Awaiting for his trial before a military court, Ex-Colonel gets much-needed support from urban poor group, demolition victims

NEWS I August 15, 2011

MANILA, Philippines—As ex Col. Generoso Mariano was charged with violation of Articles of War 61 (making provoking speeches), 63 (disrespect towards the President) and 96 (conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman), militant urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap is quick to express symathy to the retired marine officer.

“This is the start of more cases of political harassment to civilians that prefer to be critical of the Aquino administration. As more and more become dissatisfied of the programs and policies of current regime, is it really criminal to call for “a change of government?,” Gloria Arellano, the national vice-chair of Kadamay asks.

The urban poor group has been early to describe Aquino's poverty alleviation program as futile, even contesting the validity of the latest surveys showing slight improvements in the country's hunger and poverty data. This is familiar to Mariano video statements that circulated on social networking sites and military headquarters last July that had put Mariano inside his quarters in Fort Bonifacio.

In his videotaped message, Mariano complained about rising prices of food, commodities and medicine and accused the government of failing to “save us from hunger and death.”

“In fact, Aquino does nothing to control oil price increases by the big oil companies, the main factor behind price hikes of basic commodities. Aquino gives a measly P22.00 cost of living allowance that does not even compensate for these price hikes. Social services are widely privatized thanks to Aquino's Public-Private Partnership program.”

These are the statements of Kadamay giving concrete examples to Mariano's criticisms of the Aquino administration, adding that the ex-colonel should not feel any remorse for saying what is true, and what this government has been hiding.

'Replace the government'
Last month, the group also immediately criticized the palace when it mocked Mariano's statement as mere political propaganda facilitated by the past administration. In an interview over radio dzRB, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said “Mariano can now start working for [Arroyo] when he retires.”

“While it is very easy for the administration to dismiss Mariano's call as another gimmick, mounting calls for replacing the administration will soon be a fact that the Aquino administration has to deal with,” Arellano says.

"It should be a challenge for Aquino to go through a serious assessment of its economic policies and stop fooling the people when he has no real solutions to real issues of the people . 'A hungry mob is an angry mob'," warns the militant urban poor group.

Aquino's ouster
Aquino's first year in office is one of the worst years for the urban poor and for the millions of Filipinos that went hungry, lost their homes and lands, and were forced to leave the country to look for jobs in order for their families to survive.

"His first year has never been different from Arroyo's. His anti-poverty centerpiece that is CCT is just a continuation of the past administration's program that never had any real assessment as basis for its expansion," Arellano says.

“If Aquino remains deaf and blind to the needs of the Filipino people and continues to tread the same direction he took during his first year in office, Kadamay will never hesitate to call for his ouster in no time. After all, we do not need a president that represents the landlord-comprador clan and perpetuates the same bad system that he conveniently criticizes but in fact perpetuates," Arellano adds.

Only a matter of time
There is one urban poor group that would probably be calling for Aquino's ouster ahead of everyone else, the ones affected by demolitions.

Leaders of Alyansa Kontra Demolisyon (AKD), an issue-based alliance of urban poor settlers and their sympathizers had recently announced an all-out-war against the “demolition rampage” of the Aquino government that had already claimed lives of three barricade leaders.

According to Estrelieta Bagasbas in a statement, national spokesperson of AKD, they have lots of reasons to call for Aquino's ouster from office.

“The 35,000 families who lose their homes to big businesses and illegal claimants of urban lands during Aquino's first year in office, is one reason. Aquino's connivance with foreign and local businessmen like the Ayalas and Aranetas in pursuing his government's 'development projects' at the expense of hundreds of thousands of urban poor families, is another big reason. And, the state impunity to the violence and death caused by the government's nationwide demolition spree is more than enough for us to call for his ouster,” Bagasbas cited.

“If Aquino would not put a halt to his 'demolition rampage,' it would only be a matter of time when the multitude of victims of his disillusioned development would march to Mendiola, and we would be very happy to demolish his Palace as he did to our houses,” Bagasbas warned.

REFERENCE: Gloria Arellano, Kadamay National Sec-Gen (0921.3927457)