MEDIA GUIDE: December 3 ‘Martsa ng Maralita para sa Hustisyang Panlipunan’

MEDIA GUIDE
December 3 ‘Martsa ng Maralita para sa Hustisyang Panlipunan’
National Day of Protest of the Urban Poor

On Thursday, December 3, the urban poor alliance Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) will lead a national day of protest of the urban poor, entitled ‘Martsa ng Maralita para sa Hustisyang Panlipunan’. The date falls on the annual Urban Poor Week (first week of December) set by the government, which has been, for the past several years, also marked by Kadamay with large protests.

Aside from this, of course, December 3 comes at a time when the nation is rocked by recent historic tragedies. Originally, Kadamay set the day of protest to condemn the Arroyo government over its ‘criminal neglect’ (kriminal na kapabayaan) of the poor that led to hundreds of deaths and loss of shelter and livelihood, and its continuing failure to respond to the relief and rehabilitation of thousands of poor victims, in the wake of successive supertyphoons ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng’. Recently, when the single biggest politically-motivated massacre in Philippine history struck, in which 64 were killed including women, journalists, and lawyers, Kadamay chose to dedicate the protest to the Maguindanao Massacre victims, establishing the connection under an encompassing ‘utter disregard for human life’ (kawalang-pakundangan) shown by the regime.

In a November 26 statement, the group said, “Ang kawalang-pakundangan sa buhay at kagalingan ng tao, ang pamunuang walang ibang iniintindi kundi pagkapit sa kapangyarihan, ang bulok na sistema na nasa likuran ng pagdarahop ng maralitang-lungsod, laluna nitong nakaraang kalamidad – ang mga bagay ding ito ang nasa likod ng karumal-dumal na krimen.”

As such, Kadamay makes ‘social justice’ (hustisyang panlipunan) the central call for the December 3 protest, under which falls the just economic demands of the poor – jobs, livelihood, secure and decent housing, expanded social services – heightened by the need of those still reeling typhoons’ effects, as well as the call for justice for the victims of the grisly massacre, an end to warlordism and political violence, and accountability of the people that harbor and feed off this system, including President Arroyo.

Additionally, the group poses such challenge to the incoming ‘presidentiables’, setting this agenda as key to the urban poor’s support in next year’s elections.

On the multi-sectoral front, the December 3 protest itself is part of a ‘snowballing’ series of mass mobilizations leading to the International Day for Human Rights multi-sectoral rally on December 10, which takes on greater significance in light of the Maguindanao Massacre.

Kadamay’s calls in the December 3 protest:
Trabaho, Kabuhayan at Hustisyang Panlipunan, Ipaglaban!
Hustisya Para sa mga Biktima ng Maguindanao Massacre!
Kundenahin ang Kriminal na Kapayabaan at Kawalang-Pakundangan ng Rehimeng Arroyo! Pangulong Arroyo at mga Alipores at Alyado, Panagutin!
Isulong ang Tunay na Reporma sa Lupa at Pambansang Industriyalisasyon!


MOBILIZATION
In Metro Manila, 3,000 protesters, composed of Kadamay members and other groups headlined by Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Anakpawis Partylist, are set to march from Welcome Rotonda to Mendiola (see detailed programme below).

So far, Kadamay chapters in Panay, Bacolod City, and Davao City have confirmed mounting simultaneous mobilizations on December 3.

Build-up activities include coordinated urban poor mobilizations in the cities of Calamba, Antipolo, and Batangas, led by Kadamay-Timog Katagalugan, on November 30, and a picket at the Comelec main offices in Intramuros, Manila, at the last day of filing for candidates for national positions on December 1, to reiterate the urban poor agenda upon presidential and senatorial candidates.


PROGRAMME
Here are the complete details for the December 3 protest in Metro Manila and the preceding build-ups.

November 30: Koordinadong Pangrehiyong Protesta ng Maralita ng Timog Katagalugan
3:30 PM, simultaneous in three Southern Tagalog cities
Calamba City: Crossing
Antipolo City: Antipolo City Plaza
Batangas City: Batangas Provincial Capitol

December 1: Picket at Comelec main offices
7:00 AM, Intramuros, Manila
Kadamay members will again brandish – as was done in a recent urban poor forum (November 22, ‘Pagbangon mula sa Unos’ in UP Diliman) – those placards bearing images of top presidentiables as well as twists on their known slogans, to reflect the demands of the urban poor (i.e., for Sen. Noynoy Aquino: Hindi ka mag-iisa…‘pag may reporma sa lupa!), in an effort to ‘remind’ candidates for national positions of the issues that they have to address.

December 3: Martsa ng Maralita para sa Hustisyang Panlipunan
6:00 AM: Special ‘Mass for Social Justice’
Blessing for the Afternoon Protest and Solidarity of the Urban Poor with Victims of Massacre and Injustice
Venue TBA

2:00 PM Assembly at Welcome Rotonda
As a central visual, Kadamay will bring dummies, in the manner of those who were killed by hanging, to symbolize victims of the massacre, of ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng’, and of unemployment, hunger, homelessness, and government neglect, signifying the Arroyo government’s accountability for all these deaths, literal and figuratuve.

3:30 PM March to Mendiola
For a few minutes upon reaching Mendiola, the 3,000-strong rally will fall silent to commemorate the 64 who lost their lives in the grisly massacre, the 773 who died from ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng’, the 1,093 victims of extrajudicial killings, as well as all those who died from hunger and poverty, and nearing death out of unemployment, homelessness and neglect – in condemnation of this ‘regime of massacres’.

For all inquiries, please contact Jon Vincent Marin, Kadamay Public Information and Media Liaison Officer, thru 427.4315 (Kadamay National Office) or 0910.975.7660.