Until victory always, the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines.

The Student Council Alliance of the Philippines launches the Stop the Hate! Campaign hinged on the Students’ Rights and Welfare Bill.

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Issues involving Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

NBN ZTE Scandal

On April 20, 2007, the Philippine Government signed a US$329.5 million contract with for a national broadband network  withZhongxin Telecommunication Equipment Corporation (ZTE) to improve government communication. The deal with ZTE was unfortunately full of irregularities which promptly  caused Former President Arroyo to cancel the deal.

The anomalies began on August 29, 2007 when Congressman Carlos Padilla mentioned that Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos went to China to broker a deal for the NBN project, but the following day, Chairman Abalos denied acts of doing so. He does not however deny his trips to China.

This anomaly prompted Senator Aquilino Pimentel to call for a Senate investigation about the project. Some of the findings of the investigation are as follows:

2007 National Economic and Development Authority Romulo Neri’s Testimony Testimony:

- Neri was approached by Chairman Abalos where Abalos informed him that he had a 200 million pesos cut off from the deal.

-Neri Relayed the information of the bribe to Former President Arroyo before she left for China on April 21

-Arroyo flew to China on April 21 to attend the Boao Forum to be present at the signing. She granted special privileges to  Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza to sign the deal in her behalf despite knowing of the bribery.

President Arroyo’s interview in dzRH on February 25, 2008:

-She mentions that “someone” (Most likely Neri) informed her of the anomalies of the deal but decided to push through with it as the deal concerned another country

-She did however mention that she was working quickly to cancel the deal.

-The project was scrapped 5 months later when Jose de Venecia III who was a president of a firm who failed to get the deal testified that Chairman Abalos and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo were involved in the scandal and pressed him to abandon his bid for the NBN.

Witness Dante Madriaga’s Testimony:

-Testified that Arroyo’s presence was necessary for the ZTE officials to release $30 million kickbacks to officials who were packaging the deal.

-Former President Arroyo was described to be unusually in a hurry to leave for China despite her husband being ill at the time.

-Madriaga’s testimony tags Arroyo’s family along with Chairman Abalos, Former Police OffiicalQuirino De La Torre, Leo San Miguel and Ruben Reyes as some of the beneficiaries of the kickbacks.

Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced disappearances 

Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances are forms of extrajudicial punishments that include abduction, forced detainment and summary executions of groups or individuals that hold a certain political power that may serve as opposition to the current administration. While the victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the Philippines often seem to be supporters of armed revolutionaries such as the New People’s Army or left wing political groups such as the Communist party of the Philippines, recent studies of extra judicial killings under the Arroyo Administration has revealed that other victims also include journalists, political and spiritual leaders, anti-mining supporters, activists, reformists and even professionals. Extrajudicial killings are problematic in the sense that they harm the citizen’s right to security, and is especially damaging for the political sphere of the country as it threatens and effectively slows down political dialogue for fear of violent government backlash.

Karapatan, a non- governmental organization advocating human rights provided quarterly updates with regards to the figures of human rights violations that occured during Former President Arroyo’s administration. By the end of Arroyo’s regime I 2010, Karapatan has recorded at least 1,205 arbitrary executions and 206 enforced disappearances under her rule. The

extremely high number of extra judicial killings and enforced disappearances under Arroyo’s regime is strongly attributed to her sanctioning of an anti insurgency program named “Operation Plan BantayLaya” whose main main purpose is the eradication of insurgency from the communist party of the Philippines. Sadly, despite being in operatioin for at least eight years, OplanBantalLaya has failed to successfully eradicate the insurgency which has proven itself capable of counteracting the military tactice of the Philippine Special Forces.

In addition to the failure of OplanBantayLaya the conviction rate for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances have also been low. Majority of the  cases remain unsolved with a conviction rate of 1.05% from 2001 to 2010. Former President Arroyo, despite being completely aware about the alarming rate of EJK and ED remains silent on the issue which seems to point towards the possibility that many of the special forces participating in this operation remains under the protection of the military and the Arroyo Administration.

Hello Garci Scandal

-Refers to the alleged wiretapped conversations where vote rigging in the 2004 elections was discussed by, among others, a woman presumed to be President Arroyo and man presumed to be Comelec Commissioner Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano.

-Despite House and Senate Investigations and calls for Arroyo’s resignation, she refused to step down although formally admitted to conversing with a COMELEC official during the canvassing period and apologized for her “lapse in judgment.”

Maguindanao Massacre Civil Case Against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

-Relatives of 15 victims of the 2009 massacre, represented by Lawyer Henry Roque, filed a P15-million civil lawsuit against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last November 22, 2011.

-Complaint is based on Mrs. Arroyo’s issuance of Executive Order No. 546 authorizing the Philippine National Police to deputize barangay tanods (village watchmen) as force multipliers in enforcing peace and order which ultimately acknowledged “the legitimacy of the private armies of the Ampatuan clan” according to Atty. Roque.

Electoral Sabotage

-Last Nov. 18, 2011, COMELEC filed electoral sabotage charges in connection with the 2007 elections against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former Maguindanao governor AndalAmpatuan Sr. and former Comelec election supervisor LintangBedol before the Pasay City RTC.

- The document filed states that on or before May 14, 2007, Arroyo, Ampatuan, and Bedol “conspiring, confederating, and willfully helping one another in order to ensure a ’12-0’ victory for the candidates of ‘Team Unity’ did then and there willfully, feloniously and unlawfully tamper the Provincial Certificates of Canvass of Votes” in Maguindanao.

-The information said that this took place after a meeting in Malacanang by the three a few days before election where Arroyo  personally instructed Ampatuan to ensure a “12-0” victory form candidates of Team Unity.

-Ampatuan, in turn, the Information further stated, instructed Bedol and the chairman of the Provincial Board of Canvassers in Maguindanao,  to tamper the provincial certificate of canvass (PCOC), the statement of votes by municipality (SOVM), and the summary of the statement of vote (SSOV).

Midnight Appointments

Former President Arroyo nearing the apporach of the end of her administration last 2010 drafted at least 200 midnight appointments for her administration’s loyalists. Some of her earlier appointments include her personal manicurist, her husband’s accountant, and her gardener. Some critical appointments included loyal generals and Rotary Club mates and Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. These appointments have been set to last two to six years beyond her term with the assumption that the appointments will be upheld.

Upon President Aquino’s assumpton of his role as the country’s Chief Executive, he immediately issued Memorandum Circular no. 1 “Declaring all non-career exec service positions vacant as of June 30, 2010 and extending the services of contractual employees whose contract expire on June 30, 2010.” The immediate effect of this memorandum was the vacancy of at least 4000 government positions that needed to be filled. Following Memorandum Circular no. 1, President Aquino issued Executive

Order 2 “recalling, withdrawing, and revoking appointments issued by the previous administration in violation of the constitutional ban on midnight appointments.” The ban on appointments began 45 days before the elections, but constitutionally, the president is no longer allowed to make appointments at least two months before the elections on his or her last term.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Eduardo de Mesa mentions that there were at least 977 appointments made before the 45 day banning period. He strongly believes that the great number of appointments made was an attempt to deprive the incoming president the opportunity to make his own appointments and would prevent him from exercising his power by serving as obstructions to policies.

Helicopter Scam

On May 2009, the Philippine National Police engaged in negotiation with Manila Aerospace Products Trading Corporations for the purchase of new helicopters for its Special Action Force. The total price for the helicopters amounted to P105 million which was signed by

then PNP Director Jesus Verzosa. On July 2011, Senator PanfiloLacson revealed in a speech that two of the helicopters were in fact, not brand new but were refurbished helicopters previously owned by Former President Arroyo and her husband Former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo

Mike Arroyo denied the allegation, but with the investigations done by the blue ribbon fact finding committee, it was revealed that the travel logs indicated Arroyo’s immediate family, specifically her husband and eldest sone were in control of the helicopters in several of their trips.

Plunder charges against Mike Arroyo were filed on September 2 by Antifraud Division Chief Superintendent Edgar Danao in relation to the Helicopter Scam.

Issues:

1. NBN-ZTE Scandal (2007)

2. Millions of bribe money to Congressmen and Governors (October 2007)

3. ”Hello Garci” 2004 Elections Scandal

4. Joc-JocBolante Case (P728 million Fertilizer Scam)

5. Jose Pidal Bank Account (Unexplained Wealth, P200 Million)

6. Nani Perez Power Plant Deal ($2 Million)

7. Use of Road User’s Tax for Campaigning

8. Billion Peso Macapagal Boulevard (Overprice of P532 Million)

9. Jueteng (Illegal Numbers game kickbacks)

10. Extra-Judicial Killings

11. Arroyo Moneys in Germany (Exposed by Senator Cayetano)

12. General Garcia and Other Military Men

13. Billion Peso Poll Automation contract to Mega Pacific (P1.3 Billion)

14. NorthrailProject($503 Million)

15. Maguindanao Results of 2007 Elections (Zubiri, Bedol)

16. NAIA-3

17. Venable Contract (Norberto Gonzales)

18. Swine Scam (Exposed by Atty. Harry Roque)

19. Mikey Arroyo’s Hidden Assets in the United States

20. Euro Generals Scandal

21. Calamity Fund Scandal

22. C-5 road Controversy — Senator Manuel Villar

23.P550 Million worth of funds from the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA)

24. P780-million LWUA funds-Prospero Pichay

25. Bishops’ SUV-Gloria Birthday gift

26. Arroyo linked in P325M lotto intelligence fund

27. Arroyo got P200M in kickbacks from government projects according to ZaldyAmpatuan

28.P200.41 billion or $4.6 billion in Malampaya royalties from 2002 to May 2011

29.Lacson accused Former Gentleman Mike Arroyo of selling 3 refurbished helicopters to PNP at P105 Million each

30. 600,000 metric tons of Rotten rice imported from India. Kishore Hemlani, an Indian trader allegedly close to Arroyo, reportedly bagged the P9.5 billion contract for the rice importation.

31.Dato Arroyo wife bought the condo unit for $570,000, 70-square-meter one-bedroom, one bathroom unit (Unit No. 533) at the luxury high-rise, full-service Gramercy Towers located at 1177 California St. in upscale downtown San Francisco.

32. P50-million bribe to Former Gentleman Mike Arroyo for the Gloria’s veto of two franchise bills.

33.The additional funding led to a 41-percent spike in advertisingexpenses, from P76.129 million in 2008 to P107.420 million in 2009, which went mostly to ads for Arroyo’s achievements.

34. PIA received from the Department of Budget and Management a notice of cash allocations amounting to P344.789 million, even though only P222.488 million was appropriated for it under the national budget.

35. Denial of pork barrel funds to Malacanang’s political enemies

36. Praises for JovitoPalparan, alleged mastermind of extra judicial killings of militants

37.  Removal of government bodyguards for former President and Arroyo critic, Cory Aquino

38. Midnight appointment of an Arroyo, Renato Corona, as SC Chief Justice among  200+ other illegal midnight appointments; Appointment of Gloria’s manicurist as a member of the board of Pag-Ibig and her gardener as deputy of the Luneta Park Administration

39. Scrapping the requirement “Social Acceptability” after approving the Aboitiz-Sponsored Coal Power Plant in Subic (cash benefit behind it still unknown).

SOMEONE MUST HOLD THE ARROYOS ACCOUNTABLE! DEFEND OUR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 7, 2011

Reference:

Gibby Gorres, 09173627480

In celebration of the International Anti-Corruption Day, student leaders from different colleges and universities tag former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the youth icon of corruption.

The Student Council Alliance of the Philippines [SCAP], a nationwide organization of student councils and student political parties, pointed out that young people grew up under the nine years of corruption under the Arroyo administration.

“We are in the best position to say that GMA has not only robbed our nation’s coffers but also young people’s bright future”, quipped Gibby Gorres, the organization’s national secretary-general.

Calling themselves as the ‘GMA Generation’, following the trend ‘Marcos babies’, SCAP maintains that young people has a lot of stake in the issues surrounding the former president.

Mrs. Arroyo currently faces electoral sabotage charges before a Pasay City court with alleged electoral irregularities during the 2007 national elections.

Some student leaders from SCAP filed a motion before the Supreme Court yesterday urging Chief Justice Renato Corona to inhibit himself from all the Arroyo-related cases.

Brian Poe Llamanzares, grandson of the late actor Ferdinand Poe, Jr. and one of the student leaders from the Ateneo de Manila University was one of the petitioners.

Llamanzares said, “On a personal basis, my family did not forget what happened in 2004”.

Poe ran unsuccessfully against Arroyo during the 2004 elections under the party LDP (Laban ng Demkratikong Pilipino). The said elections were ridden with accusations of electoral fraud against Arroyo.

“We grew up under the Arroyo administration and we’ve come to identify GMA with all the facets of corruption”, Llmanzares noted.

“It is just proper that young people be recognized as a party to all the issues surrounding GMA”, Gorres concluded. #

In the face of these hard realities, however, ANYARE NA SA BOTOHAN?

Anti-RH legislators continue to bastardize the legislative process of the RH Bill and delay its vote. In fact, last November 29, 2011, out of desperation, Leyte Rep. Sergio Apostol cowardly left the session hall during his schedule for interpellation to evade a losing debate with Akbayan Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, in effect delaying again the bill. His excuse? He had to have merienda for one full hour. Upon Rep. Apostol’s return, mothers watching the session naturally flared up and yelled, “Walang demokrasya rito!” The mothers were asked to leave.

The Reproductive Health and Gender Advocates (RH AGENDA), a pro-RH student group composed of 27 organizations and student councils representing thousands of students from DLSU, ADMU, UE, PLMun, and five campuses of UP, condemns the delays to the RH Bill and calls on Congress to vote on RH before December 15 this year.

In light of this, the youth and students will take drastic action.

While the Catholic Church pretends to have a Catholic vote, the youth vote – consisting of 30 million young Filipinos – is real. We will actively campaign in 2013 AGAINST all anti-RH legislators seeking reelection or election into any other office, beginning with the decaying old men of Team Delay (Samar Rep. Raul Daza, Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia, Leyte Rep. Sergio Apostol, and Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing) and the “9 young legislators” or 9YL who in truth are anti-youth (PL-Buhay Reps. Irwin Tieng and Mariano Michael Velarde, Jr., Quirino Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua, Cebu Reps. Rachel Marguerite Del Mar and Gabriel Quisumbing, Lanao del Norte Rep. Fatima Aliah Dimaporo, Leyte Rep. Lucy Gomez, Davao Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco).

We demand from House Speaker Sonny Belmonte a vote on the RH Bill before December ends. We demand that he stop the RH debates and interpellations and call for a vote on the RH Bill NOW.

We will OCCUPY CONGRESS and actively participate in its proceedings. On December 7, we call on all our fellow Filipino youth and students to attend the session in the House of Representatives to show to our congressmen the reality of the youth supporting the RH Bill.

CONGRESS, SHUT UP AND VOTE ON THE RH BILL NOW!

Thank you to the following:

The Forum for Family Planning and Development, Inc.

Youth Consortium for the Reproductive Health Bill

Thank you to the following:

The Forum for Family Planning and Development, Inc.

Youth Consortium for the Reproductive Health Bill

Martin Vidanes, UP Alyansa

Doreen Murata, Catholics for RH

Ella Surtida, teacher

Heart Dino, University Student Council – University of the Philippines Diliman

Roby Camagong, Alyansang TAPAT sa Lasallista – De La Salle University

James Roman, Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement – Ateneo de Manila University

Angeli Guadalupe, University Student Council – University of the Philippines Manila

Cleo Leogardo, University Student Government – De La Salle University

Nice Coronacion, Alliance of Progressive Labor-Youth

What is even more abhorrent is the cavalier use of the words “rights” and “democracy” to justify her escape from the country and that any attempt to prevent her from doing so would constitute a violation of those two cherished words. It seems that Arroyo wishes to taunt her victims, the Filipino public, by using the very rights they deprived from others to escape accountability.

Arroyo deserves no compassion from the Filipino public. First, her situation is not dire. The statement of Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona confirms that there are sufficient medical facilities and skilled medical experts to treat her ailment. Moreover, Dr. Leo Olarte of the Philippine Medical Association has opined that Mrs. Arroyo is on her way to recovery.

Second, she has the sufficient resources to pay for the best facilities and doctors in the country. Unlike millions of Filipinos, she has a team of doctors to attend to her medical needs and has foreign medical experts abroad to treat her common illness.

Third, and most important, the nine years of her presidency were marked by much grave abuse of rights and democracy. Now, Arroyo’s camp speaks of rights but during her presidency, human rights violations against media practitioners, political activists, and ordinary citizens were rampant.

Now, they speak of democracy when during her term, she orchestrated massive cheating during the 2004 and 2007 elections. This huge irony seems to escape them. No amount of disastrous acting or theatrics to garner sympathy can whitewash the gross acts of corruption, electoral sabotage, plunder, and impunity she and her cohorts committed.

We challenge the eight justices of the Supreme Court to resign should Arroyo not return to the country as she promised. We believe that those who aided Arroyo in her attempt to escape should not go scot-free and wash their hands.

We also call on the public to express their indignation against Arroyo’s attempt to flee the country. We must never take this sitting down. We cannot allow those who have robbed us of our rights to use the same rights to escape accountability.

No to GMA’s escape!

Student Council Alliance of the Philippines | Akbayan! Youth | Movement for the Advancement of Student Power