By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

Slams GMA bid for congress

Bayan Muna aims to be the no.1 partylist in 2010. photo by Aldwin Quitasol

QUEZON CITY — Bayan Muna Partylist Representatives top bets Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares and fellow nominee Atty. Joven Laura led its contingent in filing a manifestation of intent to participate in the 2010 national elections beating the deadline set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Colmenares said that in the 10 years of service of Bayan Muna, the partylist has proven to be true to itself in the advancement of pro-peoples agenda in the congressional hall, in the parliament of the streets as well as in every place the partylist can reach.”Bayan Muna will continue representing the various sectors and unswervingly fight for genuine political change by participating in the 2010 national elections.” said Colmenares.

In the 2001 and 2004 elections, Bayan Muna got the highest votes for the partylist group. Because of that, they were able to occupy the three seats slotted for a partylist in the house of congress. Colmenares said that Bayan Muna will vie again for the three seats and be the top partylist.

He said that the partylist remains to be the champion of the people in upholding the politics of change amid the state’s political repression and deadly attacks against Bayan Muna and other progressive partylists and organizations in the country. Colmenares added that the partylist counts more than 100 members who were killed serving the Filipino people. He said that despite of it, Bayan Muna grew even stronger because of the undying people’s support.

Casiño said they plan to pursue legislative actions aimed to implement genuine agrarian reform, the stopping of land use conversion, wages and salaries hike for both private and public sector employees, increase on the government subsidies for health and education and more pro-people reforms. According to Casiño, Bayan Muna has filed more than 100 house bills and 300 resolutions from the 12th and 14th Congress.

He said that they have authored and co-authored laws that repealed the death penalty, made violence against women and children a criminal act, strengthened the Public Attorney’s Office, granted tax relief for minimum wage earners, banned human trafficking, increased salaries for teachers and nurses, allowed overseas absentee voting and many more.

Bayan Muna vows to continue opposing the anti-people, unjust, corrupt, rotten and oppressive structures and politics that have gripped the nation.” We believe there is hope, there is a better future for all Filipinos, and these are within every Filipino’s reach. The people’s interests come first. Our name, Bayan Muna, is still our number one message,” said Casiño.

Meanwhile, Casiño slammed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on her filing of Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) in her bid to run as congresswoman of Pampanga. He said that Arroyo’s move is part of her plan to preserve her hold in power. He said that her action is an obvious megalomania which means delusions of grandeur as a form of insanity.

“How can justice be served to the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre and the victims of Arroyo’s 9-year presidency if Mrs. Arroyo continues to hold considerable power and influence as a super congresswoman? Maybe she will vie for the Speakership. Maybe she’ll eventually become acting prime minister for a transition government. The possibilities are endless if she’s in Congress,” Casiño said.

He said that under Arroyo’s presidency, more and more Filipinos sink deeper into poverty; the most blatant violations of human rights and cases of corruption transpired, yet the perpetrators remain free to rule. He added that many Filipinos hope that justice can be achieved once she steps down from presidency but that is impossible if Arroyo goes to Congress.

“Of the more than 1,000 victims of extrajudicial killings under the Arroyo regime, 135 of them belonged to our partylist. The Maguindanao Massacre that killed 57 last week all the more proves how bad political patronage, warlordism, and the culture of impunity have flourished under the corrupt and power-hungry Arroyo regime,” Casiño said.

Casiño challenged the Comelec to junk Arroyo’s candidacy on legal and moral grounds. He said that the Filipinos should unite to make Arroyo and her cohorts accountable for their crimes against the people. Casiño added that if Arroyo succeeds in becoming a congresswoman, Bayan Muna will be firm on its duty to put her accountable for plunder, electoral fraud and massive human rights atrocities.# nordis.net