of the confidence-building measures agreed upon in preparatory talks, foremost of which is a halt to the practice of filing trumped-up criminal charges and illegal arrests of NDFP peace talks consultants that only serve to poison the atmosphere for earnest talks. It would appear that the militarists' sabotage of the GRP-NDFP peace talks presage the parallel sabotage of the electoral process in order to perpetuate Mrs. Arroyo in power.
Ironically but fortunately, the splits and intensifying infighting within the ruling elite open up possibilities and avenues for a politically conscious and vigilant people to make use of the coming electoral exercise as a useful means and arena by which tyrants, frauds, corrupt and immoral leaders are removed from office.
More important, the election season can be harnessed to inspire, educate, and move the people to further expose the ills of society and fight for more fundamental changes. #
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
Business World/18-19 Sept 2009
The opening salvoes praising or lambasting current and prospective frontrunners in the presidential derby appear to be generating excitement and anticipation, much like the first solid blows in the opening rounds of a world title boxing match. In truth, what is unfolding before our eyes is merely another bad, if not worse, version of past electoral contests marked by demagoguery, mudslinging, empty rhetoric, massive vote buying and wholesale fraud - unmistakable signs of a bankrupt and decaying political and social system.
The Lacson-Erap bout is grabbing more attention what with Senator Lacson’s serious, if not altogether new, allegations about ousted President Estrada’s jueteng payola and the use of strong-arm tactics to favor his and cronies’ business interests. The rumored reasons for Mr. Lacson’s sudden loquaciousness regarding Erap and the timing of his expose are less than saintly, including an alleged pact with the “she-devil” to help torpedo Erap’s presidential comeback in exchange for wiggling out of the Dacer-Corbito murder case.
It could be only a matter of time before Mr. Lacson drives the proverbial stake into his former boss’s political heart by pointing to the latter as the brains behind the double murder. Or then again, the entire brouhaha may just die down should some form of political and legal accommodation be worked out among the slugging contenders.
Philippine traditional politics is so full of the seemingly impossible. For one thing, don’t expect any honest-to-goodness investigation and prosecution to take place despite the grievousness of the charges being flung about. This appears all part of the electoral circus we have all gotten used to.
Another self-evident sign of the rotting carcass that is Philippine politics is the super-concentration of political pelf and power to a few families. Here we have the Cojuangco cousins, Sen. Noynoy Aquino and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro as leading contenders. The recycling of political personalities from clans that have ruled before and have only brought the country to greater ruin and the people to greater misery is a permanent fixture in the bleak political landscape.
Nouveau riche Senator Manny Villar, smarting from an ongoing Senate investigation into his alleged corrupt deals, was prompted to dispute the Aquino camp’s framing the 2010 contest as one between “good” and “evil”, i.e. corrupt vs. non-corrupt. Instead, he described it as one between “rich” and “poor”, misrepresenting himself as the latter.
The anti-climactic choice of Defense Secretary Teodoro as the administration party’s standard-bearer only underscores the Arroyo ruling clique’s desperation and absolute disrespect for rules, even their own. The choice was narrowed down to the two consistent survey tail-enders, Teodoro and MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando after Vice President Noli de Castro, GMA’s anointed, snubbed the draft by refusing to even join the LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD. Mr. Fernando, who bannered his loyalty to his party, appeared like a dejected dog after he unsuccessfully moved to have a national convention choose the party’s presidential candidate rather than by a questionable vote of the party’s much smaller Executive Committee.
All these highlighted a gaping wound in the side of the supposedly formidable party machinery of the Arroyo clique. Days before, former President Fidel V. Ramos and former House Speaker Jose De Venecia, the tandem who had saved Mrs. Arroyo’s political neck in the wake of damaging evidence of her direct involvement in systematic election fraud in 2004, declared their decisive break with what they consider to be an illegal merger party.
The consolidation of a significant number of former allies of Mrs. Arroyo in direct opposition to her reveals a greater worsening of the conflicts among the ruling elite. As the room for mutual accommodation of interests shrinks further, the infighting is bound to intensify and grow more deadly.
Mr. Ramos himself and Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile - two of the main pillars of the fascist Marcos Dictatorship, and veterans of so-called political brinkmanship up to and including the imposition of martial law by then President Ferdinand Marcos and the instigation of bloody intrigue and military coup d’etats during Cory Aquino’s regime - warned of plots by the current occupant of Malacañang to perpetuate herself in power beyond 2010.
These include “No-el” or no elections and what would amount to a Palace coup, or else a military/police takeover should there be a massive failure of elections leading to National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales’ scenario of a “transition government” under the aegis of the Arroyo-Ermita-Gonzales cabal.
Should such come to pass, all bets are off for what follows. For one, the overhaul of the Philippine Constitution towards a parliamentary system that will allow the continued hold on power of the Arroyo clique and an entire slew of revisions in the protectionist, civil libertarian and bases-free, nuclear-fee provisions of the 1987 Charter.
While public attention has been riveted on the posturing and pseudo-clashes among the leading contenders this election season, the Arroyo regime has been quietly intensifying its fascist maneuvers against the people and the people’s movement for change. There is an alarming spike once more in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Just recently, a Catholic priest Fr. Cecilio Lucero, who was championing the cause of human rights in the rural backwaters of Northern Samar where the military reigns supreme, was killed. Another young student activist, Noriel Rodriguez, was abducted by suspected military agents and is still missing.
Hopes for a resumption of formal peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the revolutionary umbrella formation, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), have been all but dashed with the sabotage by Executive Secretary Ermita and Presidential Peace Adviser Razon of the confidence-building measures agreed upon in preparatory talks, foremost of which is a halt to the practice of filing trumped-up criminal charges and illegal arrests of NDFP peace talks consultants that only serve to poison the atmosphere for earnest talks. It would appear that the militarists' sabotage of the GRP-NDFP peace talks presage the parallel sabotage of the electoral process in order to perpetuate Mrs. Arroyo in power.
Ironically but fortunately, the splits and intensifying infighting within the ruling elite open up possibilities and avenues for a politically conscious and vigilant people to make use of the coming electoral exercise as a useful means and arena by which tyrants, frauds, corrupt and immoral leaders are removed from office.
More important, the election season can be harnessed to inspire, educate, and move the people to further expose the ills of society and fight for more fundamental changes. #
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Workers Hit Arroyo Regime’s Neglect of Overdue PGH Bills, Privatization of Health Service
NEWS RELEASE
8 September 2009
Workers hit Arroyo regime’s neglect of overdue PGH bills, privatization of health service
Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno slammed the Arroyo regime’s neglect of public health service as Philippine General Hospital (PGH) faces threat of closure due to unpaid electricity and water bills worth more than P150 million.
In a short program in front of PGH today, KMU blamed the ballooning debt of PGH on the government’s measly spending on social services and warned against moves that will privatize the hospital.
“By putting the operations of PGH in danger, the Arroyo regime is also endangering the lives of many poor Filipinos who risk losing access to affordable healthcare in a country where most hospitals are privatized,” said KMU Chairperson Elmer “Bong” Labog.
“This regime truly has the guts to enjoy dinner worth millions of pesos even as workers and the people scramble for limited and deteriorating public healthcare which needs sufficient funding,” he added.
Labog also criticized Department of Health Sec. Francisco Duque’s spending on advertisements despite the overdue financial woes of public hospitals.
PGH is struggling to pay around P127 million in electricity bills to Manila Electric Company and at least P32 million to Maynilad. And amid dwindling funds from the government, efforts to sell the public hospital to businesses piece by piece are already in place with the lease of the PGH’s Faculty Medical Arts Building to a private entity.
“Privatizing PGH will not solve the glaring deficiencies of the hospital, much less fulfill the purpose of providing healthcare. It will only render health service as more inaccessible to the poor while corporations make tidy profits from healthcare needs of millions of Filipinos,” said Labog.
“We could not afford to lose PGH to the private sector. We protest the ‘piecemeal privatization’ that PGH undertakes and urge the Arroyo regime to allocate more funds to social services like health instead of embarking on more pump-priming measures which do not directly benefit the poor,” he added. #
Reference: Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU Chairperson, 0929-629-3234
8 September 2009
Workers hit Arroyo regime’s neglect of overdue PGH bills, privatization of health service
Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno slammed the Arroyo regime’s neglect of public health service as Philippine General Hospital (PGH) faces threat of closure due to unpaid electricity and water bills worth more than P150 million.
In a short program in front of PGH today, KMU blamed the ballooning debt of PGH on the government’s measly spending on social services and warned against moves that will privatize the hospital.
“By putting the operations of PGH in danger, the Arroyo regime is also endangering the lives of many poor Filipinos who risk losing access to affordable healthcare in a country where most hospitals are privatized,” said KMU Chairperson Elmer “Bong” Labog.
“This regime truly has the guts to enjoy dinner worth millions of pesos even as workers and the people scramble for limited and deteriorating public healthcare which needs sufficient funding,” he added.
Labog also criticized Department of Health Sec. Francisco Duque’s spending on advertisements despite the overdue financial woes of public hospitals.
PGH is struggling to pay around P127 million in electricity bills to Manila Electric Company and at least P32 million to Maynilad. And amid dwindling funds from the government, efforts to sell the public hospital to businesses piece by piece are already in place with the lease of the PGH’s Faculty Medical Arts Building to a private entity.
“Privatizing PGH will not solve the glaring deficiencies of the hospital, much less fulfill the purpose of providing healthcare. It will only render health service as more inaccessible to the poor while corporations make tidy profits from healthcare needs of millions of Filipinos,” said Labog.
“We could not afford to lose PGH to the private sector. We protest the ‘piecemeal privatization’ that PGH undertakes and urge the Arroyo regime to allocate more funds to social services like health instead of embarking on more pump-priming measures which do not directly benefit the poor,” he added. #
Reference: Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU Chairperson, 0929-629-3234
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
May Araw Din Kayo
Theres The Rub
By Conrado de Quiros
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:04:00 08/17/2009
Tatagalugin ko na nang makuha n’yo. Kahit na lingwaheng kanto lang ang alam kong Tagalog.
Tutal Buwan ng Wika naman ang Agosto. Baka sakali ’yung paboritong wika ni Balagtas ay makatulong sa pag-unawa n’yo dahil mukhang ’yung paboritong wika ni Shakespeare ay lampas sa IQ n’yo. Kung sa bagay, ang pinakamahirap gisingin ay ’yung nagtutulug-tulugan. Ang pinakamahirap padinggin ay ’yung nagbibingi-bingihan. Ang pinakamahirap paintindihin ay ’yung nagmamaangmaangan. Bueno, mahirap din paintindihin ’yung likas na tanga. Pero bahala na.
Sabi mo, Cerge Remonde, alangan naman pakanin ng hotdog ang amo mo. Bakit alangan? Hindi naman vegetarian ’yon. At public service nga ’yon, makakatulong dagdagan ng cholesterol at salitre ang dugong dumadaloy papuntang puso n’ya. Kung meron man s’yang dugo, kung meron man s’yang puso.
Bakit alangan? Malamang di ka nagbabasa ng balita, o di lang talaga nagbabasa, kung hindi ay nalaman mo ’yung ginawa ni Barack Obama at Joe Biden nitong nakaraang Mayo. Galing silang White House patungong Virginia nang magtakam sila pareho ng hamburger. Pina detour nila ang motorcade at tumuloy sa unang hamburgerang nakita nila. Ito ang Ray’s Hell Burger, isang maliit at independienteng hamburger joint.
Tumungo ang dalawa sa counter at sila mismo ang nag-order, hindi mga aides. Nagbayad sila ng cash na galing sa sariling bulsa at kagaya ng ibang customers ay pumila para sa turno nila.
Ito ay presidente at bise presidente ng pinakamakapangyarihang bansa sa buong mundo. Kung sa bagay, ’yung amo n’yo ay hindi naman talaga presidente. Di lang makita ang pagkakaiba ni Garci kay God kaya nasabing “God put me here.” Pekeng presidente, pekeng asal presidente.
Sabi mo, Anthony Golez, maliit lang ang P1 million dinner kumpara sa bilyon-bilyong pisong dinala ng amo mo sa bansa.
Ay kayo lang naman ang nagsasabing may inambag ang amo n’yo na bilyong-bilyong piso sa kaban ng bayan. Ni anino noon wala kaming nakita. Ang nakita lang namin ay yung bilyon-bilyong piso—o borjer, ayon nga sa inyong dating kakosa na si Benjamin Abalos—na inaswang ng amo n’yo sa kaban ng bayan. Executive privilege daw ang hindi n’ya sagutin ito. Kailan pa naging pribilehiyo ng isang opisyal ang di managot sa taumbayan? Kailan pa naging pribilehiyo ng isang opisyal ang magnakaw?
Maliit lang pala ang P1 million, ay bakit hindi n’yo na lang ibigay sa nagugutom? O doon sa mga sundalo sa Mindanao? Tama si Archbishop Oscar Cruz. Isipin n’yo kung gaano karaming botas man lang ang mabibili ng P1 million at karagdagang P750,000 na nilamon ng amo n’yo at mga taga bitbit ng kanyang maleta sa isa pang restawran sa New York.
Maliit lang pala ang P1 million (at P750,000), bakit hindi n’yo na lang ibigay doon sa pamilya ng mga sundalong namatay sa Mindanao? Magkano ’yung gusto n’yong ibigay sa bawat isa? P20,000? Sa halagang iyan 50 sundalo na ang maaabuluyan n’yo sa $20,000. Pasalu-saludo pa ’yang amo n’yo sa mga namatay na kala mo ay talagang may malasakit. Bumenta na ’yang dramang ’yan. At pasabi-sabi pa ng “Annihilate the Abus!” Di ba noon pa n’ya ’yan pinangako? Mahilig lang talagang mangako ’yang amo n’yo.
Bukod pa d’yan, saan ba nanggaling ’yung limpak-limpak na salapi ng mga kongresista na pinansisindi nila ng tabako? Di ba sa amin din? Tanong n’yo muna kung ayos lang na i-blowout namin ng wine at caviar ang amo n’yo habang kami ay nagdidildil ng asin—’yung magaspang na klase ha, ’di yung iodized. Ang tindi n’yo, mga p’re.
At ikaw naman, Romulo Macalintal, tapang ng apog mo. Maiisip mo tuloy na sundin na lang ang mungkahi ni Dick the Butcher sa “Henry VI” ni Shakespeare: “First thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Pa ethics-ethics ka pa, pasalamat ka di nasunog ang bibig mo sa pagbigkas ng katagang ’yon.
Marami mang sugapa rin sa aming mga taga media, di naman kasing sugapa n’yo. At di naman kami sineswelduhan ng taumbayan. Wala naman kaming problemang sumakay sa PAL at kailangan pang bumili ng P1.2 billion jet. Anong sabi n’yo, kailangan ng amo n’yo sa pabyahe-byahe? E sino naman ang may sabing magbabyahe s’ya? Ngayon pang paalis na s’ya—malinaw na ayaw n’yang umalis. Bakit hindi na lang s’ya bumili ng Matchbox na eroplano? Kasya naman s’ya ro’n.
Lalo kayong nagpupumiglas, lalo lang kayong lumulubog sa kumunoy. Di n’yo malulusutan ang bulilyasong ginawa n’yo. Para n’yo na ring inagaw ang isinusubong kanin ng isang batang nagugutom. Tama si Obama at Biden: Sa panahon ng recession, kung saan nakalugmok ang mga Amerikano sa hirap, dapat makiramay ang mga pinuno sa taumbayan, di nagpapakapariwara. Sa panahon ng kagutuman, na matagal nang kalagayan ng Pinoy, at lalo pang tumindi sa paghagupit ng Typhoon Gloria, dapat siguro uminom na lang kayo ng insecticide. Gawin n’yo ’yan at mapapawi kaagad ang kagutuman ng bayan.
Sa bandang huli, buti na rin lang at ginawa n’yo ’yung magpasasa sa P1 million dinner habang lupaypay ang bayan sa kagutuman—di lang sa kawalan ng pagkain kundi sa iba pang bagay—at pagdadalamhati sa yumaong Ina ng Bayan. Binigyan n’yo ng mukha ang katakawan. Katakawang walang kabusugan. Mukhang di nakita ng masa sa usaping NBN, mukhang di nakikita ng masa sa usaping SAL. Mukhang nakita lang ng masa dito sa ginawa n’yong ito. Sa pagpapabondat sa New York habang naghihinagpis ang bayan.
At buti na rin lang mayroon tayong sariling wika. Di sapat ang Inggles para iparamdam sa inyo ang suklam na nararamdaman namin sa inyo. Di sapat ang Inggles para ipakita sa inyo ang pagkamuhi na nararamdaman namin sa inyo. Di maarok ng Inggles ang lalim ng poot na nararamdaman namin sa inyo.
Isinusuka na kayo ng taumbayan, mahirap man sumuka ang gutom.
May araw din kayo.
By Conrado de Quiros
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:04:00 08/17/2009
Tatagalugin ko na nang makuha n’yo. Kahit na lingwaheng kanto lang ang alam kong Tagalog.
Tutal Buwan ng Wika naman ang Agosto. Baka sakali ’yung paboritong wika ni Balagtas ay makatulong sa pag-unawa n’yo dahil mukhang ’yung paboritong wika ni Shakespeare ay lampas sa IQ n’yo. Kung sa bagay, ang pinakamahirap gisingin ay ’yung nagtutulug-tulugan. Ang pinakamahirap padinggin ay ’yung nagbibingi-bingihan. Ang pinakamahirap paintindihin ay ’yung nagmamaangmaangan. Bueno, mahirap din paintindihin ’yung likas na tanga. Pero bahala na.
Sabi mo, Cerge Remonde, alangan naman pakanin ng hotdog ang amo mo. Bakit alangan? Hindi naman vegetarian ’yon. At public service nga ’yon, makakatulong dagdagan ng cholesterol at salitre ang dugong dumadaloy papuntang puso n’ya. Kung meron man s’yang dugo, kung meron man s’yang puso.
Bakit alangan? Malamang di ka nagbabasa ng balita, o di lang talaga nagbabasa, kung hindi ay nalaman mo ’yung ginawa ni Barack Obama at Joe Biden nitong nakaraang Mayo. Galing silang White House patungong Virginia nang magtakam sila pareho ng hamburger. Pina detour nila ang motorcade at tumuloy sa unang hamburgerang nakita nila. Ito ang Ray’s Hell Burger, isang maliit at independienteng hamburger joint.
Tumungo ang dalawa sa counter at sila mismo ang nag-order, hindi mga aides. Nagbayad sila ng cash na galing sa sariling bulsa at kagaya ng ibang customers ay pumila para sa turno nila.
Ito ay presidente at bise presidente ng pinakamakapangyarihang bansa sa buong mundo. Kung sa bagay, ’yung amo n’yo ay hindi naman talaga presidente. Di lang makita ang pagkakaiba ni Garci kay God kaya nasabing “God put me here.” Pekeng presidente, pekeng asal presidente.
Sabi mo, Anthony Golez, maliit lang ang P1 million dinner kumpara sa bilyon-bilyong pisong dinala ng amo mo sa bansa.
Ay kayo lang naman ang nagsasabing may inambag ang amo n’yo na bilyong-bilyong piso sa kaban ng bayan. Ni anino noon wala kaming nakita. Ang nakita lang namin ay yung bilyon-bilyong piso—o borjer, ayon nga sa inyong dating kakosa na si Benjamin Abalos—na inaswang ng amo n’yo sa kaban ng bayan. Executive privilege daw ang hindi n’ya sagutin ito. Kailan pa naging pribilehiyo ng isang opisyal ang di managot sa taumbayan? Kailan pa naging pribilehiyo ng isang opisyal ang magnakaw?
Maliit lang pala ang P1 million, ay bakit hindi n’yo na lang ibigay sa nagugutom? O doon sa mga sundalo sa Mindanao? Tama si Archbishop Oscar Cruz. Isipin n’yo kung gaano karaming botas man lang ang mabibili ng P1 million at karagdagang P750,000 na nilamon ng amo n’yo at mga taga bitbit ng kanyang maleta sa isa pang restawran sa New York.
Maliit lang pala ang P1 million (at P750,000), bakit hindi n’yo na lang ibigay doon sa pamilya ng mga sundalong namatay sa Mindanao? Magkano ’yung gusto n’yong ibigay sa bawat isa? P20,000? Sa halagang iyan 50 sundalo na ang maaabuluyan n’yo sa $20,000. Pasalu-saludo pa ’yang amo n’yo sa mga namatay na kala mo ay talagang may malasakit. Bumenta na ’yang dramang ’yan. At pasabi-sabi pa ng “Annihilate the Abus!” Di ba noon pa n’ya ’yan pinangako? Mahilig lang talagang mangako ’yang amo n’yo.
Bukod pa d’yan, saan ba nanggaling ’yung limpak-limpak na salapi ng mga kongresista na pinansisindi nila ng tabako? Di ba sa amin din? Tanong n’yo muna kung ayos lang na i-blowout namin ng wine at caviar ang amo n’yo habang kami ay nagdidildil ng asin—’yung magaspang na klase ha, ’di yung iodized. Ang tindi n’yo, mga p’re.
At ikaw naman, Romulo Macalintal, tapang ng apog mo. Maiisip mo tuloy na sundin na lang ang mungkahi ni Dick the Butcher sa “Henry VI” ni Shakespeare: “First thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Pa ethics-ethics ka pa, pasalamat ka di nasunog ang bibig mo sa pagbigkas ng katagang ’yon.
Marami mang sugapa rin sa aming mga taga media, di naman kasing sugapa n’yo. At di naman kami sineswelduhan ng taumbayan. Wala naman kaming problemang sumakay sa PAL at kailangan pang bumili ng P1.2 billion jet. Anong sabi n’yo, kailangan ng amo n’yo sa pabyahe-byahe? E sino naman ang may sabing magbabyahe s’ya? Ngayon pang paalis na s’ya—malinaw na ayaw n’yang umalis. Bakit hindi na lang s’ya bumili ng Matchbox na eroplano? Kasya naman s’ya ro’n.
Lalo kayong nagpupumiglas, lalo lang kayong lumulubog sa kumunoy. Di n’yo malulusutan ang bulilyasong ginawa n’yo. Para n’yo na ring inagaw ang isinusubong kanin ng isang batang nagugutom. Tama si Obama at Biden: Sa panahon ng recession, kung saan nakalugmok ang mga Amerikano sa hirap, dapat makiramay ang mga pinuno sa taumbayan, di nagpapakapariwara. Sa panahon ng kagutuman, na matagal nang kalagayan ng Pinoy, at lalo pang tumindi sa paghagupit ng Typhoon Gloria, dapat siguro uminom na lang kayo ng insecticide. Gawin n’yo ’yan at mapapawi kaagad ang kagutuman ng bayan.
Sa bandang huli, buti na rin lang at ginawa n’yo ’yung magpasasa sa P1 million dinner habang lupaypay ang bayan sa kagutuman—di lang sa kawalan ng pagkain kundi sa iba pang bagay—at pagdadalamhati sa yumaong Ina ng Bayan. Binigyan n’yo ng mukha ang katakawan. Katakawang walang kabusugan. Mukhang di nakita ng masa sa usaping NBN, mukhang di nakikita ng masa sa usaping SAL. Mukhang nakita lang ng masa dito sa ginawa n’yong ito. Sa pagpapabondat sa New York habang naghihinagpis ang bayan.
At buti na rin lang mayroon tayong sariling wika. Di sapat ang Inggles para iparamdam sa inyo ang suklam na nararamdaman namin sa inyo. Di sapat ang Inggles para ipakita sa inyo ang pagkamuhi na nararamdaman namin sa inyo. Di maarok ng Inggles ang lalim ng poot na nararamdaman namin sa inyo.
Isinusuka na kayo ng taumbayan, mahirap man sumuka ang gutom.
May araw din kayo.
Position Paper on the Privatization of the Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB)
The All U.P. Workers Union supports the geographical/private practice/clinic of PGH Medical Consultants/UP Manila Faculty at the Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB). We also especially support the expanded and efficient operation of PGH laboratory pharmacy, radiologic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, arthroscopic and other diagnostic services to serve the needs of the FMAB, the PGH and of the Filipino people.
However, in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between Daniel Mercado Medical Center (DMMC) and the University of the Philippines last June 18, 2009, the University would allow the operation by the DMMC of privately run laboratory, pharmacy, radiologic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, arthroscopic and other diagnostic services at the FMAB. This we strongly oppose. This scheme not only imperils the long term viability of PGH services but the operation of the whole hospital itself. These services that are intended to be privatized at the FMAB are the heart and soul of hospital operations. It is therefore unthinkable that the University and the PGH would allow the operation of private entities right inside its own compound that will directly compete on its own laboratory, pharmacy and other services.
We are forwarding the following questions and some data to the University and the PGH Administrations:
1. Why do the PGH Administration and the University allow private competition right inside the PGH Compound for laboratory, pharmacy, radiologic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, arthroscopic and other diagnostic services instead of expanding and improving it to meet the needs of the FMAB and of the PGH? This will contravene hospital data that showed that its laboratory and pharmacy services are the top two revenue generating units – and contribute much to ease hospital expenses.
2. What is now the status of end-user-fee schemes in almost all services (except personnel) rendered by the hospital? Are these schemes beneficial to the hospital, and to the public? Or, are these being used as milking cows of officials and favored employees?
3. Why is it that in spite of the billions of pesos in annual national government subsidy and the end-user-fee schemes implemented by the hospital, the PGH Administration was not able to pay for utilities (particularly electricity and water where it incurred P127 million and 32 million debts, respectively) and provide adequate benefits to its employees? If the subsidy from the national government is insufficient, then why can’t the PGH and UP Administrations mobilize the PGH and UP employees, and the public to lobby for higher state subsidy for PGH – the country’s largest hospital? Data from the PGH Medical Social Services Division showed that 80% of PGH service (charity) patients have a monthly income of P7,000 or less.
4. Are the PGH and UP Administration aware of the fact that privatization of health services in other countries have brought about higher cost and very poor access for lower income population? This is happening in the United States, a country where the average income of the people is a lot higher than that of the Philippines. It was even recently labeled by the Daily Mirror, a respected newspaper in London as “the land of the fee” in reference to the United States' high-charging health care model.
We therefore enjoin all service-loving employees and medical consultants of PGH to join us in this crusade against these anti-people schemes in PGH. We also enjoin other organizations inside and outside of PGH to link arms with All UP Workers Union in exposing these anti-people schemes.
We call on the UP Board of Regents to withhold the confirmation of the MOA between the DMMC and the University unless the provisions which allow the DMMC to set-up privately run laboratory, pharmacy, radiologic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, arthroscopic and other diagnostic service at the FMAB are removed from the contract.
We call on Congress to initiate an inquiry on the present state of PGH and other public hospitals vis-à-vis providing and expanding access to health services for the majority of our people.
Finally, we call on our people to resist the on-going privatization of PGH - the biggest hospital of the country and in public hospitals in general, to the detriment of providing adequate and accessible health services to the people.#
However, in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between Daniel Mercado Medical Center (DMMC) and the University of the Philippines last June 18, 2009, the University would allow the operation by the DMMC of privately run laboratory, pharmacy, radiologic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, arthroscopic and other diagnostic services at the FMAB. This we strongly oppose. This scheme not only imperils the long term viability of PGH services but the operation of the whole hospital itself. These services that are intended to be privatized at the FMAB are the heart and soul of hospital operations. It is therefore unthinkable that the University and the PGH would allow the operation of private entities right inside its own compound that will directly compete on its own laboratory, pharmacy and other services.
We are forwarding the following questions and some data to the University and the PGH Administrations:
1. Why do the PGH Administration and the University allow private competition right inside the PGH Compound for laboratory, pharmacy, radiologic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, arthroscopic and other diagnostic services instead of expanding and improving it to meet the needs of the FMAB and of the PGH? This will contravene hospital data that showed that its laboratory and pharmacy services are the top two revenue generating units – and contribute much to ease hospital expenses.
2. What is now the status of end-user-fee schemes in almost all services (except personnel) rendered by the hospital? Are these schemes beneficial to the hospital, and to the public? Or, are these being used as milking cows of officials and favored employees?
3. Why is it that in spite of the billions of pesos in annual national government subsidy and the end-user-fee schemes implemented by the hospital, the PGH Administration was not able to pay for utilities (particularly electricity and water where it incurred P127 million and 32 million debts, respectively) and provide adequate benefits to its employees? If the subsidy from the national government is insufficient, then why can’t the PGH and UP Administrations mobilize the PGH and UP employees, and the public to lobby for higher state subsidy for PGH – the country’s largest hospital? Data from the PGH Medical Social Services Division showed that 80% of PGH service (charity) patients have a monthly income of P7,000 or less.
4. Are the PGH and UP Administration aware of the fact that privatization of health services in other countries have brought about higher cost and very poor access for lower income population? This is happening in the United States, a country where the average income of the people is a lot higher than that of the Philippines. It was even recently labeled by the Daily Mirror, a respected newspaper in London as “the land of the fee” in reference to the United States' high-charging health care model.
We therefore enjoin all service-loving employees and medical consultants of PGH to join us in this crusade against these anti-people schemes in PGH. We also enjoin other organizations inside and outside of PGH to link arms with All UP Workers Union in exposing these anti-people schemes.
We call on the UP Board of Regents to withhold the confirmation of the MOA between the DMMC and the University unless the provisions which allow the DMMC to set-up privately run laboratory, pharmacy, radiologic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, arthroscopic and other diagnostic service at the FMAB are removed from the contract.
We call on Congress to initiate an inquiry on the present state of PGH and other public hospitals vis-à-vis providing and expanding access to health services for the majority of our people.
Finally, we call on our people to resist the on-going privatization of PGH - the biggest hospital of the country and in public hospitals in general, to the detriment of providing adequate and accessible health services to the people.#
Monday, August 17, 2009
Helping our Fellow Kababayans Abroad is Not a Crime!-Migrante
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Reference: Garry Martinez, Chairperson, +639217229740
Ailyn Abdula, Media Officer, +639212708994
17 August 2009
The largest alliance of Filipino migrants organizations today raised concern over the arrest of some of the officers and members of Migrante-Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS) by Saudi Arabian authorities on August 14. Migrante International also called on the Philippine government to do everything it can for the release of the remaining detainees, including the runaway OFWs Migrante-KGS was counseling.
“The defense and protection of the rights of migrant Filipinos have been sorely lacking that our officers and members in Saudi Arabia have been forced to risk their lives and their safety so they are able to help OFW victims of maltreatment and abuse in Saudi Arabia,” Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson, declared. “While we appreciate the efforts that embassy officials have made to work for the release of the detainees, we would like to call on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to ensure the release of all our officers and guarantee their safety.”
The KGS officers were arrested in a safehouse where the organization provided for OFW runaways. They were conducting their regular weekly case dialogs and counseling to OFW victims of maltreatment and abuses who ran away from their employers.
According to John Monterona, Migrante Middle East Coordinator, Migrante’s Saudi chapter has been receiving an average of five cases daily. The number of cases has significantly increased since the Philippine government intensified its labor export policy as its response to the global financial and economic crisis.
Martinez continued, “Our KGS chapter is a trailblazer in providing emergency assistance to OFWs in distress in Saudi Arabia. Since its inception, KGS has rescued or facilitated the rescue of thousands of our kababayans in Saudi Arabia. It has also been at the forefront of the campaign for the defense and protection of migrant areas in the region. Our officers and members deserve all the guarantees of protection and defense the Philippine government can offer.”
Migrante International together with its chapters abroad has its program in providing service through a very responsive move on the welfare needs of OFWs in distress. “If this kind of advocacy is a criminal act, who among our kababayans will give attention on the increasing numbers of distressed OFWs given the fact that the Philippine embassies are inutile most of the time in giving immediate action on the problems of OFWs?”, Martinez added.
Martinez called on the Philippine government to decisively address the problem of migrant rights violations in Saudi Arabia which are increasingly becoming more serious in number and in intensity.
“And to our kababayans, given the repressive situation we have, Migrante will not stop in giving attention on your issues to continuously promote the rights and welfare of OFWs”. “We must ensure our Filipino communities abroad to insist our rights to Philippine embassy officials to hear our clamors and demands”, Martinez ended.
On the other hand, Migrante Europe strongly condemns this assault on a sanctuary for Filipino migrants in distress. The assault by the Saudi authorities is another mockery of those whose rights have already been abused and violated. The Philippine government should strongly protest this assault.##
Reference: Garry Martinez, Chairperson, +639217229740
Ailyn Abdula, Media Officer, +639212708994
17 August 2009
The largest alliance of Filipino migrants organizations today raised concern over the arrest of some of the officers and members of Migrante-Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS) by Saudi Arabian authorities on August 14. Migrante International also called on the Philippine government to do everything it can for the release of the remaining detainees, including the runaway OFWs Migrante-KGS was counseling.
“The defense and protection of the rights of migrant Filipinos have been sorely lacking that our officers and members in Saudi Arabia have been forced to risk their lives and their safety so they are able to help OFW victims of maltreatment and abuse in Saudi Arabia,” Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson, declared. “While we appreciate the efforts that embassy officials have made to work for the release of the detainees, we would like to call on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to ensure the release of all our officers and guarantee their safety.”
The KGS officers were arrested in a safehouse where the organization provided for OFW runaways. They were conducting their regular weekly case dialogs and counseling to OFW victims of maltreatment and abuses who ran away from their employers.
According to John Monterona, Migrante Middle East Coordinator, Migrante’s Saudi chapter has been receiving an average of five cases daily. The number of cases has significantly increased since the Philippine government intensified its labor export policy as its response to the global financial and economic crisis.
Martinez continued, “Our KGS chapter is a trailblazer in providing emergency assistance to OFWs in distress in Saudi Arabia. Since its inception, KGS has rescued or facilitated the rescue of thousands of our kababayans in Saudi Arabia. It has also been at the forefront of the campaign for the defense and protection of migrant areas in the region. Our officers and members deserve all the guarantees of protection and defense the Philippine government can offer.”
Migrante International together with its chapters abroad has its program in providing service through a very responsive move on the welfare needs of OFWs in distress. “If this kind of advocacy is a criminal act, who among our kababayans will give attention on the increasing numbers of distressed OFWs given the fact that the Philippine embassies are inutile most of the time in giving immediate action on the problems of OFWs?”, Martinez added.
Martinez called on the Philippine government to decisively address the problem of migrant rights violations in Saudi Arabia which are increasingly becoming more serious in number and in intensity.
“And to our kababayans, given the repressive situation we have, Migrante will not stop in giving attention on your issues to continuously promote the rights and welfare of OFWs”. “We must ensure our Filipino communities abroad to insist our rights to Philippine embassy officials to hear our clamors and demands”, Martinez ended.
On the other hand, Migrante Europe strongly condemns this assault on a sanctuary for Filipino migrants in distress. The assault by the Saudi authorities is another mockery of those whose rights have already been abused and violated. The Philippine government should strongly protest this assault.##
Friday, August 07, 2009
Cory, the People and People Power
Streetwise
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
The Business World 7 August 2009
In death as in life, former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino continues to be a political phenomenon. The Aquino family themselves had not anticipated the people’s outpouring of love, adulation and respect for their mother after she died last August 1. Tens of thousands lined up to view her remains and hundreds of thousands more accompanied her funeral cortege to the cemetery. It evoked a sense of déjà vu in people old enough to remember her slain husband Ninoy’s own mammoth funeral cortege more than 25 years ago.
It was also reminiscent of the huge crowds that Mrs. Aquino drew in her presidential campaign against the dictator Marcos; the gigantic rally in Rizal Park where she called for civil disobedience to force him to step down after the exposure of massive electoral fraud; culminating in the popular mass uprising, eventually dubbed “people power”, that finally ousted his hated dictatorship. Yellow was the color of the day; the air reverberated with shouts of “Cory, Cory”; and the hand sign for the letter “L” meaning “Laban!” sprung to life once more.
In stark contrast was the complete isolation of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the week-long homage to Cory. The unspoken but powerful message from the people is that Mrs. Arroyo has no place in honoring and celebrating her predecessor’s life of selfless service, integrity, humility, simplicity and fortitude. Because these are qualities alien to her and which she has repeatedly and shamelessly trashed even as she laid claim to the highest office in the land.
The Aquino family’s rejection of Malacañang’s offer of a state funeral was an undisguised statement that they did not want Mrs. Arroyo to have anything to do with the funeral rites. Her early morning visit at the Manila Cathedral hours before Mrs. Aquino was laid to rest was marked by stealth (she had to go through a side door), stiffness and brevity. The absence of Mrs. Arroyo at the funeral itself was highlighted rather than made up for by the full honors that were given by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police sans their de facto Commander-in-Chief.
The accolades for Mrs. Aquino’s singular role in bringing down strongman rule and ushering in the return of democratic processes and institutions; the Catholic Church’s rendering of burial rites until then reserved only for their own top hierarchy; and the tearful remembrances of grateful family members, friends and even ordinary staff members – all paled in comparison to the sea of humanity that braved the stifling heat then drenching rains and patiently waited for hours to catch a glimpse of Mrs. Aquino’s flower-bedecked coffin atop a flatbed truck winding slowly through the crowded thoroughfares.
How then do we begin to explain the massive turn-out that took place during the entire duration of the wake until Mrs. Aquino’s burial. Especially in light of the fact that her seeming ability to rouse people power to demand government accountability or to thwart succeeding administrations’ attempts to hold on to power and restore tyrannical rule appeared to be waning.
Let us recall how even after Mrs. Aquino had called for the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo from the presidency, marched to Congress to call for her impeachment, joined numerous protest actions to keep hammering home the point about the Arroyo regime’s illegitimacy, corruption and abuse of power – the people stopped short of pouring out into the streets to support her calls.
Both her admirers and, more so, her detractors came to the conclusion that the “Cory magic” was gone. Some opined that it was after all a “Sin-Cory magic” with Cardinal Sin providing the irreplaceable political astuteness and the moral and organizational clout of the Catholic Church in the partnership. Mrs. Arroyo’s drumbeaters have gleefully proclaimed that the people were “tired” of people power and not even Cory could summon it.
Until Cory, the icon of democracy, dies under conditions of severe political and economic crisis.
What takes place can not just have been nostalgia, a people grateful for Mrs. Aquino’s role in what New York Times writer Stanley Karnow described as “guid(ing) the transition from unscrupulous autocracy to dubious democracy”.
The people’s sense of loss in the passing of a highly respected and beloved leader underscores the fact that despite her shortcomings and limitations, people appreciate, to various degrees, Cory's good traits as essential to a worthy head of state or national leader.
The hankering of the people for the kind of sincere, honest and unadulterated public service that Cory Aquino personified and which is glaringly absent in today’s incumbent leader, Mrs. Arroyo, is palpable and unmistakable. In particular, compare Mrs. Aquino’s gracious and unambiguous readiness to relinquish power as her term ended and Mrs. Arroyo’s equivocation and vile machinations to cling to power far beyond her undeserved nine years in office.
More than Cory’s outstanding traits as a political leader and Mrs. Arroyo’s profound character flaws, the most plausible and inescapable explanation is that the spirit behind People Power 1 and 2 -- the longing for change and the courage, selflessness and determination to match that longing and turn it into reality -- is alive. As much as a collective expression of gratitude to and reverence for Cory, it was also a silent but unequivocal act of protest against the rule of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is generally perceived as Cory's diametrical opposite.
Why then has there been no People Power 3 despite Cory's calls for the people's unified actions against the perpetrators of plunder, fraud and the gross betrayal of public trust?
Perhaps it only indicates that an increasing number of people are becoming keenly aware that it will take more than a replacement of leaders -- more than even another Cory -- to effect genuine and lasting change in Philippine politics and society.
While the Aquino presidency certainly had its mistakes and shortcomings and ultimately failed to live up to expectations in effecting the thoroughgoing socio-economic reforms that would benefit the Filipino people, it was the unabated corruption, puppetry and tyranny of her successors, and most especially of the Arroyo regime, that has driven home this painful lesson.#
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
The Business World 7 August 2009
In death as in life, former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino continues to be a political phenomenon. The Aquino family themselves had not anticipated the people’s outpouring of love, adulation and respect for their mother after she died last August 1. Tens of thousands lined up to view her remains and hundreds of thousands more accompanied her funeral cortege to the cemetery. It evoked a sense of déjà vu in people old enough to remember her slain husband Ninoy’s own mammoth funeral cortege more than 25 years ago.
It was also reminiscent of the huge crowds that Mrs. Aquino drew in her presidential campaign against the dictator Marcos; the gigantic rally in Rizal Park where she called for civil disobedience to force him to step down after the exposure of massive electoral fraud; culminating in the popular mass uprising, eventually dubbed “people power”, that finally ousted his hated dictatorship. Yellow was the color of the day; the air reverberated with shouts of “Cory, Cory”; and the hand sign for the letter “L” meaning “Laban!” sprung to life once more.
In stark contrast was the complete isolation of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the week-long homage to Cory. The unspoken but powerful message from the people is that Mrs. Arroyo has no place in honoring and celebrating her predecessor’s life of selfless service, integrity, humility, simplicity and fortitude. Because these are qualities alien to her and which she has repeatedly and shamelessly trashed even as she laid claim to the highest office in the land.
The Aquino family’s rejection of Malacañang’s offer of a state funeral was an undisguised statement that they did not want Mrs. Arroyo to have anything to do with the funeral rites. Her early morning visit at the Manila Cathedral hours before Mrs. Aquino was laid to rest was marked by stealth (she had to go through a side door), stiffness and brevity. The absence of Mrs. Arroyo at the funeral itself was highlighted rather than made up for by the full honors that were given by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police sans their de facto Commander-in-Chief.
The accolades for Mrs. Aquino’s singular role in bringing down strongman rule and ushering in the return of democratic processes and institutions; the Catholic Church’s rendering of burial rites until then reserved only for their own top hierarchy; and the tearful remembrances of grateful family members, friends and even ordinary staff members – all paled in comparison to the sea of humanity that braved the stifling heat then drenching rains and patiently waited for hours to catch a glimpse of Mrs. Aquino’s flower-bedecked coffin atop a flatbed truck winding slowly through the crowded thoroughfares.
How then do we begin to explain the massive turn-out that took place during the entire duration of the wake until Mrs. Aquino’s burial. Especially in light of the fact that her seeming ability to rouse people power to demand government accountability or to thwart succeeding administrations’ attempts to hold on to power and restore tyrannical rule appeared to be waning.
Let us recall how even after Mrs. Aquino had called for the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo from the presidency, marched to Congress to call for her impeachment, joined numerous protest actions to keep hammering home the point about the Arroyo regime’s illegitimacy, corruption and abuse of power – the people stopped short of pouring out into the streets to support her calls.
Both her admirers and, more so, her detractors came to the conclusion that the “Cory magic” was gone. Some opined that it was after all a “Sin-Cory magic” with Cardinal Sin providing the irreplaceable political astuteness and the moral and organizational clout of the Catholic Church in the partnership. Mrs. Arroyo’s drumbeaters have gleefully proclaimed that the people were “tired” of people power and not even Cory could summon it.
Until Cory, the icon of democracy, dies under conditions of severe political and economic crisis.
What takes place can not just have been nostalgia, a people grateful for Mrs. Aquino’s role in what New York Times writer Stanley Karnow described as “guid(ing) the transition from unscrupulous autocracy to dubious democracy”.
The people’s sense of loss in the passing of a highly respected and beloved leader underscores the fact that despite her shortcomings and limitations, people appreciate, to various degrees, Cory's good traits as essential to a worthy head of state or national leader.
The hankering of the people for the kind of sincere, honest and unadulterated public service that Cory Aquino personified and which is glaringly absent in today’s incumbent leader, Mrs. Arroyo, is palpable and unmistakable. In particular, compare Mrs. Aquino’s gracious and unambiguous readiness to relinquish power as her term ended and Mrs. Arroyo’s equivocation and vile machinations to cling to power far beyond her undeserved nine years in office.
More than Cory’s outstanding traits as a political leader and Mrs. Arroyo’s profound character flaws, the most plausible and inescapable explanation is that the spirit behind People Power 1 and 2 -- the longing for change and the courage, selflessness and determination to match that longing and turn it into reality -- is alive. As much as a collective expression of gratitude to and reverence for Cory, it was also a silent but unequivocal act of protest against the rule of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is generally perceived as Cory's diametrical opposite.
Why then has there been no People Power 3 despite Cory's calls for the people's unified actions against the perpetrators of plunder, fraud and the gross betrayal of public trust?
Perhaps it only indicates that an increasing number of people are becoming keenly aware that it will take more than a replacement of leaders -- more than even another Cory -- to effect genuine and lasting change in Philippine politics and society.
While the Aquino presidency certainly had its mistakes and shortcomings and ultimately failed to live up to expectations in effecting the thoroughgoing socio-economic reforms that would benefit the Filipino people, it was the unabated corruption, puppetry and tyranny of her successors, and most especially of the Arroyo regime, that has driven home this painful lesson.#
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Report of the Faculty Regent*
August 3, 2009
Greetings!
There have been three BOR meetings since my last report to you: the May 29 meeting in UPV Iloilo, a June 3 special meeting held at Quezon Hall, the regular BOR meeting on June 25, also held at Quezon Hall and the July 31 meeting at UP Manila . My backlog in reporting to you was due mainly to the opening of the semester and the demands of being a faculty member in my department and in my college.
Staff Regent Buboy Cabrera took his oath last May 29, 2009 in Iloilo . In the July 31 meeting, Charisse Bañez, Student Regent elected last April 14, was finally confirmed. In that same meeting, the new UP Alumni Association President Alfredo Pascual took his oath as the new Alumni Regent.
Below are important highlights of the meetings related to the following concerns: Faculty and personnel welfare, proposals deferred for further study, the issue of the six economics students found guilty of misconduct; programming and reprogramming of UP System and CU funds; and the reiteration of concern over the two missing students.
A. Faculty and personnel welfare
1. New Salary Standardization Law
The University of the Philippines is included in the new salary increase for government employees effective July 1, 2009 based on the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Resolution No. 4, series of 2009, Executive Order 811 and National Budget Circular 521. President Roman announced in the July meeting that DBM has transmitted to the University the funds to implement the increase for the first year.
I proposed to the BOR in the July 31 meeting an increase in lecturers’ rates based on the formula used in the March 26, 2009 BOR approval of adjustments in the rates of UP lecturers. This is to ensure that the university upholds the principle of equity and that its lecturers also benefit from the recent salary increase of all government personnel. President Roman said this is being studied by the UP administration.
2. Faculty and personnel benefits
- The Board approved the grant of a P5, 000 merit incentive to UP personnel last June 25, 2009. This is the first of two annual benefits given by the university. Lecturers are included in this benefit on a pro-rated basis. The new provision approved by the board is the encouragement to provide a similar benefit to project-hired personnel if funds are available.
- The first rice subsidy worth P1,500 was approved last May 29 and the second one was approved last July 31. This grant is in compliance with the Collective Negotiation Agreements between UP and the All UP Workers Union and between UP and the All UP Academic Employees Union. Project and contractual employees of units which have savings are encouraged to grant the same rice subsidy to these personnel.
- Increase in Annual Awards for Faculty Grants: Professorial Chairs: From P30,000 to a minimum of P50,000 and Faculty Grants: From P15,000 to P25,000
3. Promotions
- The 2008 promotions have been approved and will be in effect from April 1, 2009
- Sagad faculty will receive a one-time grant of P5,000 and Sagad REPS and administrative staff will receive a one-time grant of P3,000. The Staff Regent and I have proposed that this grant be increased by P3, 000 for both faculty and staff. President Roman said the UP Administration will reexamine the possibility of giving this at the end of the year depending on the university’s savings.
B. Proposals from the UP Administration deferred for further study
1. Construction of the IE-ME building
The proposal of UPD to allow the construction of the IE-ME building in the current site of the College of Engineering was approved in the June 2009 meeting. Former UPD Chancellor sought a reconsideration of the Board’s decision in the July 31, 2009. The Board formed a Regents’ Committee to look into the two main issues surrounding this concern: why the IE-ME building cannot be built in the new Engineering complex where the buildings of the other departments of the college have been built or will be built in the future; the possibility that the P300 million allocation for the building will be lost if the project is not started before December 2009
2. UP Naming Rights Policy
The UP Administration presented to the BOR in the July 31 meeting new and additional proposals on the existing “Guidelines for Naming Buildings, Structures, Streets, Parks and Other places in the university approved by the UP President on 27 July 2004 and noted by the BOR at its 1185th meeting on 26 of August 2004.
The present policy regarding naming of buildings, structures, streets, parks and other places in the University after living persons or juridical persons shall be allowed only when it is made a condition in a donation in favor of the University and for meritorious considerations.
The additional/new proposed provision (among others) is:
Buildings: A proposal for naming a building (or significant and identifiable section of a building) in honor of a person or organization may consider when that person or organization:
- is a major benefactor who makes a direct and substantial contribution to the capital cost of constructing the building (at least 50% of project cost) or
- has given extraordinarily distinguished service to the University that merits recognition in the University’s history (on special recommendation by the President to, and subsequent approval by, the Board of Regents.
My main criticism is that the new proposal gives naming rights to UP buildings based solely on financial considerations, in effect institutionalizing another form of “UP for Sale ”. Traditionally UP buildings have been named after heroes, dead statesmen and women or deceased outstanding academic and administrative leaders of the University. Recognition of financial donations to the university has been in the form of commemorative plaques and the naming of professorial and faculty chairs. I believe this tradition and practice should remain.
The Board decided to defer making a decision on this and on a related proposal of the Asian Studies to name the new Asian Center facilities donated by Toyota Motor Philippines to the University: entire 1 hectare property to be named GT-Toyota Asian cultural Center, The museum-library research institute building to be named GT-Toyota Hall of Wisdom and the auditorium be named GT-Toyota Asian Auditorium. (GT stands for George Ty)
3.UP Manila – PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building
The University and the Mercado General Hospital signed last June 18, 2009 a contract for the lease, conversion and development of a certain area of the PGH Dispensary Building situated at the PGH to be called the UP Manila-PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building .
When presented for approval in the June 25, 2009 meeting, the decision was deferred due to the following:
- The contract does not only provide clinic space for UP doctors to allow them to practice their profession instead of going to private hospitals (a provision not objected to by the Board) but also allows the Mercado General Hospital to put up a pharmacy, x-ray facilities and laboratories. These facilities are already found in PGH.
- The rental rate is P1,000,000 per month (net of all taxes) subject to a yearly increase or escalation at the rate of 10% per annum commencing on the 6th year of the term of the lease. ( I do not have the figures on the floor area being leased so as to compare the rental per square meter in this contract to the current per square meter rates of commercial buildings across PGH).
- The period of lease is 25 years exclusive of a rent-free period of 18 months from date of signing of contract within which the lessee must perform, comply with and complete all the works for the conversion, rehabilitation and development of FAB
- The contract may be renewed for a maximum period of five years.
The BOR has also formed a Regents’ Committee to examine further the concerns raised by the All UP Workers Union of UP Manila-PGH and concerns raised by the BOR Chair, the Faculty Regent and the Staff Regent.
4. UP Manila Campus Development Master Plan and UP Diliman’s Comprehensive Land Use, Zoning and Master Plans
Decisions on the two above proposals presented to the July 31, 2009 BOR meeting were deferred to enable the board to further study them.
5. Expanding the search for a new Director of UPPEP
The term of the Director of the UP Pampanga Extension Program ended last May 31, 2009. Two names were nominated: the current Director, a UPPEP professor and a professor from UP Diliman. The latter did not accept the nomination.
The BOR decided to expand the search for a director as there were strong reservations about the two nominees. The current director has already served three terms and her selection would mean a fourth term or a total of 12 continuous years as academic and administrative leader of UP Pampanga. The other nominee has very limited support from the faculty of the unit.
C. The UPD University Council and the BOR on the 6 Economics Students accused of cheating during an examination and found guilty of “other forms of misconduct”
The UPD UC on April 2008 approved the graduation of several School of Economics students accused of cheating during an examination. As their case was still being heard by the Student Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), the UC decided, on the principle of “presumption of innocence” voted to allow them to graduate “without prejudice to the final determination of the disciplinary cases and without prejudice to the appropriate corrective measures to be undertaken by the University should the decision be against them.”
On April 2009, the UC once again discussed the case as six of the students were found by the SDT guilty of misconduct and imposed a penalty 45 days suspension. The students did not appeal the decision. The UC deliberated on how this penalty would be served and after over two hours of discussion voted 126 for, 73 against and 13 abstain, that the graduation be withdrawn so that the students could enroll for residency and serve their suspension.
In the June 3, 2009 special BOR meeting to discuss the decision of the UPD UC, the BOR by a vote of 5 for, 3 against and 1 abstain approved the motion to confirm the graduation of the six students…without need of serving the penalty of 45 days suspension imposed by the SDT because the same is deemed to be served.”
In the June 25 regular BOR meeting, I submitted a motion for reconsideration of this decision and also requested for the Board to provide an explanation of this decision. The Chair broke the 4-4 vote in favor of denying the reconsideration.
In the July 31, 2009 meeting the Board rejected two resolutions passed by the University Council in its July 20, 2009 meeting. One resolution protested the June 3 decision of the BOR and requested for reconsideration . The other resolution was for withdrawing the honors of students found guilty of misconduct. In response to the UC's reiteration of the need for transparency regarding the bases for the BOR decisions, the Chair instructed the Office of the Secretary of the University to release to the UPD UC the record of the deliberations of the BOR meetings (June 3, June 25 and July 31) related to this case.
D. Programming and Reprogramming of Funds of the System and CUs
· May 29, 2009:
- Open U: P9, 525,636.25
- UP System: P55, 486,855.22
· June 25, 2009
- UP Visayas: (Programming of Income): P1, 289, 746.21
- UP Manila : (Reprogramming of unexpended balances: P40, 876,409.57
- UP Diliman: (Reprogramming of Unexpended Obligations under the GAA): P35, 216,137.85
· July 31, 2009
- UP System (Reprogramming of unexpended balances): P20, 655,073.38
- UP Diliman (Programming of income): P13, 771, 429, 21
E. Reiteration of UP’s concern over missing UP Students
As the June 25, 2009 meeting was just a day before the third anniversary of the abduction of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, who disappeared on June 26, 2006, I shared with the board the UPD University Council resolution dated July 26, 2006.
_________
* The 2009-2010 Faculty Regent is Dr. Judy Taguiwalo. She is presently a professor from the College of Social Work and Community Development and a former National President of the All U.P. Academic Employees Union
Greetings!
There have been three BOR meetings since my last report to you: the May 29 meeting in UPV Iloilo, a June 3 special meeting held at Quezon Hall, the regular BOR meeting on June 25, also held at Quezon Hall and the July 31 meeting at UP Manila . My backlog in reporting to you was due mainly to the opening of the semester and the demands of being a faculty member in my department and in my college.
Staff Regent Buboy Cabrera took his oath last May 29, 2009 in Iloilo . In the July 31 meeting, Charisse Bañez, Student Regent elected last April 14, was finally confirmed. In that same meeting, the new UP Alumni Association President Alfredo Pascual took his oath as the new Alumni Regent.
Below are important highlights of the meetings related to the following concerns: Faculty and personnel welfare, proposals deferred for further study, the issue of the six economics students found guilty of misconduct; programming and reprogramming of UP System and CU funds; and the reiteration of concern over the two missing students.
A. Faculty and personnel welfare
1. New Salary Standardization Law
The University of the Philippines is included in the new salary increase for government employees effective July 1, 2009 based on the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Resolution No. 4, series of 2009, Executive Order 811 and National Budget Circular 521. President Roman announced in the July meeting that DBM has transmitted to the University the funds to implement the increase for the first year.
I proposed to the BOR in the July 31 meeting an increase in lecturers’ rates based on the formula used in the March 26, 2009 BOR approval of adjustments in the rates of UP lecturers. This is to ensure that the university upholds the principle of equity and that its lecturers also benefit from the recent salary increase of all government personnel. President Roman said this is being studied by the UP administration.
2. Faculty and personnel benefits
- The Board approved the grant of a P5, 000 merit incentive to UP personnel last June 25, 2009. This is the first of two annual benefits given by the university. Lecturers are included in this benefit on a pro-rated basis. The new provision approved by the board is the encouragement to provide a similar benefit to project-hired personnel if funds are available.
- The first rice subsidy worth P1,500 was approved last May 29 and the second one was approved last July 31. This grant is in compliance with the Collective Negotiation Agreements between UP and the All UP Workers Union and between UP and the All UP Academic Employees Union. Project and contractual employees of units which have savings are encouraged to grant the same rice subsidy to these personnel.
- Increase in Annual Awards for Faculty Grants: Professorial Chairs: From P30,000 to a minimum of P50,000 and Faculty Grants: From P15,000 to P25,000
3. Promotions
- The 2008 promotions have been approved and will be in effect from April 1, 2009
- Sagad faculty will receive a one-time grant of P5,000 and Sagad REPS and administrative staff will receive a one-time grant of P3,000. The Staff Regent and I have proposed that this grant be increased by P3, 000 for both faculty and staff. President Roman said the UP Administration will reexamine the possibility of giving this at the end of the year depending on the university’s savings.
B. Proposals from the UP Administration deferred for further study
1. Construction of the IE-ME building
The proposal of UPD to allow the construction of the IE-ME building in the current site of the College of Engineering was approved in the June 2009 meeting. Former UPD Chancellor sought a reconsideration of the Board’s decision in the July 31, 2009. The Board formed a Regents’ Committee to look into the two main issues surrounding this concern: why the IE-ME building cannot be built in the new Engineering complex where the buildings of the other departments of the college have been built or will be built in the future; the possibility that the P300 million allocation for the building will be lost if the project is not started before December 2009
2. UP Naming Rights Policy
The UP Administration presented to the BOR in the July 31 meeting new and additional proposals on the existing “Guidelines for Naming Buildings, Structures, Streets, Parks and Other places in the university approved by the UP President on 27 July 2004 and noted by the BOR at its 1185th meeting on 26 of August 2004.
The present policy regarding naming of buildings, structures, streets, parks and other places in the University after living persons or juridical persons shall be allowed only when it is made a condition in a donation in favor of the University and for meritorious considerations.
The additional/new proposed provision (among others) is:
Buildings: A proposal for naming a building (or significant and identifiable section of a building) in honor of a person or organization may consider when that person or organization:
- is a major benefactor who makes a direct and substantial contribution to the capital cost of constructing the building (at least 50% of project cost) or
- has given extraordinarily distinguished service to the University that merits recognition in the University’s history (on special recommendation by the President to, and subsequent approval by, the Board of Regents.
My main criticism is that the new proposal gives naming rights to UP buildings based solely on financial considerations, in effect institutionalizing another form of “UP for Sale ”. Traditionally UP buildings have been named after heroes, dead statesmen and women or deceased outstanding academic and administrative leaders of the University. Recognition of financial donations to the university has been in the form of commemorative plaques and the naming of professorial and faculty chairs. I believe this tradition and practice should remain.
The Board decided to defer making a decision on this and on a related proposal of the Asian Studies to name the new Asian Center facilities donated by Toyota Motor Philippines to the University: entire 1 hectare property to be named GT-Toyota Asian cultural Center, The museum-library research institute building to be named GT-Toyota Hall of Wisdom and the auditorium be named GT-Toyota Asian Auditorium. (GT stands for George Ty)
3.UP Manila – PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building
The University and the Mercado General Hospital signed last June 18, 2009 a contract for the lease, conversion and development of a certain area of the PGH Dispensary Building situated at the PGH to be called the UP Manila-PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building .
When presented for approval in the June 25, 2009 meeting, the decision was deferred due to the following:
- The contract does not only provide clinic space for UP doctors to allow them to practice their profession instead of going to private hospitals (a provision not objected to by the Board) but also allows the Mercado General Hospital to put up a pharmacy, x-ray facilities and laboratories. These facilities are already found in PGH.
- The rental rate is P1,000,000 per month (net of all taxes) subject to a yearly increase or escalation at the rate of 10% per annum commencing on the 6th year of the term of the lease. ( I do not have the figures on the floor area being leased so as to compare the rental per square meter in this contract to the current per square meter rates of commercial buildings across PGH).
- The period of lease is 25 years exclusive of a rent-free period of 18 months from date of signing of contract within which the lessee must perform, comply with and complete all the works for the conversion, rehabilitation and development of FAB
- The contract may be renewed for a maximum period of five years.
The BOR has also formed a Regents’ Committee to examine further the concerns raised by the All UP Workers Union of UP Manila-PGH and concerns raised by the BOR Chair, the Faculty Regent and the Staff Regent.
4. UP Manila Campus Development Master Plan and UP Diliman’s Comprehensive Land Use, Zoning and Master Plans
Decisions on the two above proposals presented to the July 31, 2009 BOR meeting were deferred to enable the board to further study them.
5. Expanding the search for a new Director of UPPEP
The term of the Director of the UP Pampanga Extension Program ended last May 31, 2009. Two names were nominated: the current Director, a UPPEP professor and a professor from UP Diliman. The latter did not accept the nomination.
The BOR decided to expand the search for a director as there were strong reservations about the two nominees. The current director has already served three terms and her selection would mean a fourth term or a total of 12 continuous years as academic and administrative leader of UP Pampanga. The other nominee has very limited support from the faculty of the unit.
C. The UPD University Council and the BOR on the 6 Economics Students accused of cheating during an examination and found guilty of “other forms of misconduct”
The UPD UC on April 2008 approved the graduation of several School of Economics students accused of cheating during an examination. As their case was still being heard by the Student Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), the UC decided, on the principle of “presumption of innocence” voted to allow them to graduate “without prejudice to the final determination of the disciplinary cases and without prejudice to the appropriate corrective measures to be undertaken by the University should the decision be against them.”
On April 2009, the UC once again discussed the case as six of the students were found by the SDT guilty of misconduct and imposed a penalty 45 days suspension. The students did not appeal the decision. The UC deliberated on how this penalty would be served and after over two hours of discussion voted 126 for, 73 against and 13 abstain, that the graduation be withdrawn so that the students could enroll for residency and serve their suspension.
In the June 3, 2009 special BOR meeting to discuss the decision of the UPD UC, the BOR by a vote of 5 for, 3 against and 1 abstain approved the motion to confirm the graduation of the six students…without need of serving the penalty of 45 days suspension imposed by the SDT because the same is deemed to be served.”
In the June 25 regular BOR meeting, I submitted a motion for reconsideration of this decision and also requested for the Board to provide an explanation of this decision. The Chair broke the 4-4 vote in favor of denying the reconsideration.
In the July 31, 2009 meeting the Board rejected two resolutions passed by the University Council in its July 20, 2009 meeting. One resolution protested the June 3 decision of the BOR and requested for reconsideration . The other resolution was for withdrawing the honors of students found guilty of misconduct. In response to the UC's reiteration of the need for transparency regarding the bases for the BOR decisions, the Chair instructed the Office of the Secretary of the University to release to the UPD UC the record of the deliberations of the BOR meetings (June 3, June 25 and July 31) related to this case.
D. Programming and Reprogramming of Funds of the System and CUs
· May 29, 2009:
- Open U: P9, 525,636.25
- UP System: P55, 486,855.22
· June 25, 2009
- UP Visayas: (Programming of Income): P1, 289, 746.21
- UP Manila : (Reprogramming of unexpended balances: P40, 876,409.57
- UP Diliman: (Reprogramming of Unexpended Obligations under the GAA): P35, 216,137.85
· July 31, 2009
- UP System (Reprogramming of unexpended balances): P20, 655,073.38
- UP Diliman (Programming of income): P13, 771, 429, 21
E. Reiteration of UP’s concern over missing UP Students
As the June 25, 2009 meeting was just a day before the third anniversary of the abduction of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, who disappeared on June 26, 2006, I shared with the board the UPD University Council resolution dated July 26, 2006.
_________
* The 2009-2010 Faculty Regent is Dr. Judy Taguiwalo. She is presently a professor from the College of Social Work and Community Development and a former National President of the All U.P. Academic Employees Union
To Those Who Mourn for Tita Cory....
A Letter from the NY Committee from Human Rights in the Philippines
Reference: Peter Arvin Jabido, NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, email: nychrp@gmail.com
The NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines sends its condolences to the Cojuanco-Aquino family and joins the Filipino people in mourning the death of former Philippine President Corazon "Cory" Aquino last weekend after a long and brave battle against cancer.
During the three-year exile of the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino in the United States to seek medical treatment, the Aquino family settled in Boston and traveled frequently to New York City, where there still remains the legacy of an anti-fascist, anti-dictatorship, pro-democracy movement of overseas Filipino professionals. Many from New York City supported the Aquino family as the movement to oppose the Martial Law under Ferdinand Marcos can also be attributed to uniting broad ranks of Filipinos overseas as well as in Manila and throughout the Philippines.
By now, Cory Aquino's story is well-known. From the shadow of her murdered husband, this "mere housewife"-- as described by Marcos-- rose to become the first woman president of the Philippines and in Asia. The combination of Ninoy's tragedy and Cory's victory not only fast-tracked the toppling of a 20-year old dictatorship, it brought various Filipinos from different social standings together and was a wake-up call to the possibility of collective action and nationwide unity in order to make it happen. It also led to the release of hundreds of government critics who had been imprisoned and tortured by the Marcos government for political beliefs, as well as the exploration of peace prospects through negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, who have been in engaged in a 40 year old civil war.
These, perhaps, should be the most-remembered and lasting contributions of "Tita Cory", as she was fondly known.
Though Tita Cory's presidency had its notable shortcomings-- including a fraudulent land reform program that led to the shooting of indignant farmers calling for genuine land reform along Mendiola Bridge in 1987, as well as human rights violations committed by the same Armed Forces of the Philippines responsible for Martial Law-- these cannot deny its strong pursuit of reforms in the name of restoring democracy after Marcos. These include the formal closing of the former permanent US military bases after nearly a century of establishment, the restoring of the Philippine Congress as a pillar of democracy that had been dismantled under Marcos, and the creation of the 1987 Philippine Constitution to include specific provisions that limit foreign intervention and promote Philippine sovereignty as well as safeguard against executive abuse of power in the form of martial rule.
Though moral conviction against tyranny and corruption made Tita Cory stand apart from previous Philippine administrations and earned her the support of the Catholic Church, it also subjected her to the wrath of destabilizers within her own government and military that sought to bring her down. In the end, Tita Cory's popularity withstood several attempts at military coup d'etat to overthrow her.
Even after retiring from the presidency, Tita Cory publicly stood up against gross government corruption traced to both the administrations of Joseph Estrada and most recently with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Now the pro-sovereignty provisions to the Philippine Constitution that Cory's administration introduced stand to be erased due to a relentless campaign for greed and power under Arroyo, as exemplified through Arroyo's Charter Change. Though many have compared these two women presidents of the Philippines and pointed out their incidental similarities, let us focus on what makes them starkly different.
While Cory's administration saw the formal closing of the permanent US military bases, Gloria's administration seeks to formally restore them.
While Cory publicly opposed corruption, Gloria is guilty of committing and promoting it.
While Cory framed the 1987 Philippine Constitution seeking restore democracy, Gloria wants threatens democracy by seeking to change it.
While Cory freed political prisoners who were illegally detained and tortured, Gloria continues to illegally detain and torture critics of her regime.
While Cory stood up against Marcos, Gloria is emulating Marcos.
While Cory proved her moral credibility with the people, the church and international community, Gloria has lost all moral credibility with the people, the church and the international community.
In her final years, Tita Cory was one of the few from the Philippine political elite who asked Arroyo to step down from the presidency. She remained firm to this position to her deathbed.
The fight inspired by Tita Cory in 1986 is far from over. Genuine democracy in the Philippines has yet to be restored and realized.
Let the movement that Tita Cory inspired not be in vain. In the midst of another tyrannical government, let us again unite from Manila, to New York City, to the far-flung provinces of the Philippines against corruption, rising fascism, and dictatorship.
As millions now gather to mourn, let us mourn as Tita Cory would want us to-- not just by tying yellow ribbons or flashing the "L" hand signs, but by continuing the people's movement in aspiration for genuine sovereignty, democracy, and peace.
Towards Unity & Nationhood,
The NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
--
New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
www.nychrp.org
email: nychrp@gmail.com
Thursday, July 30, 2009
DMMC-FMAB Salot sa Kalusugan ng Mamamayan: Tutulan! Labanan!
Pagkatapos magpalabas ng kalatas ang unyon para tutulan ang pagsasapribado ng PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB) noong ika-18 ng Hunyo 2009 ay may pahayag mula sa isang opisyal ng UP College of Medicine at consultant din ng ospital na: “Bakit ba kayo sa unyon ay tumututol pa sa posibleeng kikitain ng PGH mula sa FMAB? Saan nyo ba nais kumuha ng pondo ang ospital para ipandagdag sa kakapusan ng ibinibigay ng gobyerno?”
Samakatuwid, marami ang nasa Administrasyon ngayon ng mahal nating ospital na ang utak ay hindi na serbisyo kungdi ang kumita. Sa halip ang atupagin ay ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mamamayan sa abot-kayang serbisyong pangkalusugan at igiit ang kaukulang pondo mula sa gobyerno para dito; ang pinagka-abalahan ay ang pag-paplano at pagpapatupad kung papaano pa mahuthutan ang naghihirap nang Sambayanan.
Sa harap ng papalaking bilang ng nawawalan ng trabaho at mga pamilyang nagugutom at siyang bumubuo ng may halos nobenta porsiyento (90%) ng mga pasyente ng ospital ay may sikmura pa silang magpapatupad ng dagdag singil sa mga serbsiyong ibinibigay ng ospital.
Inuulit po natin, ang unyon ay hindi tumututol sa geographical private practice ng ating mga medical consultant, ang ayaw natin ay ang pagtatatayo pa ng mga pribadong pasilidad sa loob ng PGH para kumpetensiyahan ang mga serbisyong ibinibigay ng ospital tulad ng Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology, Diagnostic/endoscopic Examinations at iba pa. May mga karanasan na tayo kung saan nagsimula lamang sa paunti-unti partisipasyon ng pribadong mamumuhunan sa mga serbisyong ipinagkaloob ng ospital subalit sa kalaunan sa pamamagitan ng polisiyang ipinatupad ng PGH Administration mismo, pinatay na rin nito ang sariling serbisyo at buong-buo nang ipinaupaya sa pribado, tulad halimbawa ng mga Mechanical Ventilator/Respirator. Sa ngayon ay hindi na nagpopondo ang ospital sa pambili ng sariling respirator dahil nandidiyan naman daw ang mga private respirator leasing companies para magpa-upa (kahit sa charity) sa mga pasyenteng gagamit nito. Tipid na raw sa ”maintenance,” kumikita pa ang ospital mula sa porsiyento ng upa.
Kung atin pa ring matandaan noong dekada nubenta (’90s), may isang mataas na opisyal ng ospital ang may-ari din ng parmasya sa harap ng PGH kaya’t ang nangyari, madalas na walang gamot ang parmasya ng ospital, at ang lahat halos na wala sa parmasya ng PGH ay mabibili mo sa parmasya sa harapan ng ospital.
Ang tawag sa isyung ito ay malinaw na ”conflict of interest.” Tayo ay pumasok sa PGH para magbigay serbisyo sa mamamayan, hindi para pagkakakitaan kahit pa yaong mga kapos-palad nating mga kababayan.
Mula sa mga karanasang ito, maaring sa malapit na hinaharap, kung matuloy ang “private” FMAB, ang madalas na kulang sa gamot o reagent o, pagkasira ng mga gamit ay gawing dahilan ng mga utak negosyong nasa Administrasyon ng PGH upang tuluyan ng isara nito ang PGH Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology at iba pa at ipaubaya na lang sa mga private companies ang mga pangangailangan ng ospital sa mga nabanggit na pasilidad. - lantay at tahasan nang pribatisasyon at pagtalikod ng estado sa responsibilidad nitong ipagkaloob sa mamamayan ang abot-kayang serbisyong pangkalusugan.
Tutulan ang pribatisasyon sa PGH! Tutulan ang pagratipika ng Board of Regents sa Memorandum of Agreement sa pagitan ng PGH at Daniel Mercado Medical Center kaugnay sa FMAB.
Singilin ang gobyernong GMA sa responsibilidad nito sa Sambayanang Pilipino!
Ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mamamayan sa serbisyong pangkalusugan!
Samakatuwid, marami ang nasa Administrasyon ngayon ng mahal nating ospital na ang utak ay hindi na serbisyo kungdi ang kumita. Sa halip ang atupagin ay ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mamamayan sa abot-kayang serbisyong pangkalusugan at igiit ang kaukulang pondo mula sa gobyerno para dito; ang pinagka-abalahan ay ang pag-paplano at pagpapatupad kung papaano pa mahuthutan ang naghihirap nang Sambayanan.
Sa harap ng papalaking bilang ng nawawalan ng trabaho at mga pamilyang nagugutom at siyang bumubuo ng may halos nobenta porsiyento (90%) ng mga pasyente ng ospital ay may sikmura pa silang magpapatupad ng dagdag singil sa mga serbsiyong ibinibigay ng ospital.
Inuulit po natin, ang unyon ay hindi tumututol sa geographical private practice ng ating mga medical consultant, ang ayaw natin ay ang pagtatatayo pa ng mga pribadong pasilidad sa loob ng PGH para kumpetensiyahan ang mga serbisyong ibinibigay ng ospital tulad ng Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology, Diagnostic/endoscopic Examinations at iba pa. May mga karanasan na tayo kung saan nagsimula lamang sa paunti-unti partisipasyon ng pribadong mamumuhunan sa mga serbisyong ipinagkaloob ng ospital subalit sa kalaunan sa pamamagitan ng polisiyang ipinatupad ng PGH Administration mismo, pinatay na rin nito ang sariling serbisyo at buong-buo nang ipinaupaya sa pribado, tulad halimbawa ng mga Mechanical Ventilator/Respirator. Sa ngayon ay hindi na nagpopondo ang ospital sa pambili ng sariling respirator dahil nandidiyan naman daw ang mga private respirator leasing companies para magpa-upa (kahit sa charity) sa mga pasyenteng gagamit nito. Tipid na raw sa ”maintenance,” kumikita pa ang ospital mula sa porsiyento ng upa.
Kung atin pa ring matandaan noong dekada nubenta (’90s), may isang mataas na opisyal ng ospital ang may-ari din ng parmasya sa harap ng PGH kaya’t ang nangyari, madalas na walang gamot ang parmasya ng ospital, at ang lahat halos na wala sa parmasya ng PGH ay mabibili mo sa parmasya sa harapan ng ospital.
Ang tawag sa isyung ito ay malinaw na ”conflict of interest.” Tayo ay pumasok sa PGH para magbigay serbisyo sa mamamayan, hindi para pagkakakitaan kahit pa yaong mga kapos-palad nating mga kababayan.
Mula sa mga karanasang ito, maaring sa malapit na hinaharap, kung matuloy ang “private” FMAB, ang madalas na kulang sa gamot o reagent o, pagkasira ng mga gamit ay gawing dahilan ng mga utak negosyong nasa Administrasyon ng PGH upang tuluyan ng isara nito ang PGH Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology at iba pa at ipaubaya na lang sa mga private companies ang mga pangangailangan ng ospital sa mga nabanggit na pasilidad. - lantay at tahasan nang pribatisasyon at pagtalikod ng estado sa responsibilidad nitong ipagkaloob sa mamamayan ang abot-kayang serbisyong pangkalusugan.
Tutulan ang pribatisasyon sa PGH! Tutulan ang pagratipika ng Board of Regents sa Memorandum of Agreement sa pagitan ng PGH at Daniel Mercado Medical Center kaugnay sa FMAB.
Singilin ang gobyernong GMA sa responsibilidad nito sa Sambayanang Pilipino!
Ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mamamayan sa serbisyong pangkalusugan!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Pahayag ng Pagtutol sa Komersiyalisasyon sa PGH*
Sa pagpasok ng PGH sa leasing agreement sa Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB) (ang dating PGH Infirmary) sa Daniel Mercado Medical Center (DMMC) ay lumalabas na ang tunay na tunguhin sa modernization program ng kasalukuyang PGH Administration ay lantay na commercialization.
Ayon sa kasunduan, bukod sa pagpapa-upa sa mga PGH consultants para sa kanilang private clinics; papayagan din ang DMMC na mag-operate sa FMAB ng sariling ambulatory operating room, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, iba pang mga diagnostic facilities, at mga kaakibat na pasilidad.
Ang ibig sabihin, lantaran ng magkakaroon ng mga pribadong pasilidad sa loob mismo ng PGH na eksklusibong magbibigay serbisyo sa mga pribadong pasyente o yaong may kakayanang magbayad. Isang esensiyang karakter ng microprivatization/co-location, kung saan habang minamantini na publiko pa rin ang isang institusyon subalit ang mga serbisyong ipinagkakaloob nito ay nasa pribadong kompanya na, o may kaalinsabayang pribadong serbisyo sa loob mismo ng institusyon upang direktang kinukumpetensiya at unti-unting pinapatay ang pampublikong serbisyo.
Samakatuwid, kung ito ay lumawak pa, isang araw ay magising na lang tayong ang lahat na ng serbisyo ng PGH ay pribado na - may bayad na kasing taas o higit pa sa pribadong ospital.
Ang microprivatization/co-location ay mapanlinlang na tipo ng polisiyang pribatisasyon ng pambansang pamahalaan sa dikta ng International Monetary Fund-World Bank (IMF-WB) para ibigay sa pribadong sektor at pagkakakitaan ang mga serbisyong bayan kasama na ang serbisyong pangkalusugan para masegurong makabayad sa mga kautangan nito. Ang mga serbisyong panlipunan tulad ng kalusugan ay pangunahing batayan ng pagkakaroon ng pamahalaan at sinisiguro ng ating Saligang Batas na dapat ipagkaloob ng estado. Subalit maging ito ay tinatalikuran na rin ng ating pamahalaan.
Ang All U.P. Workers Union ay naninindigan na ang PGH ay ospital ng bayan. Sa panahon ng pandaigdigang krisis pang-ekonomiya at pandaigdigang pananalanta ng Influenza A (H1N1), ngayon natin dapat pagyamanin pa ang mahusay na serbisyong pangkalusugan na de-kalidad, abot-kaya at laan sa mamamayan, at hindi ang kabaliktaran nito.
Hinahamon natin ang Administrasyong Alfiler, kung kayo ay totoo ayon sa inyong ibinabandila na magaling at talentado, paghusayin natin ang ating serbisyo sa bayan sa paraang hindi na pinapatindi ang panghuhuthot sa ating mga kababayan na hilahod na sa hirap. Huwag nating gawing dahilan na kesyo kulang ang pondo mula sa pambansang pamahalaan. Katunayan mahigit trilyong piso na ang pambansang budget at kung saan halos 90% nito ay napupunta lamang sa pambayad utang, pondong pandigma at terorismo ng estado at kurupsiyon. Huwag kayong tumulad sa inyong among nasa Malakanyang na sa harap ng malawakang akusasyon ng korupsiyon at paglabag sa karapatang pantao ay kapit-tuko sa pwesto at naglalatag pa ng mga mapanlinlang na mga pamamaraan tulad ng Senate-less Con-Ass upang manatili sa posisyon ng lagpas pa ng 2010.
Sa ating mga kapwa kawani, tayo ay pumasok sa PGH upang magsilbi sa sambayanan, huwag tayong pagagamit sa makasariling ambisyon ng mga namumuno sa atin. Tayo ay may sagradong papel upang labanan ang mga patakarang higit pang nagpapahirap sa Sambayanan. Ilantad at labanan ang komersiyalisasyon at pribatisasyon ng PGH. Ipaglaban ang karapatan ng Sambayanan sa batayang serbisyong pangkalusugan.
Mabuhay ang mga kawani ng PGH na taus puso at may pagmamalasakit na nagsisilbi sa ating mamamayan!
_______________
* Pahayag ng All U.P. Workers Union Manila kaugnay sa Signing Ceremonies ng Memorandum of Agreement sa pagitan ng UP-PGH at Daniel Mercado Medical Center (DMMC) ngayong ika-18 ng Hunyo 2009. Ayon sa kasunduan ang planong Faculty and Medical Arts Building (ang dating PGH Infirmary) ay pangangasiwaan ng DMMC sa loob ng dalawamput-limang (25) taon kapalit ng renta sa PGH.
Ayon sa kasunduan, bukod sa pagpapa-upa sa mga PGH consultants para sa kanilang private clinics; papayagan din ang DMMC na mag-operate sa FMAB ng sariling ambulatory operating room, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, iba pang mga diagnostic facilities, at mga kaakibat na pasilidad.
Ang ibig sabihin, lantaran ng magkakaroon ng mga pribadong pasilidad sa loob mismo ng PGH na eksklusibong magbibigay serbisyo sa mga pribadong pasyente o yaong may kakayanang magbayad. Isang esensiyang karakter ng microprivatization/co-location, kung saan habang minamantini na publiko pa rin ang isang institusyon subalit ang mga serbisyong ipinagkakaloob nito ay nasa pribadong kompanya na, o may kaalinsabayang pribadong serbisyo sa loob mismo ng institusyon upang direktang kinukumpetensiya at unti-unting pinapatay ang pampublikong serbisyo.
Samakatuwid, kung ito ay lumawak pa, isang araw ay magising na lang tayong ang lahat na ng serbisyo ng PGH ay pribado na - may bayad na kasing taas o higit pa sa pribadong ospital.
Ang microprivatization/co-location ay mapanlinlang na tipo ng polisiyang pribatisasyon ng pambansang pamahalaan sa dikta ng International Monetary Fund-World Bank (IMF-WB) para ibigay sa pribadong sektor at pagkakakitaan ang mga serbisyong bayan kasama na ang serbisyong pangkalusugan para masegurong makabayad sa mga kautangan nito. Ang mga serbisyong panlipunan tulad ng kalusugan ay pangunahing batayan ng pagkakaroon ng pamahalaan at sinisiguro ng ating Saligang Batas na dapat ipagkaloob ng estado. Subalit maging ito ay tinatalikuran na rin ng ating pamahalaan.
Ang All U.P. Workers Union ay naninindigan na ang PGH ay ospital ng bayan. Sa panahon ng pandaigdigang krisis pang-ekonomiya at pandaigdigang pananalanta ng Influenza A (H1N1), ngayon natin dapat pagyamanin pa ang mahusay na serbisyong pangkalusugan na de-kalidad, abot-kaya at laan sa mamamayan, at hindi ang kabaliktaran nito.
Hinahamon natin ang Administrasyong Alfiler, kung kayo ay totoo ayon sa inyong ibinabandila na magaling at talentado, paghusayin natin ang ating serbisyo sa bayan sa paraang hindi na pinapatindi ang panghuhuthot sa ating mga kababayan na hilahod na sa hirap. Huwag nating gawing dahilan na kesyo kulang ang pondo mula sa pambansang pamahalaan. Katunayan mahigit trilyong piso na ang pambansang budget at kung saan halos 90% nito ay napupunta lamang sa pambayad utang, pondong pandigma at terorismo ng estado at kurupsiyon. Huwag kayong tumulad sa inyong among nasa Malakanyang na sa harap ng malawakang akusasyon ng korupsiyon at paglabag sa karapatang pantao ay kapit-tuko sa pwesto at naglalatag pa ng mga mapanlinlang na mga pamamaraan tulad ng Senate-less Con-Ass upang manatili sa posisyon ng lagpas pa ng 2010.
Sa ating mga kapwa kawani, tayo ay pumasok sa PGH upang magsilbi sa sambayanan, huwag tayong pagagamit sa makasariling ambisyon ng mga namumuno sa atin. Tayo ay may sagradong papel upang labanan ang mga patakarang higit pang nagpapahirap sa Sambayanan. Ilantad at labanan ang komersiyalisasyon at pribatisasyon ng PGH. Ipaglaban ang karapatan ng Sambayanan sa batayang serbisyong pangkalusugan.
Mabuhay ang mga kawani ng PGH na taus puso at may pagmamalasakit na nagsisilbi sa ating mamamayan!
_______________
* Pahayag ng All U.P. Workers Union Manila kaugnay sa Signing Ceremonies ng Memorandum of Agreement sa pagitan ng UP-PGH at Daniel Mercado Medical Center (DMMC) ngayong ika-18 ng Hunyo 2009. Ayon sa kasunduan ang planong Faculty and Medical Arts Building (ang dating PGH Infirmary) ay pangangasiwaan ng DMMC sa loob ng dalawamput-limang (25) taon kapalit ng renta sa PGH.
Con-Ass” and the People’s Wrath
PUBLISHED ON June 16, 2009 AT 5:33 PM
By CAROL PAGADUAN-ARAULLO
Streetwise / Business World
Posted by Bulatlat
The anti-Charter change (Chacha) and anti-Arroyo forces had barely a week to mount the muscle-flexing protest action yesterday in Ayala Avenue, Makati City and in major urban centers nationwide. They achieved a big measure of success by gathering thousands in Makati and hundreds if not thousands more in various cities and big towns nationwide. They displayed broad participation by the organizations of the basic sectors among the working people, the civic, professional and artist groups, the Catholic religious congregations and some bishops, the protestant churches, the opposition leaders and parties, and government officials and military/police officers critical of the Arroyo regime.
Earlier mini-protests erupted in various parts of Metro Manila and “viral” protest spread as well in the virtual world of the internet giving a foretaste of what could lie ahead for the Arroyo clique as it schemes, manipulates and buys its ways to staying in power beyond 2010, the Constitutionally-mandated end of GMA’s term in office.
There is no denying that a vast majority of the people have had enough of Mrs.Arroyo and her ilk. The crimes of her regime just keep mounting despite the many times that she has been caught red-handed. She has willfully ignored calls for accountability by the people, by the political opposition, religious and business leaders and even by the international community appalled at rampant human rights violations.
Shamelessly, Mrs. Arroyo has clung to power; she has refused to resign. She has used emergency rule and various other draconian measures including extrajudicial killings, militarization of rural and urban poor communities, illegal arrest and detention and the filing of trumped-up criminal charges against her perceived enemies, to prevent her ouster through popular uprising.
Mrs. Arroyo and her clique have come up against Constitutional term limits that makes her stepping down from power a given. She could appoint a loyal and pliant presidential candidate for the national elections in 2010 and utilize all the dirty tricks in the books (and some she has invented) to make that candidate “win” in order to buy political insurance for herself and her cohorts. The same way she preempted every impeachment move by buying off the “honorable” members of the HOR; the way she squelched every investigation into anomalies of her administration by appointing a subservient Ombudsman; and the way she stopped every attempt to pry open inquiry into the most scandalous of corrupt government deals by her hold on the Supreme Court, majority of whom are her appointees.
But obviously that isn’t enough to ensure protection from being haled to court once she loses her presidential immunity. Similarly, she cannot predict where the political winds may blow once out of power; political debts can be easily forgotten or overtaken by the pressing concerns of the new administration whose own interests may no longer coincide with that of Mrs. Arroyo.
This is the real reason for the desperate, despicable and brazenly unconstitutional move called “Con-Ass”, recently railroaded by Mrs. Arroyo’s allies in the House of Representatives (HOR), by the mere expedient of a majority vote on House Resolution 1109 sponsored by no less than Speaker Prospero Nograles. H.R. 1109 empowers Congress to convene as a constituent assembly in order to revise the Philippine Constitution by two thirds of all congressmen and senators voting jointly. And since the more than 200 members of the Lower House vastly outnumber the 24 members of the Senate, this bogus Constituent Assembly can be convened and make revisions in the Charter even without a single senator participating.
The illegal and fake Constituent Assembly, packed by Arroyo allies whose compliance to her marching orders are ensured by millions-worth of incentives, will undertake the shift to a parliamentary system from the current presidential system. In this way, Mrs. Arroyo can run as a representative in her congressional district and manipulate her way into becoming prime minister later on by simply buying off the majority of members of parliament.
Time and so many legal impediments seem to make this scenario untenable. Still, all the moves of Mrs. Arroyo and her allies constitute an undeniable trail of deception, lies, maneuvers, buy-offs and quid-pro-quos that point the way to this as the major ploy of the Arroyo clique.
Despite Mrs. Arroyo’s posturing that the merger of the two political parties loyal to her, the Lakas-CMD and Kampi, is proof positive that the 2010 presidential elections are pushing through as scheduled, the truth is such a merger party is precisely what Mrs. Arroyo will use to bamboozle the opposition once she moves to get the prime minister position in a new Parliament.
For someone supposedly so focused on the business of running the country, Mrs. Arroyo has noticeably gone on frequent sorties into her hometown and adjoining towns, part of the Congressional district in Pampanga where she will likely run for congressperson. Now why should a former president of the country be interested in running for the lowly post of a congressperson if this isn’t the stepping stone to the most powerful post in a parliamentary form of government?
Will the fear of the people’s wrath give pause to Mrs. Arroyo and her evil cabal of plotters? At this point it is clear that this hardly is the case. The Arroyo clique has taken an important lesson from the Marcos Dictatorship on what are crucial to achieve their Machiavellian designs. First is to secure the backing of the United States government (it will give the “democratic” imprimatur to the recycled Arroyo regime via Con-Ass and shift to parliamentary system). Then ensure the loyalty of the military and police generals; the blessings of enough voices among the church hierarchy and big business community; and the chorus of servile “ayes” from so-called parliamentarians and local government officials fattened by pork barrel and other perks.
The Arroyo clique is betting that the elite classes who rule this country and the lone Super Power, the US of A, can be enticed to see things its way; that is, the Arroyo clique’s narrow interests as key to protecting and upholding their own immediate and strategic interests. For example, apart from changing the Charter in order to make possible Mrs. Arroyo’s continuing hold on the reigns of power in this country, Mrs. Arroyo uses as bait constitutional amendments that will allow foreign investors to acquire ownership and control over all natural resources and economic enterprises to the extent of 100 per cent and to sell out the economic sovereignty and national patrimony of the Filipino people.
US and other foreign military forces are to be allowed unrestricted stay and operations in the Philippines not just by means of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) but by Constitutional fiat. Many of the constitutional provisions against the basing of foreign military forces and nuclear, chemical, biological and other weapons of mass destruction on Philippine soil are under threat of being excised from the basic law of the land. The Arroyo regime also wants to remove the constitutional restraints on martial law, emergency rule and violations of human rights. It seeks to undermine formal guarantees of civil and political liberties in the bill of rights achieved in the wake of the people’s victory over the US- backed Marcos dictatorship.
One lesson that the Arroyo clique has obviously failed to learn is that the inevitable ending for dictators and would-be dictators in this country and elsewhere in the world is the dust-bin of history. The people’s wrath and courageous, persistent mass struggles will definitely see to that. (Bulatlat.com)
By CAROL PAGADUAN-ARAULLO
Streetwise / Business World
Posted by Bulatlat
The anti-Charter change (Chacha) and anti-Arroyo forces had barely a week to mount the muscle-flexing protest action yesterday in Ayala Avenue, Makati City and in major urban centers nationwide. They achieved a big measure of success by gathering thousands in Makati and hundreds if not thousands more in various cities and big towns nationwide. They displayed broad participation by the organizations of the basic sectors among the working people, the civic, professional and artist groups, the Catholic religious congregations and some bishops, the protestant churches, the opposition leaders and parties, and government officials and military/police officers critical of the Arroyo regime.
Earlier mini-protests erupted in various parts of Metro Manila and “viral” protest spread as well in the virtual world of the internet giving a foretaste of what could lie ahead for the Arroyo clique as it schemes, manipulates and buys its ways to staying in power beyond 2010, the Constitutionally-mandated end of GMA’s term in office.
There is no denying that a vast majority of the people have had enough of Mrs.Arroyo and her ilk. The crimes of her regime just keep mounting despite the many times that she has been caught red-handed. She has willfully ignored calls for accountability by the people, by the political opposition, religious and business leaders and even by the international community appalled at rampant human rights violations.
Shamelessly, Mrs. Arroyo has clung to power; she has refused to resign. She has used emergency rule and various other draconian measures including extrajudicial killings, militarization of rural and urban poor communities, illegal arrest and detention and the filing of trumped-up criminal charges against her perceived enemies, to prevent her ouster through popular uprising.
Mrs. Arroyo and her clique have come up against Constitutional term limits that makes her stepping down from power a given. She could appoint a loyal and pliant presidential candidate for the national elections in 2010 and utilize all the dirty tricks in the books (and some she has invented) to make that candidate “win” in order to buy political insurance for herself and her cohorts. The same way she preempted every impeachment move by buying off the “honorable” members of the HOR; the way she squelched every investigation into anomalies of her administration by appointing a subservient Ombudsman; and the way she stopped every attempt to pry open inquiry into the most scandalous of corrupt government deals by her hold on the Supreme Court, majority of whom are her appointees.
But obviously that isn’t enough to ensure protection from being haled to court once she loses her presidential immunity. Similarly, she cannot predict where the political winds may blow once out of power; political debts can be easily forgotten or overtaken by the pressing concerns of the new administration whose own interests may no longer coincide with that of Mrs. Arroyo.
This is the real reason for the desperate, despicable and brazenly unconstitutional move called “Con-Ass”, recently railroaded by Mrs. Arroyo’s allies in the House of Representatives (HOR), by the mere expedient of a majority vote on House Resolution 1109 sponsored by no less than Speaker Prospero Nograles. H.R. 1109 empowers Congress to convene as a constituent assembly in order to revise the Philippine Constitution by two thirds of all congressmen and senators voting jointly. And since the more than 200 members of the Lower House vastly outnumber the 24 members of the Senate, this bogus Constituent Assembly can be convened and make revisions in the Charter even without a single senator participating.
The illegal and fake Constituent Assembly, packed by Arroyo allies whose compliance to her marching orders are ensured by millions-worth of incentives, will undertake the shift to a parliamentary system from the current presidential system. In this way, Mrs. Arroyo can run as a representative in her congressional district and manipulate her way into becoming prime minister later on by simply buying off the majority of members of parliament.
Time and so many legal impediments seem to make this scenario untenable. Still, all the moves of Mrs. Arroyo and her allies constitute an undeniable trail of deception, lies, maneuvers, buy-offs and quid-pro-quos that point the way to this as the major ploy of the Arroyo clique.
Despite Mrs. Arroyo’s posturing that the merger of the two political parties loyal to her, the Lakas-CMD and Kampi, is proof positive that the 2010 presidential elections are pushing through as scheduled, the truth is such a merger party is precisely what Mrs. Arroyo will use to bamboozle the opposition once she moves to get the prime minister position in a new Parliament.
For someone supposedly so focused on the business of running the country, Mrs. Arroyo has noticeably gone on frequent sorties into her hometown and adjoining towns, part of the Congressional district in Pampanga where she will likely run for congressperson. Now why should a former president of the country be interested in running for the lowly post of a congressperson if this isn’t the stepping stone to the most powerful post in a parliamentary form of government?
Will the fear of the people’s wrath give pause to Mrs. Arroyo and her evil cabal of plotters? At this point it is clear that this hardly is the case. The Arroyo clique has taken an important lesson from the Marcos Dictatorship on what are crucial to achieve their Machiavellian designs. First is to secure the backing of the United States government (it will give the “democratic” imprimatur to the recycled Arroyo regime via Con-Ass and shift to parliamentary system). Then ensure the loyalty of the military and police generals; the blessings of enough voices among the church hierarchy and big business community; and the chorus of servile “ayes” from so-called parliamentarians and local government officials fattened by pork barrel and other perks.
The Arroyo clique is betting that the elite classes who rule this country and the lone Super Power, the US of A, can be enticed to see things its way; that is, the Arroyo clique’s narrow interests as key to protecting and upholding their own immediate and strategic interests. For example, apart from changing the Charter in order to make possible Mrs. Arroyo’s continuing hold on the reigns of power in this country, Mrs. Arroyo uses as bait constitutional amendments that will allow foreign investors to acquire ownership and control over all natural resources and economic enterprises to the extent of 100 per cent and to sell out the economic sovereignty and national patrimony of the Filipino people.
US and other foreign military forces are to be allowed unrestricted stay and operations in the Philippines not just by means of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) but by Constitutional fiat. Many of the constitutional provisions against the basing of foreign military forces and nuclear, chemical, biological and other weapons of mass destruction on Philippine soil are under threat of being excised from the basic law of the land. The Arroyo regime also wants to remove the constitutional restraints on martial law, emergency rule and violations of human rights. It seeks to undermine formal guarantees of civil and political liberties in the bill of rights achieved in the wake of the people’s victory over the US- backed Marcos dictatorship.
One lesson that the Arroyo clique has obviously failed to learn is that the inevitable ending for dictators and would-be dictators in this country and elsewhere in the world is the dust-bin of history. The people’s wrath and courageous, persistent mass struggles will definitely see to that. (Bulatlat.com)
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Nurses Decry Lower Salaries in New Law
Health workers say DoH 'insensitive' to salary law
By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
Posted date: June 03, 2009
MANILA, Philippines— Public health workers on Wednesday staged a rally outside the office of the health secretary slamming the Department of Health’s silence on the approval of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) in Congress earlier this week.
Emma Manuel, national president of the Alliance of Health Workers Inc., said members of her organization are disappointed with the passage of the salary standardization scheme which disregards the Nursing Act of 2002 and threatens their benefits under the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers.
The new law is “worse than the A/H1N1 virus, instantly killing the Nursing Act provision on Salary Grade 15 for nurses and putting the benefits of public health workers in jeopardy,” Manuel said.
Under the new law, new nurses are at Salary Grade 11 getting a monthly salary of P12,000. The law provides for P6,000 worth of increases spread over four years.
But under another law, the Nursing Act or Republic Act 9173, which was enacted seven years ago but still not implemented until now, new nurses should be at Salary Grade 15, getting a monthly salary of P25,000.
“In the last seven years, the government deprived the Filipino nurses of their right to Salary Grade 15,” said Manuel.
Teresita Barcelo, national president of the Philippine Nurses Association Inc., said the signing of SSL into law killed the Nursing Law and “denied Filipino nurses of their right to humane salaries.”
“We help take care of life but we are deprived of our rights. We are fighting for our legitimate right—the implementation of RA 9173,” she said in Filipino.
Barcelo said nurses in the Philippines are overworked, with a nurse to patient ratio of one is to 50. She said this situation makes it hard for nurses here to perform their health duties and to sustain their families’ financial needs.
Manuel also lamented the silence of the Department of Health in the issue. She said it smacks of “utmost insensitivity to the plight of nurses and health workers. While health workers tirelessly lobbied in the House and Senate, the DoH washed its hands, literally and figuratively.”
Ernie Espinosa, president of National Center for Mental Health Workers Association, agreed. “Neither the DoH secretary nor any director from the department joined us in our fight for our salaries and rights. We are health workers who serve the people and the government,” he said.
Health Assistant Secretary Luna Fernandez told the group that the DoH will be open for dialog with the health workers.
By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
Posted date: June 03, 2009
MANILA, Philippines— Public health workers on Wednesday staged a rally outside the office of the health secretary slamming the Department of Health’s silence on the approval of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) in Congress earlier this week.
Emma Manuel, national president of the Alliance of Health Workers Inc., said members of her organization are disappointed with the passage of the salary standardization scheme which disregards the Nursing Act of 2002 and threatens their benefits under the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers.
The new law is “worse than the A/H1N1 virus, instantly killing the Nursing Act provision on Salary Grade 15 for nurses and putting the benefits of public health workers in jeopardy,” Manuel said.
Under the new law, new nurses are at Salary Grade 11 getting a monthly salary of P12,000. The law provides for P6,000 worth of increases spread over four years.
But under another law, the Nursing Act or Republic Act 9173, which was enacted seven years ago but still not implemented until now, new nurses should be at Salary Grade 15, getting a monthly salary of P25,000.
“In the last seven years, the government deprived the Filipino nurses of their right to Salary Grade 15,” said Manuel.
Teresita Barcelo, national president of the Philippine Nurses Association Inc., said the signing of SSL into law killed the Nursing Law and “denied Filipino nurses of their right to humane salaries.”
“We help take care of life but we are deprived of our rights. We are fighting for our legitimate right—the implementation of RA 9173,” she said in Filipino.
Barcelo said nurses in the Philippines are overworked, with a nurse to patient ratio of one is to 50. She said this situation makes it hard for nurses here to perform their health duties and to sustain their families’ financial needs.
Manuel also lamented the silence of the Department of Health in the issue. She said it smacks of “utmost insensitivity to the plight of nurses and health workers. While health workers tirelessly lobbied in the House and Senate, the DoH washed its hands, literally and figuratively.”
Ernie Espinosa, president of National Center for Mental Health Workers Association, agreed. “Neither the DoH secretary nor any director from the department joined us in our fight for our salaries and rights. We are health workers who serve the people and the government,” he said.
Health Assistant Secretary Luna Fernandez told the group that the DoH will be open for dialog with the health workers.
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