NEW POLITICS STARTS WITH YOU

I was quite disappointed when people criticize the emergence of a presidential candidate whose track record and platform are exemplary. People would say, “Mananalo ba yan, eh di naman siya kilala dito?”, or worse, “Bakit ako boboto sa siguradong matatalo?”, and that’s that they can say. They believe that this presidential candidate would be a sore loser because of the old notions of winnability and because people get used with the old system.

It’s a sad fact that we Pilipinos get used with the old bureaucracy rather than getting out of that system and go for the new. But the things is, when people hear about this candidate, whose not known, but with a good track record and a systematic platform, Pilipinos rejected him/her.

In his speech, Barrack Obama rebuke those politicians who talk and talk, but never act.

“Instead of sitting in the sidelines, why don’t you GRAB A MOP…..”

GRAB A MOP !!!

If you are tired with the system, don’t just stand on the side and criticize this unknown candidate. Instead, why won’t you help us in building a new politics. Help us get the Philippines back on track. Let us help this candidate win this elections.

We are the solution for new politics, not just a leader. The solution is you.

It’s time to GRAB A MOP !!!

Blood On Your Coffee

Let me share a story from Marlon Torres, public information officer for the labor group Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Pamantik-KMU) about the struggle of workers at Nestle Corporation in Cabuyao,Laguna(my home province), whose justice is still denied despite the Supreme Court's decision to include the issue worker's retirement benefits on the Collective Baraganing Agreement(CBA) talks. I also share this story to all the presidentiables to address to issue of labor oppression done by the largest multinational food company in the world.

BEHIND NESTLE'S AD BLITZ

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
28 February 2007

Behind Nestlé ad blitz
Media such as print, radio, and television continues to be bombarded by Nestlé commercial advertisements, featuring big names in Philippine show business. Vilma Santos, Cesar Montano, Tweety de Leon, Margie Barretto, Ruffa Gutierrez, Ai-Ai delas Alas, and Kris Aquino are only some of the highly-paid personalities promoting the values-oriented “Choose Wellness, Choose Nestlé” commercial aphorism.

What the public does not know (or what might have been kept from their knowledge), the Swiss-owned multinational company covers up its most atrocious acts against its workers and scoffs at the Supreme Court (SC) decision by way of conditioning the public with the hypocritical “choose wellness” ad. Nestlé promotes a culture of deception while denying justice to its workers for more than five years now.
The Nestlé Cabuyao workers in Laguna, Philippines went to strike on January 14, 2002 when the company used as pre-condition in the collective bargaining negotiations the non-inclusion of the workers’ Retirement Benefits. Despite the sacrifices perceived by the workers, the legitimate strike is backed by the 1991 SC decision affirming the NLRC (National Labor Relations Commission) decision that the Retirement Benefits is a legitimate collective bargaining agreement (CBA) issue.

Unfortunately, the workers’ picketline which was supposed to barricade the company gates was often destroyed by the management’s brutal rampage. Company guards, goons, police and military are garrisoned within and outside the gates.
The campaign “There’s Blood in Your Coffee, Boycott Nestlé” was launched by the workers as one of the leverages to air their legitimate grievance to the public and compel the Nestlé management to settle the labour dispute. It also aimed to counter the vast influence of Nestlé in media as well as its monopoly in the Philippine market.

At the start, the campaign hardly affects the company’s market reputation. However, the campaign caught popular attention and gained wide support in the local, as well as the international community, when two Nestlé unionists were murdered consecutively in September 2005. Luciano Enrique Romero Molina, a Sinaltrainal leader and Nestlé worker who was among the many workers tagged by Nestlé as persona non grata, was murdered on September 11 in Colombia. Diosdado Fortuna, Nestlé Cabuyao union president and chairman of Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Solidarity of Workers in Southern Tagalog-May First Movement), was murdered while on his way home from the picketline on September 22.
Many believe that the murder of the two Nestlé workers is not coincidental. The murder of Nestlé Cabuyao union president Meliton Roxas in front of the company gates during their strike in 1989 is another case to prove Nestlé’s blood debts to its workers.

The SC ruled on the labour dispute in Nestlé Cabuyao on August 22, 2006, reaffirming its 1991 decision; hence, directs the Nestlé management and union to go back to the negotiating table to pursue the CBA negotiations.
The Nestlé management persistently snubs the highest court of the land. In fact, in its statement in a news article, Nestlé claimed that the workers who tried to barricade the company gates on January 14 are no longer Nestlé workers (Niña Catherine Calleja, “Workers at multinational food firm barricade factory”, Philippine Daily Inquirer 17 January 2007: A15). Such a statement diverts the real issue and is a blatant disrespect to the latest SC decision.
The ads blitzkrieg came in time and attuned to complement the news statement after January 14.

As Nestlé lavishly spends millions in ads, we have to scrutinize well enough their many purposes, aside from the endorsement of products and conquering the market. After probably knowing the real score, we don’t have to choose wellness if it’s Nestlé. Do we?

Marlon Torres
Public Information Officer

Mendiola Massacre : 23 Years And Still Counting

Today marks the 23 anniversary of the peasant's march to Mendiola that end on bloodshed as 13 farmers died because of a violent dispersal. This happened during the administration of Cory Aquino whom his cousin, Eduardo 'Danding' Cojuangco owns the Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac.
The Mendiola Massacre paved the way to pass and sign the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law in 1988, but after what happened in Mendiola, the struggle continues for farmers to really own a land and not to be subjects to large landlords. As following adminstrations went by, there was no clear agenda of whether this lands be given to the rightful owners. Until another version of the Mendiola Massacre, this time in Tarlac, happened where 12 farmers and two children were killed on a violent dispersal in Hacienda Luisita.
Now that Noynoy Aquino running for the presidency on May 2010, the echoes of the two bloody uprisings will still haunt him and questions his integrity to address the issue of land reform. That is why I ask the pro-Noynoys to think very carefully of whom they are supporting with. They are supporting a candidate whose integrity is questioned by this massacres. They are supporting a candidate who has no clear stand on land reforms. You are being hypnotized by this candidate by using their "legacy". And if you vote him, it's not legacy anymore.

IT'S DYNASTY !!!

23 YEARS !!!STILL COUNTING!!!NO CLEAR LAND REFORMS!!!

ONLY A PRESIDENT WHO UNDERSTANDS THE FARMERS AND HAS NO CONNECTION WITH LANDLORDS IS NEEDED !!!

NO TO "LANDLORDISM" !!! YES TO A TRUE AND GENUINE LAND REFORM !!!

Kabataan Para Sa Bagong Pulitika

"Ang kabataan ay pag-asa ng ating bayan."

Ito ang mga kataga ng ating Pambansang Bayani at ipinagmamalaki ng aming lalawigan na si Dr. Jose Rizal. Naniniwala siya na tayong mga kabataan ay may papel sa paghubog ng ating bansa. Nasabi niya ito sapagkat bilang isang kabataan, hindi siya natakot na hamunin ang sistemang kinagagalawan niya noon.Ang sistema ng korupsyon, ang sistema ng pang-aapi, ang sistema ng karahasan, at ang sistema ng kawalan ng pag-asa.
Sa kasalukuyang panahon, ito pa rin ang mga sistema bumabalot sa ating bansa. Sistema na unti-unting umaanay sa ating lipunan.

Bilang isang kabataan, oras na para itama ang mga kamaliang ginawa ng mga nauna sa atin. Oras para palitan ang lumang makina ng pulitika at ilagay bagong makina ng pulitika na nakasalig sa kakayahan at plataporma.

Ngayong darating na halalan, iboto ang kandidatong nagsusulong ng tunay at makabuluhang pagbabago, ay matibay at matatag na track record, at detalyadong plataporma.

Tayong lahat na mga kabataan ang magbabago ng Pilipinas !!!

"Magkakaroon ng rebolusyon. Simulan ko na kaya ngayon ?"
- Rebolusyon, Pan

A Vision-Driven Nation

We are tied and bound.
On this cycle round and round.
Apathy and hoplessness.
Blurs our aspirations like a mushroom cloud.

Our nation is broke.
Our dreams choke.
Our aspirations.
Seem to fade like a mist or a smoke.

But now. we are ready to break this chain.
To end this suffering and pain.
Enough of this old system
Let's make our nation great again.

Let's change the engine that fuels this nation.
So that a better future will never be an illusion.
From a nation that is driven from apathy.
To a nation now driven by a vision.

Sa Wakas, Perlas !!!

At last, after a month of struggle, COMELEC finally released its decision in favor of reinstating Mr. Nicanor Perlas as candidate for president on May 2010 elections. Through resolution 8743, COMELEC reinstated Perlas and senatorial candidate former Army general Danilo Lim to the list of official candidates. This raised the number of candidate for president to 9 and senators to 62.

For the past month since the disqualification of Mr. Perlas, massive street and online protests were made against COMELEC. Blogswarms and tweetswarms were done. And online petitions were signed by thousands of citizens from here and abroad. Even Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki and Australian senator Bob Brown of the Green Party showed their support.

And now efforts have been paid. Our struggle have never been in vain. We have overcome the obstacles. The electorates have won. Now there is a real choice for 2010.

I first thank COMELEC for hearing the voice of the electorates. I also thank those who supported Nick in these hard times. For those who protested on COMELEC and those online. For those people who e-mailed COMELEC and ask them bring back Mr. Perlas. For those who blog and tweet for him. To Mr. David Suzuki and Australian Senator Bob Brown. And to all supporters who never left this battle.

THANK YOU !!!

SA WAKAS, PERLAS !!!

And now the obstacle has been cast away, we are now ready to build a new Philippines. We've made a small victory, but the something big is out to come. We must not be complacent. We must keep the fire burning.


As I end this post, I want to share one of the cheers during Obama's campaign.


I, Perry Chloride


"FIRED UP! READY TO GO !"

LET'S GO CHANGE THE NATION AND THE WORLD !!!

Gibo Considers Nuclear Power

"We need to study other alternative sources of energy, to include nuclear power. It is possible to use it safely."

This is what 2010 presidentiable Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro said on an interview with Blogwatch.ph.

Would you vote for a president like him who considers nuclear power as an "alternative" source of power?

I think I won't ?

It is proven that nuclear power is too expensive to build(and sometimes a breeding ground for corruption). It is too dangerous to our environment and to humans. Building a nuclear power is like building a massive time bomb. Remember Chernobyl in 1986. We don't want to let that happen to our country. The problem with nuclear wastes also adds to the problems. Where are we gonna dump those wastes.

Yes, there are more other alternatives to produce electricity and energy, BUT NOT NUCLEAR POWER.

You might say, renewable energy resources are also expensive like nuclear power. Maybe, but think about this. Why don't we invest on something that could help lessen the problem of climate change?Can we invest for something that could save you and your children.

On the other hand, Nicanor Perlas, with the help of national and global civil societies, help stop the operation of the BATAAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT and other NPPs that former president Marcos planned to built. He knew the dangers of nuclear power and he believes it could solve the issue of power crisis and climate change.

So ask yourself, would you vote for someone who considers nuclear power ?

The answer is in your vote.

I would discuss more about nuclear power and my next post.

New Politics Can Wait No Further

I've read Mr. David D'Angelo's blog about the COMELEC's slow action on Mr. Nicanor Perlas' appeal for his reinstatment as a presidential candidate.

On his blog. he wrote,

"Di naman nasusunod yung 5 days. Ang dami namin ginagawa dito!" Iyan ang sagot ng isang clerk of court sa COMELEC nang tanungin ng Secretariat ng Partido ng Marangal na Samabayan (PANGMASA) ang tungkol sa resulta ng apila para kay Nicanor Perlas.

("The 5-day rule is sometimes not observed. We are busy doing things right now!" This is the answer of a COMELEC clerk of court when asked by the Partido ng Marangal na Sambayanan(PANGMASA) secretariat regarding the result of Nicanor Perlas' appeal.)

He also ranted about the 10-day deadline COMELEC has set to issue its decisions on appeal of Mr. Perlas et. al. The decision was set to be announced last Thursday or Friday, but up to now, no decision was announced.

You can read the whole post here.

The statement above uttered by this unknown COMELEC official send a chilling effect to new politics. This questions the ability of the election commission to follow the law. Just because COMELEC is going double time to keep up with it's electoral calendar is only a mere excuse. If they only do the right thing and follow deadlines, they shouldn't be at this state. It's the COMELEC that creates their own problems. First, by kicking out a "Green" presidentiable with a good track record and a complex and substantive platform. Now, they are delaying the issuance of the resolution regarding Mr. Perlas' reinstatement which is tantamount to disobeying law.

The supporters of the real new politics are on guard with this situation. We will never put our white flags up and falter our support to Mr. Perlas and his vision of a new politics and new Philippines. Recently,Japanese-Canadian environmental activist David Suzuki and Australian Senator Bob Brown of the Green Party, voiced their support for Mr. Perlas' presidential bid. Not to mention thousands of foreigners who signed the petition here. This shows that this issue echoes not only here but around the world.

IF THIS IS SO, THEN WHY IS THE COMELEC SO SLOW IN ISSUING A RESOLUTION !!!

NEW POLITICS CAN WAIT NO MORE !!!

AND REMEMBER THESE WORDS THAT CONSTITUTE REAL JUSTICE: JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED !!!

I appeal to the supporters of real politics to write to the COMELEC starting now until Monday, January 11, when the COMELEC will issue its resolution. Tell them and pressure them that new politics can't wait to be born and the fate of it is in their hands. The email addresses of the COMELEC chairman and its commissioners are found here.

Thank you very much for your time.