#MalalangEkonomiya #MayMagagawa #PeopleEconomics #BeyondElections2019 #LaborDay2019
WANTED: An Independent Senate
By Jose Lorenzo Lim
Midterm elections have always been crucial for any incumbent, as results will either affirm or reject the programs and policies so far of the ruling party. The 2019 midterm elections, however, appears to be different, as it happens at the heels of the Duterte administration’s implementation of harshest neoliberal economic policies and undermining democracy. The Duterte presidency has seemingly consolidated the Executive, Lower House and even the Judiciary under its influence, and the Senate could be the last stronghold of democratic processes.
After weeks of campaigning, the 2019 midterm elections is near. Candidates vying for senatorial posts have traveled around the country seeking to convince Filipinos to vote for them. It remains to be seen whether or not we will have a truly independent senate after the May 2019 elections.
Quick voters scan
Looking at data from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) shows that there are 61,843,750 voters in the Philippines with an additional 1,822,173 registered overseas voters for the 2019 midterm elections.
A breakdown of the voters shows that Region IV-A has the highest number of voters with 14%, followed by Region III with 11%, and the National Capital Region (NCR) with 11.4 percent. The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has the lowest number of voters with only 1.6% share of the total number of voters. The poorest regions also have a low number of voters. Both Region IX and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) only have 3.5% of the total number of voters.
For overseas voters, the Middle East and African regions have the highest number of voters with 48.7%, while the European region has the lowest share of voters with only 10.2 percent.
While the huge number of voters does not automatically translate into voter turnout, in 2016 the country had an 84% voter turnout compared to 2013 with 77.3% and 2010 with 74.9 percent. Unsurprisingly, a high voter turnout can also be an indicator of dubious activities like flying voters.
Finding the right candidate
Instead of dancing around and telling rehearsed jokes repeatedly, what does IBON think candidates should stand for to deserve the Filipinos’ vote in the upcoming elections?
First, candidates should adhere to the advancement of socioeconomic strategies. Filipino industries should be protected and supported instead of allowing foreign companies to dominate the Philippine economy. An example is protecting and promoting the agriculture sector through production and price supports instead of flooding the market with imported agricultural goods, as is the rationale behind the Rice Tariffication Law, to lower inflation.
Candidates interested in genuinely effecting long-term reforms for the country’s production sectors should support genuine agrarian reform. The failure of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) to redistribute land to the tillers has only intensified landgrabbing and land use conversions for land market speculation. Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) records show that as of January 2019, there were still 549,920 hectares that need to be acquired and distributed. From 1988 to 2016, meanwhile, 98,939 hectares of land were approved for conversion while 120,381 hectares were approved for exemption from land reform coverage–but this is a conservative count as the real extent of land conversion may be underreported. After CARP, majority of so-called agrarian reform beneficiaries still do not own the land awarded to them or are in the process of being dispossessed because they are failing to amortize.
Third, candidates should be upholding people’s rights and welfare. Candidates should be firm in ending contractualization. It is still very much in place: Employment data shows that in 2018, 8.5 million workers of private companies and 985,000 workers in government agencies are still non-regular workers.
Additionally, legislating a national minimum wage of Php750 should also be a major agenda. Raising the average daily basic pay (ADBP) of Php401 nationwide to Php750 will in turn add Php7,649 to employees’ monthly income and Php99,432 to their annual income (including 13th month pay). This will cost the 35,835 establishments nationwide just Php465 billion or only 21.5% out of their Php2.16 trillion in profits.
Moreover, Republic Act (RA) 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law should be repealed instead of taking out taxes especially from petroleum products which are socially sensitive. TRAIN means less money in the pockets of 8 out of 10 Filipinos as only 5.5 million Filipino families benefit from lower personal income taxes (PIT) while the remaining 17.2 million poorest households do not benefit from PIT but all pay higher consumer taxes.
Candidates should also ensure that basic social services will be accessible to every Filipino. That is why there is a need to build more public schools and public hospitals aside from allotting higher budgets to education and health. But 2019 budget for the Department of Health (DOH) for instance was cut by 8.13% compared to last year.
Lastly, candidates should promote environmental sustainability. For example, a candidate should be firm to stop destructive large-scale mining, as this causes irreparable damage not only to the country’s natural resources but to many indigenous communities. Another part of this is encouraging rational consumption. Our resources are finite – what we produce and consume must only be within our needs. Candidates should also promote an environment-friendly agriculture and industry.
The public has heard the candidates’ stances on various pertinent issues such as the TRAIN Law, Rice Tarrification Law, contractualization, and jobless growth. Now the candidates should bear in mind that whatever promises they made during the campaign period would be remembered by the people, who will hold them accountable when they take their posts this June 2019.
The last stand
The new senate should carry out the task of defending the current constitution against the Duterte administration’s push for federalism, neoliberalism, and self-serving political goals. The most consistent is the intent to fully liberalize the Philippine economy for foreign investors.
Relatedly, pending proposed amendments to the Human Security Act (HSA) aim to prevent critics, thereby putting basic human rights and civil liberties in peril. The HSA could expedite terrorist tagging and linking and subsequent surveillance, arrests, and restricting of legitimate people’s movements. The new senate should stand against this creeping authoritarianism.
The Philippine Senate could be the last democratic institution for the government’s checks and balances, independent of and not beholden to the power ambitions of the presidency and expected to side with the people and defend whatever remains of Philippine democracy, people’s rights and welfare, and the country’s sovereignty.
With all these considered, the 2019 midterm elections could be one of the Filipinos’ last stands for freedom and democracy. Depending on how their favorite candidates have explained these to them, they can now vote wisely.
#Elections2019 | Turn midterm polls into a platform that rejects ‘misogyny, macho-fascist leadership’ – women’s group
Babae Network, whose volunteers recently observed the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) final testing and sealing, said they found irregularities and long-standing problems of the automated elections such as paper jams, unreadable printouts from the vote counting machines, to name a few.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – With only two days to go before the midterm elections, a women’s group is calling on the Filipino people to turn the May 13 elections into a platform to reject the present misogyny and macho-fascist leadership, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest sexist remark.
In a campaign sortie in Bohol, President Duterte has once again made sexist remarks when he said he found Mayor Tita Baja-Gallantes beautiful and that if it were him, he will grab and hold on to her panty if she tries to leave and “even until the garter snaps.”
Read: Women’s groups assail Duterte’s insulting remark vs. Bohol mayor
This is not the first time that President Duterte has earned the ire of women’s groups. This has happened from his presidential campaign trail in 2016 up until this very day.
In a statement, Gabriela Women’s Party said the president’s allies who are running for public office “never bat an eye every time the President degrades, humiliates, and sexualizes women.” And as such, they do not deserve to be elected in public office, the group added.
Women’s vote
But how can one turn their votes to resound a protest against the present misogynistic leadership?
Early this year, women workers came up with their “Womanifesto” to put forward their agenda for change this midterm elections.
Among those they listed are the women workers’ right to regular employment, to organize, to just living wage, to safe working conditions, and for those running for public office to champion the strengthening of policies to finally put an end to violence and discrimination against women.
Recently, the expanded maternity leave has been signed into a law and its implementing rules and regulations have been finalized. While this is a victory for women’s struggle in the country, they have yet to see how this will be implemented and fully benefit women workers on the ground.
Guard your votes
But knowing the long-standing problems in the country’s electoral platform, women rights advocacy groups formed an umbrella organization “Babae, Bantayan ang Eleksyon Network” to ensure that the votes will be protected from the 4Gs of elections – guns, goons, gold, and girls.
The 4Gs, the group said, have been used by traditional politicians to remain in power.
“As poll watchdogs, we need to work together and commit to fight electoral fraud and any attempt to disrupt elections,” Center for Women’s Resources Executive Director Mary Joan Guan said.
Babae Network, whose volunteers recently observed the Commission on Elections’ final testing and sealing (FTS), said they found irregularities and long-standing problems of the automated elections such as paper jams, unreadable printouts from the vote counting machines, to name a few.
Their members and volunteers also noted that there were defective Voter Registration Verification Machines during the final testing.
These problems, Babae Network said, may still persist on Monday.
The public may report irregularities or any electoral violence to Babae Network through the following hotlines: (Globe) 0977-2946937 or (Smart) 0920-5956245.
Meanwhile, volunteers are also welcome to join their information and assistance booths in Metro Manila, the group said.
Apart from Babae Network, reports may also be sent to Kontra Daya or by using hashtags #KontraDaya and #VoteReportPH.
Read: Groups stand united vs. election fraud, political repression
Guan said, “If anything, this FTS serves as warning to all of us. There is a high chance that the elections will fail should the problems persist. Let us all be prepared in taking appropriate action to question and protest the results of the elections.”
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Health groups slam Facebook for ‘condoning red-tagging’
“By deliberately using those photos with the status ‘Communist NPA CPP NDFP supporters’, the lives and security of those persons are placed in danger.”
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Health workers, professionals and advocates held a protest action in front of Facebook Philippines office in BGC Taguig City on Thursday, May 9 for the latter’s inaction on their complaints against certain pages that peddle lies.
In particular, the groups cited Facebook pages which tagged health organizations as supporters of the New People’s Army, Communist Party of the Philippines and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDF).
In a statement, Dr. Joseph Carabeo, secretary general of Health Alliance for Democracy, raised hell over the use of pictures of their colleagues without their knowledge and consent. “By deliberately using those photos with the status ‘Communist NPA CPP NDFP supporters’, the lives and security of those persons are placed in danger,” said Carabeo.
Carabeo said they have done the necessary measures like reporting the said Facebook pages but there have been no action so far. The Facebook pages remain active because apparently, according to Facebook, the reported pages and posts “do not go against its ‘community standards.’”
Carabeo said they also went to the Facebook Philippines office on March 20 to formally request for an appointment with its representatives but to no avail. They were met by the security guards who explained that no staff or officer can meet them at that moment. The security guards explained that the request for appointment will be responded to by Facebook’s Singapore office. The guards also refused to receive their letter saying that they only receive documents from courts. Carabeo’s group has not received any response from Facebook up to now.
“Our colleagues felt as though Facebook is only interested in raking-in money from its users worldwide but refuse to take action when users report a page that they find offensive or propagates harassment, disinformation, and threat to life and safety,” said Carabeo.
The groups called on Facebook to “seriously take action on posts and pages that perpetuate red-tagging, disinformation and impunity.”
“We are appalled at how Facebook is used by the people behind this page whose motives are obviously malicious, to brazenly attack persons and organizations simply for exercising their right to free expression on issues that are legitimate or valid,” Carabeo said.
Carabeo said that they will exercise all legal remedies to expose the people behind the said Facebook pages.
A few weeks ado, Facebook pages advocating human rights were flagged for allegedly “going against Page Policy, which includes restrictions around sharing distributing or promoting content inauthentically.” The said pages that were flagged are Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura, Stop Killing Farmers, and Free The Artist.
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Fast guide: Pro-worker senatorial wannabes
The labor groups such as the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Federation of Free Workers (FFW) and other groups that arose from differences in the labor movement are uniting on issues like fighting contractualization.
By MARYA SALAMAT
MANILA – As the campaign season ends, the major labor groups, workers’ associations and other work-based alliances including women’s groups in the country have clearly staked their hopes on a handful of senatorial bets who they think could help workers. They urge the rest of the working people to vote for these few candidates.
The labor groups such as the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Federation of Free Workers (FFW) and other groups that arose from past differences in the labor movement are showing unity on issues like fighting contractualization. They are closing ranks from time to time to amplify calls for jobs that support the economy, regular and secure employment, protection of migrant workers and women, union rights, and enactment of laws on living wages.
They chose the senatorial candidates to vote on the basis not only of the candidates’ spiels on the campaign trail but his or her record. Below is a chart prepared by Ibon Foundation focusing on what has been reported about the stance of some senatorial bets on job creation.
As the labor sector campaigns for the senatorial candidates they view as friendly to the working people’s interests, they, at the same time, urged the voters to vote against candidates in Duterte’s slate.
“Workers will resist and oppose the worsening attacks against the poor and working people, and one of the ways is to vote against the candidates Duterte supports and endorses, because if they win, they will push for Duterte’s anti-poor legislative agenda,” Elmer Labog, chairperson of KMU, said.
On the basis of upholding the working people’s interests, the following are the workers’ bets in order of the most unanimously chosen and approved:
Neri Colmenares, Makabayan bloc
A three-termer Bayan Muna Representative, Colmenares scored a perfect 10 in Defend Job Philippines’ matrix. Here, the group researched and took note of Colmenares’ record, action and standpoint on 10 most important issues faced by workers.
Colmenares is the lone senatorial bet of Makabayan coalition, which is composed of progressive partylists such as Bayan Muna, Gabriela, ACT Teachers Party, Anakpawis, Kabataan Partylist, that has consistently delivered solid votes in previous elections. They have also consistently been at the forefront of countering neoliberal policies with proposed reforms such as a genuine agrarian reform; People’s Mining Bill; revoking privatization and deregulation of power, oil and water industries; ending ENDO (end of contract or contractualization); raising workers’ minimum wages; revoking Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law that has been blamed for the increase in prices, among others.
Colmenares garners the #LaborVote2019 and Labor Win. The latter is a vow to vote and campaign for Colmenares by labor groups from all political spectrum in the labor movement.
Aside from the labor sector, other groups such as the environmentalists and indigenous peoples have noted and praised his consistent work for the Philippines’ sovereignty and patrimony. He has defended the West Philippine Seas and the country’s territory not just against China which has reclaimed and all but invaded the resource-rich Philippine reefs in the West Philippine Seas. He has also defended the Philippine territories from US military basing and pivot; and from continuing operation and expansion of transnational corporate mining and plantation, among others.
Colmenares leads overall in the mock elections held by Defend Job Philippines. In the group’s 30-day series of senatorial mock polls in various provinces in Luzon since the start of the official election campaign period last February 12 until May 4, 2019, Colmenares garnered the vote of nearly 76% of the voters. He got as high as 96% of votes cast in Bicol and about 60% in Metro Manila, Defend Job Ph said. He got more votes than Imee Marcos in Ilocos.
Defend Job volunteers went down to grassroots levels in factories, economic processing zones and industrial belts in vote-rich 10 provinces and regions in Luzon including Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera, La Union, Pangasinan, Central Luzon, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bicol Region since start of the campaign period.
Leody de Guzman, Sonny Matula, Ernesto Arellano, Allan Montaño
Like Colmenares, De Guzman enjoys the #LaborVote2019 and is part of the five senatorial bets picked out by unions in Labor Win, the workers’ attempt to unite the Filipino labor movement. The workers praised the stand of these five senatorial bets against contractualization and cheap wages.
These labor lawyers or leaders have not yet been elected in Congress. But like Colmenares, De Guzman and Matula are in the magic 12 in the mock polls held in Luzon by Defend Job Philippines until May 4. De Guzman and Matula garnered votes from 20-plus percent to 60-plus percent of voters in the 10 vote-rich provinces were Defend Job Philippines held their mock polls.
Senatorial bets Sonny Matula, president of Federation of Free Workers; Ernesto Arellano, president of National Confederation of Labor; and Allan Montaño, international secretary of the Federation of Free Workers, are all labor lawyers.
The Labor Win alliance does not consider themselves as allies of “Otso Diretso,” but they do have affiliations with some of the Otso Diretso bets and in fact they have welcomed them in their Labor Day program last May 1.
Some senatorial bets from Otso Diretso: Aquino, Diokno, Tañada, Hilbay and Gutoc
Senatorial bet Erin Tañada is among the Otso Diretso slate who has been close to the Makabayan bloc and Labor Win. Last March, he and the four named senatorial bets above got the endorsement of Makabayan bloc. Tañada was present when Makabayan announced they will field Colmenares as their lone Senatorial bet.
Satur Ocampo, Makabayan president, said at the program endorsing them that their presence in the Senate with the senatorial reelectionists they endorse, and Colmenares, hopefully, will be vital in helping it work on its independence. “At times like this where there is widespread poverty, oppression and objection to alarming threat of dictatorship, when times that justice is very elusive, and that the system of how we monitor and balance the executive, judicial and legislative is at stake, we need a free Senate that can stand on its own,” Ocampo explained.
Senatorial re-electionists Grace Poe and Nancy Binay; ex-senator Serge Osmeña
These three are independent candidates endorsed by the Makabayan bloc since last March.
As with the five Otso Diretso candidates supported by Makabayan, these three who have all been senators for some time are expected to continue supporting the peoples’ fight against moves to change the Constitution. As in the past, they are also expected to support the resumption of peace talks between the Duterte administration and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Satur Ocampo of Makabayan called on these senatorial bets to join them in their fight to suspend the excise taxes on fuel arising from the government’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law. He urged them to promote human rights and due process and protect the country’s sovereignty and rights in the West Philippines Sea.
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HNP senatorial bets join Davao grand rally days before May polls
Administration candidates under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) joined the grand rally held in Davao City today, Thursday, May 9, days before the closure of the official campaign period and Election Day on Monday, May 13.
IN PHOTOS: World-class twin Expos opens in Davao City
The back-to-back trade shows of Philippine Building and Construction Expo (PHILBEX) and Travel and Leisure Expo (TLEX) Davao 2019 formally opened on Thursday, May 9, in SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang Premier, showcasing the latest innovations and products in the construction and tourism industries.
Women’s groups assail Duterte’s insulting remark vs. Bohol mayor
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Women’s rights groups are not at all surprised that a cockroach landed on President Rodrigo Duterte in a middle of his speech in Bohol as he once again spewed what they referred to as a “putrid material.”
“Cockroaches always find their way to rotting garbage. It is clear that they land on people with dirty mouths like president,” said Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) in a statement.
The GWP is referring to Duterte’s recent statement, where he said that he found Bohol mayor Tita Baja-Gallantes beautiful and that if it were him, “I will really grab and hold on to your panty if you try to leave, even until the garter snaps.”
This, of course, is not the first time that Duterte has been under fire for issuing remarks that are sexist and insulting.
Among his infamous remarks is when he called for the shooting of female guerrilla fighters in their vagina and when he kissed a Filipina migrant worker in South Korea.
“After his Netflix marathon, he goes again with his sexist bantering in one of his first public appearances since his weeklong no-show,” women’s group Gabriela said.
Meanwhile, GWP called on the people to make the “May 13 elections a platform for the resounding rejection of misogyny and macho-fascist leadership.”
The partylist group added that “Duterte’s allies who’d never bat an eye everytime the President degrades, humiliates, and sexualizes women do not deserve election to public office.”
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