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People’s March counters People’s Initiative

Petition signing vs. Cha-Cha gains support in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 6) — Progressive Baguio-based groups organized today (April 6) an information dissemination drive and signature campaign dubbed as People’s Movement against Arroyo’s Charter change (People’s March) to counter the alleged fraudulent national People’s Initiative that started last March 25.

The People’s March was led by the Cordillera Peoples Alliance-Tongtongan Ti Umili (CPA-TTU), which stationed at the Malcolm Square here starting 10 a.m. The Innabuyog-Gabriela stationed at the Igorot Garden; CPA-Youth Commission at Session Rd.; and Organisasyon dagiti Nakurapay nga Umili ti Siudad (Ornus) at the City Public Market. The campaign gained initial popularity as many people were willing to be signees.

TTU secretary general Chie Galvez said that the signatures they gathered would be forwarded to Congress and presented to corresponding national government agencies so these officials could realize that opposition to the current proposed Chacha is strongly gaining support.

According to CPA’s statement, the well-funded and well-orchestrated People’s Initiative for Chacha was Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration’s plan to perpetuate its power. It allegedly gathered signatures from barangay residents without proper information dissemination that disappointed Cordillera locals especially from the Mt. Province and Cagayan Valley.

The CPA statement also claimed that Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar issued a memorandum enjoining barangay officials to gather signatures for People’s initiative, and Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary Raul Gonzales issued a memorandum legalizing government employees to campaign for Chacha.

Some Baguio residents doubted the People’s March because of the forged People’s Initiative. One woman asserted, “Baka naman mamaya palitan nyo yan pag nakapirma na kami. Pro Chacha pala yan. Ayaw namin sa Chacha e.” (You might change your call to Pro Chacha after we sign, we oppose the Chacha). CPA staff gave statements explaining the People’s March that convinced the people their campaign is genuine.

Also, the militants prepared signature campaigns for issues on “Repeal the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT)” and “Oust GMA”. These two campaigns and the People’s March gathered much support which a CPA staff claimed as “the real people’s initiative”.

“We call on all patriotic Filipinos to support a counter-signature campaign against Charter change. We call on the Filipino people to say, ‘Mahal ko ang Bayan ko, Ayoko sa Chacha ni Arroyo!” the CPA statement concluded. # Pink-Jean Fangon Melegrito for NORDIS

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