Cotabato City – Several mass protests were launched yesterday in time of the 113^th commemoration of the Philippine Independence from the colonial Spain.

“ARMM communities and peoples were asking what to celebrate? After the forced-push election postponement approved in the Senate contrary to the clamor in the ground is death of democracy and death of freedom.” Ms Matet Norbe of IM4PEACE shared.

As to the KILOS BAYAN, Mr RC Zacaria said that freedom is the fulfillment of everyone’s human rights in a safe and sound environment. “the people in our communities, remained in high poverty. The response of the national government to high rate of unemployment is migration and economic investments of foreign and local monopolies destructible to our environment.” He added.

Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement also shared their sentiments strongly dismayed to the approval of the Senate on the ARMM election postponement. “Appointment of officers to managed and control ARMM for the next two years whose mandate is on the appointer who is the President is far more dangerous than having elected officials whose mandates come from the people. The people who are free to choose will always choose the leaders who are not self-serving and sincere in instituting reforms in ARMM. .” in a statement it said.

“More importantly, the President and his administration’s desperate attempt to bribe the Senators with the pork barrel funds to vote in favour of the postponement of the election was a great insult and violation to democracy that his parents worked hard and died for. He must be reminded of the struggles and sacrifices of his beloved parents to end autocracy and install a genuine democratic government,” MPPM’s message to PNoy as the son of the two icons of Philippine democracy.

Young artists in Iligan City played their music and speak meassages in the commemoration of the occasion, and were attended by several artist groups from Lanao del Norte, Marawi City, Iligan City and Cotabato City. “This is our way of expressing our thoughts and how we look at the society today,” said Onin Desierto of Sugo Band. “We are sad with the situation of the youth today, the environment and the society as a whole. It’s the same as previous administrations, it keep on denying the people from the social services. Education for example became an opportunity and a privilege and not a right anymore, s we will sing our songs of freedom and justice,” he added.

In the middle of the rain, Organizations in Iligan City launched protests. “Rain never stopped us to proceed. As we viewed today’s situation that almost all of the basic social services are being run by private institutions and the government continued to cut down budgets and is escaping from its duty, this not the real essence of freedom, ” Mr Cuabo of Ranao TriPeople Movement for Genuine Peace and Development in an interview.

“We became squatter of our own land; it’s not freedom at all. We are always afraid t the threat f demolitions.” an Urban Poor leader shared.

“Privatization of the Power and Energy sector is killing the consumers and it will affect the family budgets and allocations aside from the very concern that the government really don’t care of the plight of the people.” This is how women expressed in their statement.

“Yes, there is no real independence here. It’s a dead Independence, this is only independence for the rich and political lords. ANAK MINDANAO PartyList joined the peoples and communities in their condemnation of the Senate, Malacanang and the Ruling coalition’s decision to postpone ARMM Election in August 2011,” said representative of AMIN in the protest in Iligan City. AMIN also expressed that the current administration remained tied to the interest of big business corporations that even sold and will sale public services. “It’s listening to the people, only if you are close to the President and the family,” added by AMIN Representative.

“We will stand before and beside the peoples’ direct participation in all affairs as its democratic right that is why we are not endorsing any candidate for appointment or election and we are not in favor of ARMM Election postponement,” AMIN answered when asked by New Storm on ARMM Election postponement after the protest.

In Marawi City, students lead a mobilization calling for a safe environment to study. “We need to see the real problem with education. It is a rotten system with foreign orientations. In addition the government keeps on cutting the budget on education which turned to make parents and students suffered the circumstances, ” Duyog TriPoeple Organization in Mindanao State University said. “And it is not Freedom. It is contrary to the struggles of Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio and among others that really expressed and fought before for the hope of the society,” Duyog added.

As the national government spent 10 Million pesos for the celebration, there are questions asked if the PNoy administration really truthful to save budgets and pursue a pr-people spending. This have been a concern since Malacanang push for ARMM Election postponement to save.

Independence is real. Real is Independence in the Philippines?

New Storm
13 June 2011/ Marawi City

Independence Day: Mindanao Activists to launch actions today

Marawi City – Several organizations will launch mass actions today. “this is to make the day useful and send a message to the world and the national government that marginalized Mindanaoan are not happy with the administration of President Aquino III,” said Khairoden Amerol from Interfaith Movement for Peaceful and Clean Election.

“We are saddened with the passing of the bill in the Senate passing the postponement of ARMM election which is directly and obviously violating the fundamental right of ARMM Constituents to choose their leaders and be a part of instituting reforms in the region democratically,” he added.

Interfaith Movement for Peaceful and Clean Elections (IM4PEACE) had been consistent in its opposition to President Aquino’s position postponing ARMM Elections to institute reforms.

“IM4PEACE today will show President Aquino that he killed democracy in the country contrary to his parents’ postures and positions. It is also not in line with Tuwid na Daan at Kayo ang Boss Ko pronouncements,” Ms Matet Norbe of IM4PEACE from Maguindanao.

ANAK MINDANAO Party List in their statement said, “The 13 Senators who voted for the unconstitutional act have insulted democracy, betrayed and denied the peoples of ARMM to choose their own leaders and assaulted the autonomy of the region which is a result of the long and continuing struggle for Self-Determination and co-existence of the Bangsamoro, the Indigenous Peoples and the Mindanao Migrant Settlers. The approval was a forced-rush signal from Malacanang using the 200M development fund for each senator as the pressure instrument to favor the position. This move is simply a political preparation for 2013 and beyond 2016 for political accommodation of allies and friends.”

To KILOS BAYAN in Maguindanao and Cotabato areas, today they will dramatize the bad effects of the Public-Private Partnership track of the Aquino government. It is very disadvantageous to the national economic interest, according to the group. “This policy only strengthens the control of local and international big interest to our economy,” RC Zacaria of KILOS BAYAN said in an interview with New Storm.

In Marawi City and Iligan City, Students with Ranao TriPeople Movement for Genuine Peace and Development will also hold actions on the power and energy sector privatization including the increase of fees in the universities. According to Mr Cuabo of RTMGPD, AGUS-PULANGI and NPC privatization is putting heavy burden to the consumers aside from the concerns of displacement of local inhabitants in the Dam site in Bukidnon but also it is very dangerous referring ot Japan tragedy brought by tsunami and earthquake damaging their dams.

“Aside from ARMM Election concern, issues like education and social services will be tackled, the land issues, peace, women and violence, poverty and unemployment, migration and among other issues confronting the basic masses in Mindanao and the country,” Mr Zacaria said.

Today marks the 113^th year since the first Philippine Independence Day from colonial powers but most are not fully convinced that Philippines is really free from outside powers and local monopoly and manipulations.

Other Militant groups will launch their protests on Monday (13^th of June) timely for office days.

New Storm
June 12, 2011/Marawi City