In a gathering of around 100 leaders from labor, peasant, urban poor, women and youth groups, the umbrella coalition Laban ng Masa is bracing for bigger fights in its bid to oust the Arroyo regime and initiate reforms under a transitional revolutionary government.
By calling on all its affiliate members to coalesce and form municipal chapters nationwide, Laban ng Masa vows to consolidate its ranks and build its capacity to mobilize tens of thousand people in the streets in an increasing number and sustained manner.
“The Arroyo regime has been corrupting local government units to deceive people into accepting charter change either through a plebiscite or people’s initiative. At the same time it goes on a rampage of extra-judicial killings and abduction to paralyze the political infrastructure of progressive groups. While all these are happening, Filipinos in the meantime face the daily grind of increased economic difficulties arising from unabated oil price hikes and diminishing incomes,” said Laban ng Masa.
“We need to equally prepare our ranks to frustrate the Arroyo regime’s maneuvers to perpetuate its illegitimate rule and aggravate the people’s economic woes,” it added.
Hinged on what it sees as the three main issues of the day, a three-pronged campaign was launched today by Laban ng Masa that revolves around three calls:
Economic relief now! This involves a package of economic relief measures to ease the burden of spiraling oil prices by calling on the suspension of RVAT on oil and power rates, increasing workers’ wages and instituting unemployment insurance for the jobless, among others.
Stop extra-judicial killings! An international fact-finding mission organized by UNORKA will commence this June and initiate the filing of cases with the UN Commission on Human Rights.
No to Cha Cha! In unity with anti-Arroyo legislators and opposition parties, this aims to frustrate the efforts of the Arroyo regime to change the charter and consolidate its illegitimate rule, whether through PIG, con ass or plebiscite.
Laban ng Masa will kick off its campaign on June 12, Philippine Independence Day, by mobilizing thousands of its supporters to join ranks with Catholic bishops in a protest rally against charter change. The group will march from the Balintawak interchange to the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan where they will hold a program led by Bishop Deogracias Yniguez of Caloocan and Bishop Antonio Tobias of Novaliches.