Press Release - June 8, 2014 decentralized grassroots protests

PRESS RELEASE
8 June 2014
Contact Persons: BMP National President Leody de Guzman – 0920 5200672
BMP National Capital Region-Rizal (BMP-NCRR) Secretary General Gie Relova – 0915 2862555

Build-up for June 12 Independence Day Anti-Pork Rally:
Militant Workers Initiate Decentralized Grassroots Protests in an Independent Movement to "Investigate-Prosecute-Jail All Crooks and Thieves!"

FACTORY workers and urban poor activists from the militant Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) and Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralita ng Lungsod (KPML) held simultaneous pickets in various parts of Metro Manila and adjacent provinces today. The protests are part of build-up activities for the nationwide anti-pork assemblies on June 12, called for by various multi-sectoral and broad coalitions.

At around 10:00 am today, BMP members from labor unions and community organizations staged a picket at several choke-points of Metro Manila, including Mabuhay (Welcome) Rotonda in Quezon City, Monumento Shrine in Caloocan City, Barangay Concepcion in Marikina City and Bicutan Interchange in Taguig City. Similar protests were also held in Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan, Cebu City and Bacolod City.

Through these simultaneous protests, the BMP is launching "an independent class movement of the Filipino workers for total cleansing of the rotting elitist bureaucracy and for meaningful reforms in appropriating the national budget".

Not just Pogi, Sexy and Tanda, investigate all!

BMP National President Leody de Guzman, at Welcome Rotunda said, "Ikulong at parusahan lahat ng mga korap! Hindi lang sina Pogi, Sexy and Tanda, (referring to opposition senators Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada and Enrile, based on the statements of state witness Benhur Luy). We deserve a thorough cleansing of the bureaucracy, not shameless and shallow politicking by the yellow Liberal administration party".

De Guzman added, "The Napoles affidavit, however crooked her intentions maybe with its disclosure, provides an opportunity for an impartial investigation of the alleged P10 Billion pork barrel scam. If Noynoy Aquino wants to rescue what is left of his already discredited 'tuwid na daan' rhetoric, he must relentlessly pursue and investigate all politicians implicated in this

grand thievery of the nation's coffers, including Budget Secretary Butch Abad, Agriculture Secretary Proseso Alcala, TESDA Director Joel Villanueva and Senate President Franklin Drilon."

Workers to march side-by-side with the middle class

Meanwhile, at the Monumento Shrine, worker and urban poor militants from Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela, brought placards that read: "Ikulong Lahat!", "Prosecute All!", "Jail All", "Totoong Pagbabago, hindi Maneobrahan ng mga Trapo!", "Gobyerno ng Masa, hindi ng Elitista!".

Gie Relova, Secretary-General of the BMP National Capital Region-Rizal (BMP-NCRR) said, "Workers pay their taxes in the form of blood, sweat and tears. Their measly wages are further reduced by withholding taxes, which bear the 12% VAT when they purchase their bare necessities. Hence, we have every right to pursue justice against corruption in government. We have every reason to condemn the largesse enjoyed by trapos and mercenaries like Napoles".

"Workers are willing to march side-by-side with various sectors and classes in Philippine society, who are now rising against the pork barrel system and elite rule. The people's movement against pork has broadened even more since the middle class-led August 26 Million People March last year. Now, our present task is to deepen it, by going to the workers and the poor, to factories and urban poor communities, to involve and inspire the millions of unorganized masses in the struggle for meaningful reforms and total cleansing of government. Once enlightened, the workers and the poor would readily lend its numbers to the people's crusade against pork barrel and corruption, provided that its trajectory is not only against personalities of the elitist opposition," Relova clarified.

In the coming weeks, after the June 12 broad anti-pork rally, the BMP would organize decentralized protests and fora to explain the issue of pork barrel, political dynasty and elite rule at the grassroots level. "The workers and the poor must not allow themselves to become cannon fodders of the administration and opposition factions of the elite by condemning, in totality, the moribund system of elite democracy," he explained.

Ultimately, he concluded, "Reforms must be enacted to prevent widespread corruption. We need not only transparency through the passage of the freedom of information (FOI) law. As long as the bureaucracy operates in secret, as long as ordinary civilians are only called for in the political arena as mere voters of elite candidates and have no direct participation in government's budgetary process, scheming thieves like Napoles and crafty corrupt politicians will find ways to use state funds for personal enrichment". #