"To all the graduates"

"To all the graduates"

Graduates,
Today is a special day, especially to the sons and daughters whose 4 year hardships hath end up with pomp and fervor, complete with diplomas and shining shimmering medals being vested upon to them as they exit the realms of education.

However,
Graduation does not mean the end, but rather a beginning of another challenge, as Constantino said:
"...It is in the conventional sense a commencement of adult responsibility for the young. For their parents, it is the climax of years of anxious waiting and of sacrifices. But, if both want to divest it with a deeper significance, commencement should mark the beginning of understanding and of partnership with the young in patriotic involvement."
True as what Consantino said, for as graduates of Batch 2010 must also ought to create an era of new understanding and willing to take partnership especially with the contributors of our society, not just parents and teachers, but also the majority who also involved in our everyday lives.

But then,
We may not understood this clearly and instead joining on with the flow, in a ceaseless tide wherein we may resist or even not and instead submit to it. For sure most graduates may rather insist in getting a job followed by marriage and whatsoever being the most common norms of our present day life. All except those who, after graduation, willing to become a part of the people and thus willing to serve them faithfully like what Constantino said. As we, living in a period of turbulence, o instability ought to call for immediate change, a societal change that encompasses all things, including our character and our culture instead of getting contented and act apathetic, or becoming backward all despite we hear around in our society.

And as graduates, including faculty members and parents, I really expect that as we enter the world of reality, we must regain our consciousness simply by joining to the people and be a part of the creation of history, of be imbued with realities and willing to defy against the norms of the society now ridden by backwardness and of instability. For sure as you read or listen to these words may surely call it as "A call to arms" and a "Need for a voice of dissent," true, for the youth, being a nation's hope ought to be rebellious against a system full of unsolved problems and fabricated mysteries.

Like in UP and other state colleges and universities for example, we see protests acted by the studentry against the actions made by the administration against them. From tuition fee increase proposals to unfair treatment of students, even in graduation ceremonies we even sought them venting their protest no matter what aftermath will be, simply just to express their grievances for the last time as students and for the first time as servants of the people.

And yet we continue criticizing them and even thinking that they may never finish their schooling just because they joined into activities that may call them as illegal, yet having no alternative nor solution except keeping quiet and act apathetic, or going on with the flow and get contented to it, and now just to see that the ones they condemn going to the stage and be given diplomas before venting their last protest?



In this video somehow is the example of I have stated. They may have finished their degrees but then it does not mean that they get contented in their degrees,or in case of the ritual limited to a traditional pomp and grandeur that requires etiquette. For sure you may oppose this but that's the fact: of calling the youth to go and serve the people and fight for the rights of every student, no matter how "bad" the action is just to justify the content of what they believe for instead of letting the ceremony more of a dinner party or whatsoever that goes by, it, according to them, is part of an arduous struggle.

I hope every graduate of Batch 2010 must open up their mind and be fully enlightened as we enter the gates of society. We must not get contented, we must believe in what it is right, and fight what is wrong in our society-simply by serving our people and learn from them.

Seeing "Poison Letters" and other kinds of harassment means "Escalating Anti-Fascist Resistance"

Seeing "Poison Letters" and other kinds of harassment
means: "Escalating Anti-Fascist Resistance"

Yesterday, I read an article in Bulatlat about activists, as well as political volunteers, being given "Poison Letters," threatening them with death due to their beliefs as progressive leaning individuals and telling that their organizations as a communist fronts, and thus liable for harassment and of ceaseless subjective criticism.

Upon reading the article, I notice how opportunists, as well as wingnuts resorted to "purely personal" acts as they faced a growing left pointing against them. True, as these people, despite bannering "democracy", "freedom", and other similar words seemingly doing the contrary-since they curtail people who dare to oppose the system they supported through.

One example of a "Poison Letter" is the work being made by a wingnut who, speaking of "freedom" and "democracy" vent a tone that generalizes the left as terrorists and murderers. As according to the news service Bulatlat:
"...The letter branded Ocampo as a “butcher and murderer” in the Southern Tagalog and Bicol regions for allegedly leading the “Operation Missing Link”, the supposed purge of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) against suspected military agents inside the movement. The letter also accused Maza of ordering the killing of Akbayan members and coordinators in Nueva Ecija..."

"...The letter also maligned party list groups Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan, Katribu, ACT Teachers and Akap-Bata as front organizations of the CPP for the upcoming 2010 elections with the alleged aim to “infiltrate the democratic institution and ruin it from the inside..."

Some evenly spoke too personal, in a threatening manner that evenly includes killing-like having a black ribbon in one of the "Poison Letters" being distributed to a particular person. And thus, these "Poison Letters" shows the continuous harassment of those who fight for their political beliefs, a mockery of democracy that, in fact benefits the privileged as according to Ramon Plaza of MAKABAYAN-Ilocos Norte, said in Bulatlat:
"The letter is a desperate attempt to ruin the credibility of the candidates and to deprive the masses of leaders that will truly serve their interests,"

True, but then instead of pitying the struggle, it evenly intensifies, especially the anti-Fascist struggle of the people courtesy of the groups and individuals being threatened and harassed through the "Poison Letters" being distributed upon to them. Somehow the ones who created those letters shows how desperate are they, that as if taking Mao's message too literal: "Political power grows through the barrel of the gun." And thus, these letters being distributed meant, in their idea a reminder not to get involve, if not they rather kill them and expressing it as "defending democracy and freedom" which in fact doing the contrary.

And so is the posters featuring the progressive leaning partylists and of Senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza, writing it with the words calling them as "Communists", "Partylists supported by the NPA", "Sponsoring terrorism" et al. Somehow it really shows how these people, whether it is a wingnut, a "left" opportunist, or both of them (somehow they unite in doing this) really trying to malign and even violate fair election laws too!

These kinds of acts really unveil Fascist-related acts, especially made by the wingnuts, that some can be similar to the actions being undertaken against then Partido ng Bayan in the late 80s and other similar acts that, instead of ideological, driven much by personal acts and of the like. And until now, that the automated elections is coming, and the election-related activities kept on continuing, these threatening acts, as what I said from above escalates anti-Fascist resistance and makes it stronger in every challenge being undertaken-including reading threatening letters.

UP Min students, faculty rally against Roman

UP Min students, faculty rally against Roman*

Kabataan Party-list yesterday said students and faculty members of the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) met the arrival of UP President Emerlinda Roman and other Board of Regent officials with a lightning protest during the 13th commencement exercise.

"Graduates waved black ribbons in clenched fists as students and members of the Student Council flashed streamers against the tyranny of the UP President and Chancellor Gilda Rivero while singing the 'UP naming mahal,'" Kabataan coordinator Karlos Manlupig said in a statement.

Manlupig said Roman "ran in her attempt to evade the protesters. She was chased by angry students who eventually blocked her car."

Manlupig also quoted Student Council chair Rosel Susan Serrano as saying the intention of the lightning rally was "not to disrupt the graduation exercise but to condemn the 'Roman Empire' particularly on the issue of unseating Student Regent Charisse Bernadine Banez in the Board of Regents last January 2010 and to reaffirm the struggle in upholding the democratic rights and welfare of every student in the fight for free and quality UP education."

The protesters also condemned the 200-300 percent tuition fee increase initiated by Roman in 2006.

Manlupig said students and the Kabataan Party-list will intensify their struggle "to attain higher budget allocation for education."

The group also challenged the graduates, students, and faculty members to "uphold the patriotic tradition of the university."


Url: http://www.dailymirror.ph/Apr-2010/Apr2210/front3.html

Hontiveros-LP red-baiting condones extra-judicial killings, torture and harassment of activists

Hontiveros-LP red-baiting condones extra-judicial killings,
torture and harassment of activists*
By Vencer Crisostomo
Secretary-General, KABATAAN Partylist

This is in reaction to a statement by Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros released last April19, 2010, titled, “Transactional politics, links with nondemocratic Left hurting Villar.”

It is now becoming more and more evident that the Liberal Party is threatened by the Left’s raising of legitimate issues such as genuine land reform, economic reforms and human rights, thus exposing its standard-bearer Sen. Noynoy Aquino’s lack of stance on them, and is now resorting to desperate, baseless and malicious red-tagging.

Linking Makabayan senatorial bets Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza to the CPP-NPA is an old and stale story that has long been discredited and pronounced baseless by no less than the Supreme Court. It is utterly false and misleading to claim that “the links between the left-wing candidates in the NP (Nacionalista Party) slate and the Communist Party is something that nobody really questions.” Up to this date, Ocampo and Maza have not been convicted of any crime of rebellion, or any trumped up criminal charges that have been filed against them by the Arroyo administration for that matter.

Hontiveros’ rabid ranting places her in the same ranks as Retired Gen. Jovito “The Butcher” Palparan and other human rights violators in the military. It is precisely because of careless statements like hers that the military is emboldened and given license to abduct, harass, torture and kill activists and innocent civilians.

It is because of these malicious red-tagging and witch hunts that former University of the Philippines student activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno remain missing to this day. It was the same twisted reasoning that had League of Filipino Students leaders Cris Hugo, 19 years old, and Rie Mon Guran, 21 years old killed in cold-blooded murder by suspected military elements. It is how the military now justifies the illegal arrest, torture and detention of student leaders-turned-community health workers Jacqueline Gonzales, Jane Balleta, Janice Javier and Malen Serato who are among the Morong 43.

We will not be surprised if Hontiveros and anti-Left LP stalwarts, in connivance with the present administration, are even now responsible for the distribution of “poison letters” and death threats to known local candidate supporters of Ocampo and Maza and progressive partylist groups, and the proliferation of posters and paraphernalia linking Makabayan and progressive partylists to the CPP-NPA.

Hontiveros further states that she is “surprised at how easily they have sold out,” referring to Ocampo and Maza. The bitter irony of her statement is not lost on the public, especially on farmers and farm-workers of Hacienda Luisita.

Hontiveros is claiming that she is for peasants’ rights and welfare but she was in fact primarily responsible for ‘selling out’ farmers when she authored and voted for the bogus CARP extension (CARPER) in Congress. House records will show that aside from Hontiveros, majority of landlords in the Lower House voted in the affirmative for CARPER because it would maintain the status quo and prevent them from distributing their lands to farmers.

Hontiveros further consummated her very own “unholy alliance” when she pledged allegiance to the anti-peasant Cojuangco-Aquino landlords. Hontiveros and LP are both parties in the cover-up of the non-distribution of land and massacre of farmers of Hacienda Luisita, a major issue in these elections that continues to haunt the Aquinos.

Hontiveros and LP’s red-baiting and anti-human rights stance explain why Makabayan is aligned with NP. Hontiveros and LP are trying in vain to down-play and malign the NP-Makabayan alliance that is based on land reform and respect for human rights, principles that their party deliberately overlook for political convenience.

Ocampo and Maza’s many years of genuine service to the people, their spotless track records and their pro-people platforms put Hontiveros and LP’s under-handed tactics to shame.


*Url: http://kabataanpartylist.com/blog/press-statement-hontiveros-lp-red-baiting-condones-extra-judicial-killings-torture-and-harassment-of-activists/

Team Noynoy to sink US into deeper, more miserable poverty – Maza

Team Noynoy to sink US into deeper, more miserable poverty – Maza*

GMA’s architects of poverty are in LP

There is a big chance that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s legacy of anti-people policies will continue if the Liberal Party wins the May 2010 elections, as it is now coddling the unpopular president’s “architects of poverty.”

This was the statement of Makabayan-Nacionalista senatorial candidate Liza Maza in a press conference with members of the Nacionalista Party on Monday.

Maza named vice-presidential bet Mar Roxas, senatorial candidate Ralph Recto, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, and Cesar Purisima as among Senator Noynoy Aquino’s party-mates who have helped the President create policies which plunged the Filipino people into deep and more miserable poverty.

Maza pointed out that former senator and National Economic Development Agency director Ralph Recto was the main author of the E-VAT law, which imposes an extra 12% on the cost of almost all the basic goods and services Filipino families consume every day. Gov. Salceda was former Chief-of-Staff and economic adviser of President Arroyo, while Mar Roxas and Cesar Purisima were former Trade and Finance secretaries, respectively.

“They are responsible for the problem we're in; the high prices of basic necessities, low wages, hunger and very low standard of living. We cannot entrust our future in the hands of people who believe in taxing people to death and whose economic policies are patently anti-poor,” Maza said.

LP’s "Deadly" economic platform

Maza stressed that Liberal Party’s economic program centers on further freeing the market from government restraint and allowing its domination by foreign businesses.

“To bring down the protective barriers of our economy means to lend our economy a rope with which to hang itself to death,” Maza said.

Maza pointed that the livelihood of farmers, for instance, will be gravely affected by the proposal to remove tariff on imported goods as it would cause the overflow of agricultural products from other countries which are much cheaper than our farmers’ produce.

*Url: http://ow.ly/1AzXE

"Me ne Frego" to the Filipino "Ayn Rand" wannabe

"Me ne Frego" to the Filipino "Ayn Rand" wannabe

Last afternoon, I read a post made by a self-proclaimed "libertarian" in his account, and it says:
"Oh come on. The poor should only get the crumbs. They're so overly reliant on the state that they do not do anything much about their predicament. They remain uneducated, lazy and destitute of culture. If the economy of the country is good, then there'll be more crumbs for them."

These words sounds funny at first, however it turns out that he attacks the poor in general, calling them ignorant, lazy, and even lumpen without any idea at all. That man, goes by the name of Carlo Miguel Saavedra seemed to be acting too personally in saying the phrase.

That man, allegedly living in Singapore and studying in De la Salle-Canlubang, somehow tries to act as if a "libertarian" of an "Ayn Rand" kind or a "Anarcho-Capitalist" who advocated much of anti-welfare and pro-profit activities as he called social security as "dole out" or predicament while the poor in general as comprised of the lumpenproletariat! How come he say so then?

Like the late libertarian capitalist and advocator of a "small government" Ayn Rand, Saavedra somehow simply creating foolish phrases as he enjoys the wealth of a first world country like Singapore. Like the phrase asking pro-poor people on why are they so "pro-poor", he simply assails the poor and calling them ignorant and lazy! If that's the case, then is the farmer who worked 24 hours a day in the field, plowing, sowing, waiting for plants to grow then reap only to acquire only a few bucks are all due to laziness? The worker, who also works for an overtime only to get a few bucks to meet bigger debts et al. are also due to laziness? Oh god! That man studying in La Salle perhaps needs an ocular visit or work for a month then experience what he may call laziness.

And somehow he shared ideas with the writer, from the book "Atlas Shrugged", Ayn Rand said:
"...If you ask me to name the proudest distinction of Americans, I would choose- because it contains all the others- the fact that they were the people who created the phrase "to make money". No other language or nation had ever used these words before; men had always thought of wealth as a static quantity- to be seized, begged, inherited, shared, looted or obtained as a favor. Americans were the first to understand that wealth has to be created..."

True, and Saavedra, who advocated selfishness from his words, somehow also thinks of anything material can be seized, looted inherited, anything involving wealth as a static quantity and never to be distributed, democratized at all. And how come he lived in Singapore according to his Facebook profile? He must also know that Singapore also do a "welfare-state" like activity for its citizens, he may have benefit from it, and yet how come he opposed it by saying that the poor should only get the crumbs.

And aside from that, Saavedra also joined the wingnuts and the opportunists "rallying against Communism"! He assailed Ocampo as an NPA member, the progressives as "cheap" and "distasteful", calling mass demonstrations as "uneducated" and "radical" and even saying "enough" with "pro-poor policies" and yet how come he can't say his own brand of solutions? Like ANAD, for sure he called the poor "ignorant and that is why they are poor." As well as supporting the elitists, who wanted personal interests very much, using the phrase coming from Pol Pot:
"To keep you is no benefit, to destroy you is no loss."

To sum things up,
This guy is simply acting too personal as a "libertarian capitalist" of Ayn Rand kind. And for sure he kept on reading Atlas Shrugged and praising the dollar loving Ayn Rand most of the time-to the point that being selfish in the name of wealth is through work and never to be distributed pave way to happiness as one part said:
"...So you think that money is the root of all evil? Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can't exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?"
For sure Saavedra may have called the poor, including the workers and the peasants as moochers and never to be supported for they are moochers who claim wealth by tears, of calling them lumpen too!

Anyway,
That person, although hard to explain shows how desperate he is. Benefited from Singapore's system, how come he speak of it? And as he came to the Philippines he started venting words that in fact barking at the wrong tree? Bah! That guy is nuts and feeling that he's Ayn Rand or something!

Saavedra, if you live in Singapore and enjoying the riches of it courtesy of its welfare state activities, then don't act like Ayn Rand or something, if you want that kind of attitude to get into action, then go somewhere else wherein your ideas belong to. For sure your main idea is absolute capitalism, then why not? And if you are still studying in Canlubang, why not study at Harvard or a real exclusive school so that you can't see farmers, who in your idea as moochers?

The lesson:
"Me ne frego"* to those who are against principles and giving damn to people who are devoid of aspirations. Saavedra's "ayn rand" attitude is a damn to the people, especially hard working poor individuals, both farmer and worker whom he called as moochers and be deprived of a six letter word called "wealth".

*I don't give a damn

"Ampatuan supports Aquino?"

"Ampatuan supports Aquino?"
or
"On warlords coddling for an uninterested interests"

Last time, we sought pictures, videoes of the warlord Andal Ampatuan wearing a rubber baller courtesy of presidentiable Manny Villar in the prison cell. Those pictures and videoes epicting him made the liberals started to throw mud over Villar, thinking that the presidential candidate coddled with a warlord who killed journalists and supporters of his rival.

However,
The entire scene changed up as Last night, I encountered a picture showing the warlord Ampatuan, this time wearing a yellow shirt and a yellow rubber baller flashing a "Laban" sign, as well as bragging that the entire family supports Villar's rival, Noynoy Aquino and his Liberal party.

In this picture, somehow really affects the political scene as warlords, landlords are trying to control their territory using "armalite" and "ballot box" tactics, including coddling to rivals in exchange for concessions and the like-including the trashing off allegations against him in last year's Maguindanao genocide. All started during the early days of the American occupation up to the present day, with Andal Ampatuan as the latest person trying to wear a garb of a "Liberal" instead of a "Christian-Muslim Democrat" whom he really supported for.

But it does not end with Ampatuan. Cebu in an instance, involves warring families and even relatives fighting for seats in the provincial level. Like Ampatuan, it includes coddling with presidential aspirants like the Garcias who supported Villar while the Osmenas supported Aquino. Only Gwendolyn Garcia, also coming from the Garcia clan preferred staying with the Lakas-Kampi-CMD under Gibo Teodoro. Somehow it shows that these people real cared for the territory and didn't care much about the ideology or platforms of the political party they supported.

In addition to that,
As these people kept on controlling every territory, not caring the ideology of the political party they aligned and instead bannering it, some of them somehow are doing the contrary-especially those who stick to the particular line of thought, like Gwen Garcia who preferred supporting Teodoro and of the Osmenas who supported Aquino-except for Lito Osmena who preferred running under PROMDI and even John Osmena who once coddled with Estrada, then Arroyo and then back to the opposition that he, a political chameleon led to his demise!

Back to the topic, upon expecting this, I don't really expect this since traditional politicians, especially warlords really do so! Like wearing rubber ballers, Ampatuan changed sides literally from Arroyo to Aquino, bragging that he supports Aquino and Roxas in a yellow pad as he shown to the media in television!

However,
As for the "Liberals" under Aquino, he-out of popular appeal or whatsoever denied his support while expressing thanks to the imprisoned warlord. He may have denied it but then that simple word “No Thanks!”, out from the mouth of the Presidential Candidate Noynoy Aquino, may likely, or likely not be fulfilled as the Liberals may likely to gain support from the warlords as part of their tactics to gain votes. And although Aquino is very vocal that he does not need the support and personal endorsement of Ampatuan clan, it may likely to call it a farce as kickbacks and other similar "under the table" concepts a trapo may do so!

Anyway,
Warlords are Warlords, desperate in nature and opportunity as its trait.