BROAD COALITION VS CHA-CHA LAUNCHED

 

Various people’s organizations and religious groups launched Wednesday, February 14, a coalition against a renewed push for Charter change (Cha-cha) which they said will not solve the country’s problems, contrary to its proponents.

 

Koalisyon Laban sa Cha-cha — convened by Bishop Jose Colin M. Bagaforo of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Bishop Jonel Milan of the K4Philippines Intercessors Movement, Ms. Minnie Anne Mata-Calub of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, of Tindig Pilipinas, Josua Mata of Nagkaisa Labor Coalition, and Justine Balane of Akbayan Youth. — denounced the fresh moves to revise the 1987 Constitution as “selfish.”

 

“Our Constitution is robust but not fully implemented and completed with the necessary implementing laws. The leaders we entrusted with power do not fully implement the Constitution and provide necessary implementing laws because of selfish agenda,” the coalition said.

 

It also refuted claims of lawmakers campaigning for Cha-cha that the Constitution is to blame for
chronic poverty and that its economic provisions are too restrictive for foreign investments.

 

The group vowed to uphold the Constitution, particularly its social justice provisions, and to protect the sanctity of processes to amend or revise the Charter so that these will not be used to exploit people.

 

As it traced the opposition to previous Cha-cha attempts, the coalition said there is no reason to change the Constitution now, especially under a president “in denial of the corruption and human rights abuses of his father's dictatorial regime.”

 

‘True unity’

 

Bishop Bagaforo, who chairs the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace and heads Caritas Philippines, called the current push for Cha-cha “questionable.”

 

“We view attempts to alter the Constitution, especially with questionable motives and limited public participation, as threatening our nation's well-being,” Bagaforo said.

 

He continued, “The 1987 Constitution is not a political plaything. It was crafted after a dark period to serve the Filipino people, upholding human dignity, human rights, and the common good. We echo the CBCP's stance: Any revision must adhere to these moral principles.”

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), an ecumenical fellowship of non-Roman Catholic denominations in the country, also rejected the current push for Cha-cha, saying it will not help people.

 

“It will open up the economy to further foreign exploitation and foreign military basing. The former will further mire the people in poverty while the latter will compromise Philippine sovereignty,” Jennifer Ferariza-Meneses, NCCP’s vice-chairperson for women, said.

 

Hontiveros hailed the “true unity” of people’s organizations and religious groups joining forces against Cha-cha despite having come from different walks of life.

 

“Ito ang tunay na pagkakaisa: Ang pagkakaisa ng taumbayan na lalaban para sa kapakanan ng nakararami, hindi para lang sa interes ng iilan,” she said.

 

The senator urged people to join the coalition and other groups against Cha-cha as she underscored the need to further strengthen the campaign against this attempt to tamper with the Constitution.

 

“Pagod na tayo sa pagtangis dahil sa mga nasaktang puso at napakong pangako,” Hontiveros said. “Kaya pupunasan na natin ang ating luha at buong-loob na papasanin ang krus ng laban kontra sa Cha-cha para ang ating bayan ay maging tunay na bayang magiliw.”

 

Focus on true needs of Pinoys

 

Fr. Antonio Labiao, Caritas’ executive secretary, said that instead of tinkering with the Constitution, the government should instead work to eradicate corruption, protect the environment, break political dynasties, and ensure electoral integrity.

 

“A just and equitable society for all Filipinos cannot be achieved through self-serving Charter changes, but through a genuine commitment to the people’s welfare. We urge the government to fulfill its duty and prioritize the needs of its citizens,” Labiao said.

 

Josua Mata of Nagkaisa Labor Coalition and Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa said what the people truly need are living wages, jobs and rights.

 

“Kung wala dito ang puso ninyo, malamang kapangyarihan at kayamanan lang ang habol ninyo!” Mata said. “We urge our legislators to prioritize policies that would address the chronic poverty amidst the widening gap of income inequality in the country.”

 

Akbayan Youth chairperson Justine Balane said student councils, Sanggunian Kabataan and youth leaders all over the country are rising up against Charter change, which he said will “short-change” the youth.

 

“The youth rejects a future where the elite have unlimited years in power, our economy is owned by foreign billionaires, and the people are starved of their human rights,” Balane said. “Walang pakinabang ang kabataan at mag-aaral sa cha-cha. This trapo-led charter change will only short-change our future.”

“In the face of our nation's pressing problems, present Charter Change initiatives are divisive, wasteful and unnecessary. We urge our politicians to put solving our people's hunger, poverty, and poor education first!” said Ging Quintos Deles of Tindig Pilipinas and Buhay Ang EDSA Campaign Network.

 

Koalisyon Laban sa Cha-cha vowed to sustain its efforts to defend democracy. “We are Filipinos. We have the responsibility, courage, and fervor to strive for the governance of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace in this generation and future generations,” it said.

 

Photos can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/pfbid0dm6214WyUYrZUgo9tQC3BAid3KuEcUBvCSF67xRcc1CvDR1zkknzTnFmQkSDt5ckl

PRESS RELEASE

February 14, 2024

Ateneo CRUSADA stand on the RH bill

I

The recent resurgence of the debates regarding the RH Bill had once again left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. These debates, depending on which side you ask, highlighted either the incompetence of the Catholic Church to listen to its flock regarding important issues, or is an explicit symptom of the moral degeneration of the country’s leaders, institutions, and its population. ”Stupidity” is a word that has become an unqualified, debased currency for RH Bill supporters who wish to insult the various stands made by anti-RH Bill advocates. All of this simply recalls a remark made by Walter Benjamin: “...theology, today, as we know, is wizened and must be kept out of sight”.

We, the Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (CRUSADA), believe that there is no contradiction in being both a Christian and a supporter of the RH Bill. Indeed, as we will later argue, to refuse to see the enormous suffering that poverty brings upon the poor, and to refuse to see the weight that the RH Bill (in coordination with further developmental programs) can lift from the shoulders of the poor, is a failure for the Christian to interrogate the teachings of one’s faith with the emergence of the poor as the subject and starting point of theology. Indeed, to continue to privilege the doctrine of the sanctity of life as written, without regarding the quality of life,  is a failure to live out the most fundamental commandment of all: to love your neighbor as you love yourself. One cannot love ideas as mere abstractions, one must turn the love for people into a humanizing praxis. In moments where the affirmation of doctrine comes before the love of neighbor, in this case the love of the poor, then one fails to live out the greatest commandment. A true support of the sanctity of life must be done with regard for a good life for all, and not bare life for a majority.

In our support of the RH Bill, we will argue along the following lines:

1. Although the Party upholds the doctrine of the sanctity of life,  questions about the beginning of life must not be separated from questions about the quality of life in the midst of which this life is conceived. If life is truly sacred, then one must not only protect the right to life but also defend the right to have a good, qualified life. One must not only defend life, one must also nurture it, and present life with opportunities for life, and not for poverty (which is mere life) or death.

2. We believe that the current arguments against the RH Bill are buttressed by a theology of the human body which is primarily essentialist and ahistorical. While we recognize that these moral arguments are to some degree valid, we recognize that there is a need to move towards a theology which sees God with the poor, which sees God in their struggles, which sees God in the people who live and act in solidarity with the poor. From this lense, the RH Bill, when seen as a valid attempt to alleviate the suffering of the poor, becomes a legitimate form of Christian action.

II

The Party affirms that the material conditions of people are essential to determining and maintaining the overall quality of their lives. That is, human beings must first privilege the satisfaction of the labor of their bodies before it can fully and wholly participate in activities which are integral to human life. Before one can study, do work, write literature, engage in athletics, build a family, or build a community, the satisfaction of our material needs must come first. The labor of our bodies precedes the works of our hands.

There are situations and societies, however, where the oppression brought about by structural injustices makes it very difficult to satisfy the labor of our bodies, which in turn makes it nearly impossible to perform other forms of human action and interaction. This is the condition of poverty, wherein the demand for bread overshadows all the other pursuits of an individual and of communities. Where there is poverty, life is no longer true life. Poverty degrades people into animal laborans in the most literal sense; poverty turns people into mere biological entities tied to their bodily needs. Instead of living lives that affirm everyday life, every new day in a condition of poverty is instead lived as an escape of impending death. Poverty, therefore, is inhuman, and is against human dignity. It is not until poverty is annihilated, gradually or otherwise, can we call our world truly human. This does not mean that bare life does not deserve to live, but that bare life is an insufficient form of life. We must not be content if a majority of our impoverished population lives by merely living. All affirmations of life must be in regard to better life.

This mere living can be characterized by the severe inequities in terms of the availability of essential care that continues to plague our country. 94% of women in the richest quintile have a skilled birth attendant, while only 26% among the country’s poorest fifth have the same access to that kind of care. Only 77% of the poorest quintile have access to antenatal care, with only 13% delivering their babies at an accredited health facility. 92% of these women have complained of at least one healthcare access problem. Underprivileged women given their circumstances, often still continue working even with difficult pregnancies. Some of these mothers are exposed to unhealthy environments as well as abuse. Most of these women are malnourished. Complications arise from 15% of pregnancies, from 2 million live births, about 300,000 maternal complications develop and 15 women needlessly die from preventable causes every day. Because of the compromised maternal care, women are also more likely to give birth preterm. This can result to Filipino babies suffering various diseases related to short gestation and low birth weight. Those who do survive manifest different congenital anomalies as well as cognitive challenges for life.

The Party believes that these statistics show that there are obvious circumstances where prohibiting the distribution of essential medicines and emergency care and to withhold the education of our people regarding their reproductive rights and health means that one condones the death of a lot of these people.

And in a majority of cases in the Philippines, children are born into such desperate conditions that they may as well be barely living. Every single child is unique; every child, therefore, embodies the very capacity of all human beings to enact beginnings. That is, by virtue of the unique singularity of every single child, all of them have the capacity to leave their own distinct imprint upon the world. But every newly born child is barely alive as well, dependent upon the care of their mother, their family, and the circumstances in which they live. The family is the primary bridge between the world of labor and the world of human activities.  It is the family’s role to provide an environment wherein bare life may become qualified life.  

Overall, the question here is whether or not the RH Bill will actually answer the needs of the poor. We, the Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement, believe that the bill allows for greater solidarity with the poor, by actually providing the necessary steps which will allow them reprieve from the suffering brought about by poverty. It allows them a better life, and anything which makes life better for the poor will always provide more solidarity than those who argue based on misinformation and misunderstanding.

III

Is there a theological basis for the support of the RH Bill? Is there a Christian defense of the propositions provided by the RH Bill, even when it has been argued again and again that all of the solutions that the RH Bill takes are incompatible with Christian doctrine - the inseparability of the unitive and procreative aspects of sexuality, of its genital and affective parts? We, the Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement, believe so, and it is found in the fundamental commandment of Jesus Christ: to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

In Margins: Site of Asian Theologies, Felix Wilfred argues that “We just cannot fix centres of God’s presence...What the whole of biblical revelation tells us is that God is someone who journeys to the margins, and is to be found at the periphery”. The eyes of God always see the people of the margins, and his compassion and presence is always “with persons who are without power and protection”. Therefore, the only way to encounter God is to go and be in solidarity with the struggles and sufferings of the people of the margins themselves. In fact, “Jesus was so pained by the arrogance of the religious leaders of his time, and on the other hand, so moved with joy to find ‘non-persons’ radiant in God’s presence”. A genuine theology, in other words, must go to the margins - to those who hunger, to those who thirst, to those who have been abandoned by society to the fetters of poverty.

Gustavo Gutiérrez also argues along similar lines in his “The Option for the Poor Arises from Faith in Jesus”. Faith is not just an individual task, it also implies the task of preaching the good news, which in turn implies a sense of duty towards one’s own community that is within its context. Faith and theology must therefore come to terms with human history and the lives of everyday people. In the context of poverty, theology goes beyond the memorization and affirmation of doctrine, moving towards “accompanying people in their suffering and joys, their commitments, frustrations...”. “A theological language that neglects unjust suffering and does not loudly proclaim the right of each and every person to happiness is shallow and betrays the God of whom it speaks, the God of the beatitudes. In the end, all theology is a theology of hope, an understanding of the reasons we have to hope”.

The question, therefore, becomes: for whom is this theology for? Theology, although it necessarily includes the dimension of the affirmation of faith in God and in the Church, cannot be confined to these dimensions. It is even worse when theology is used only for the affirmation of doctrine. When this happens, an essential aspect of theology is forgiven - that of compassion and solidarity with the suffering of the poor. A theology which does not seek to alleviate these even the slightest is no theology at all. But we, the Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement, see that the RH Bill is one way by which Christian doctrine can accompany the poor in their suffering. We affirm life, and we affirm the Christian edict to love our neighbor; that is, we support the RH Bill.

Labor group supports clamour on the vote for the RH bill

PRESS RELEASE

6 August 2012

Women members of the Partido ng Manggagawa joined women groups from the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) at the House plenary session this afternoon to show support to clamor to finally put the RH bill to vote.

“It’s been more than a decade it is time to pass the RH bill.  Poor and working women have waited long enough,” explained PM General Secretary Judy Ann Chan-Miranda.

She added that, “Poor women need family planning services and commodities which they cannot afford.  Millions of poor women and adolescents are left uninformed about their reproductive health rights and needs.  We do want merely want a ‘yes’ vote to the RH bill, we want the provisions intended to address the reproductive rights and needs of poor and working women and adolescents intact,” asserted Miranda. 

Partido ng Manggagawa called on the pro-RH legislators from the House of Representatives and the Senate to ensure that the following provisions in the RH bill shall not be comprised:

1.     The right of women to choose which family planning method to use, hence, the availability of all range of contraception – natural or artificial – but medically safe;

2.     The right of adolescents to age-appropriate sexuality and reproductive health education;

3.     The continuation of program on the prevention and management of post-abortion complications, and humane medical treatment of women who have risked unsafe abortion; and

4.     The fund allocation to free reproductive health care services and commodities for the poor, especially women and adolescents.

Tucuma residents appeal to Catholic Church for support

Press Release

April 29, 2012

Tucuma Federation

The residents of the depressed community of Tucuma in Barangay Merville, Paranaque City appealed to the Catholic Church for support in its land dispute. Leaders of the Tucuma Federation will meet with Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, who also heads the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action, today to present their case and request.

“The social teachings of the Catholic Church put forward that people should be first before profit. Applied to our case, this means that the housing and livelihood needs of some 1,000 families are a priority over the private property claims of the Molave Development Corporation which wants to profit by speculation over a long-idled land,” explained Ramil Asturias, Tucuma Federation president.

Tomorrow a long march or Lakbayan will banner the call “Stop to demolitions, Housing and jobs for all.” Some 500 workers, youth and poor from Metro Manila and Calabarzon will lead the “Lakbayan para sa Pabahay at Trabaho” which will start by 3:00 p.m. at Baclaran Church and end by 8:00 p.m. at the Holy Trinity Church in Balic-Balic.

The marchers will stay overnight at the Holy Trinity Church then join on May 1 the huge 20,000-strong “historic” rally by the newly-formed Nagkaisa, which unites the country’s major labor center for the first time since the 1980’s. Among the eight major demands of Nagkaisa’s Labor Day rally will be reform of the socialized housing program of the government and a moratorium on demolitions.

Asturias will propose to Bishop Pabillo that the Catholic Church call for an extension of the temporary suspension of the demolitions ordered by DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. The suspension will only last until the regulations on demolitions are assessed and affirmed. “We however want that the moratorium last until the socialized housing of the government is reviewed and reformed. The government’s housing policy for the poor is profit not service-oriented,” Asturias insisted.

Renato Magtubo, Partido ng Manggagawa chairperson, welcomed Robredo’s suspension of demolitions but also pushed for an extension. “Suspending demolitions until new rules are drafted merely scratches the surface of the problem. The government needs to address the root cause of lack of housing for the poor. The housing program is tied up with the jobs and wages policy. The low wages in the country, as attested by a recent report of the ILO, means that the poor have barely enough income for food much less rent or amortization on housing,” he said.

Magtubo revealed that the number of informal settlers was estimated at half a million families by a HUDCC study in 2007 while the housing backlog is assumed to be 3.7 million units.

Women workers chide bishops for celebrating withdrawal of UN funding on family planning

PRESS RELEASE

2 September 2011

While bishops hail the United Nation’s decision to abandon the country’s family planning plan due to lack of funds, the Department of Health (DOH) notes that Filipinos with HIV has reached more than 7000 and increasing.  Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) believes that for these reasons, the more the State and advocates should make certain the passage of the RH bill and so its budget allocation.

“It is unfortunate that the bishops’ reason for rejoicing is also reason for more difficulties for the poor, especially women with unmet family planning needs and dying due to pregnancy and birth complications, and Filipinos with HIV and AIDs.  It is callous and insensitive to celebrate at the expense of people needing help,” explained PM Secretary-General Judy Ann Chan-Miranda.

PM chides the bishops for admonishing taxpayers regarding budget allocation for RH-related services.  The poor, needing RH services, deserves State support – it is one reason why the State exists in the first place. 

“The tax-exempt Catholic Church has no moral ascendancy to meddle on the State’s social spending.  Will it share its wealth or pay the bills for the healthcare of poor women?” asked Miranda.

Gen. Danilo Lim visits hunger strikers at NBP, joins call for release of political prisoners

PRESS RELEASE

16 August 2011

Former Scout Ranger commander and an ex-political detainee himself, Gen. Danilo Lim, is joining the human rights community led by the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), representatives of the Commission on Human Rights, and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines - National Secretariat for Social Action –Justice and Peace (CBCP-NASSA) in a visit this afternoon to political prisoners at the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) who are now on their 23rd day of hunger strike.

Joining Lim is another ex-political detainee, Nilo Tayag, who is now a bishop of the Philippine Independent Church (IFI).

On Saturday, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged President Benigno Aquino III to free political prisoners through an executive clemency especially for those who have already served their long and unjust sentences.

Partido ng Manggagawa renewed its call for President Aquino to end the sufferings of the remaining political prisoners as many of them had been convicted on false charges of common crimes.

One of the hunger strikers, Juanito Itaas, was in jail since 1989 for the assassination of US Col. James Rowe, a charged he vehemently denied.  In prison for 22 years, Itaas is now considered one of the longest serving political detainees in the world, next to Nelson Mandela who was imprisoned for 27 years for sabotage and high treason. According to reports, Israel is holding the longest serving political prisoner, a Palestinian, who is serving his 34th year in prison.

According to Gen Lim, he and Itaas once shared the same prison compound as he was also detained in connection to the 1989 coup.  Itaas is now leading the hunger strike for freedom at the NBP.

On Sunday night, two more hunger strikers, Diony Sarad and Tendero Fuentes, were brought to the NBP Infirmary for severe abdominal pain.  Doctors from the Medical Action Group (MAG) who joined today’s visit are looking into the health condition of the hunger strikers.

The groups were still hopeful that President Aquino would finally heed their appeal for clemency since political prisoners are not hardened criminals who warrant continued imprisonment for life.

Human rights groups were also set to have a dialogue with the Presidential Human Rights Commission (PHRC) at Malacanang earlier this morning.  Another dialogue with the Department of Justice is scheduled this coming Friday.

Protest caravan presses Hanjin to comply with safety and other labor standards

PRESS RELEASE
03 July 2011

Disgusted with 5,000 accidents resulting to at least 31 deaths since it operated in the country, the labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) today took part in the labor and church led “Caravan for Decent Work and Humane Working Conditions” from Manila to the Subic Bay Freeport in Olongapo City where the sprawling complex of Hanjin shipyard is located. The caravan, co-organized by the Church-Labor Conference (CLC), is met along the way by workers from Pampanga and Bataan under the Manggagawa para sa Kalayaan ng Bayan (Makabayan) and Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KPD).

A group of cyclists and motorcyclists are to meet them at Olongapo City for a short program at Hanjin shipyard.  After the program, CLC co-chair and CBCP National Secretariat for Social Action Bishop Broderick Pabillo leads the mass at Brgy. Wawandue in Subic.  A torch parade around the city follows by nightfall. The Partido ng Manggagawa has been labelling the Korean-owned shipyard as the “graveyard of workers’ rights” for the appalling number of work-related deaths and accidents lying above many other labor rights violations in the company.

“Deaths, accidents, massive contractualization, cruelty against workers, poor working conditions and the denial of workers’ right to self organization, are things that cannot just be put under the rugs by the labor movement, the Church, the government, and the international community,” declared PM Chair Renato Magtubo. A labor department’s Occupational Safety and Health Standard (OSHS) director disclosed that based on its own investigation there were already some 5,000 reported accidents in Hanjin in the first two years of its operation.

Hanjin began its Philippine operations in 2006. The labor group Makabayan has put the number of work related deaths at Hanjin to 31; 11 cases of maltreatment by Korean superiors; 63 illegal termination; and 20 illegal suspension.

Workers also complain of spoiled foods being served to them, the rude physical treatment they are getting from their Korean superiors, and the low wages they receive since they are all employed through subcontractors. “Subjecting Hanjin’s 21,000 workforce into this cruel world of industrial relations is a national policy question that has to be addressed by Pnoy regardless of Koreans bringing in billions of pesos of investment in the country,” argued Magtubo. On 2009, the Senate Labor Committee conducted an inquiry on Hanjin and found many lapses in safety standards and other labor law violations.  The Department of Labor and Employment on the other hand came out with a circular for safety compliance yet deaths and accidents still hound the shipyard.

Labor and church groups are urging the government to strictly enforce all safety standards in Hanjin and compel the company to observe the Philippine and international standards on decent work, including the workers’ right to organize -- specifically the recognition of the Samahan ng mga Manggagawa sa Hanjin. The group is also asking for the cancellation of permit to operate of some 19 contractors which supply 100 percent of Hanjin’s contractual employees.

Pacquiao will not be a champ in the fight against RH bill

PRESS RELEASE

18 May 2011

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) stated that Rep. Manny Pacquaio will face the fight of his life in the RH bill and forecasted that he will not emerge a champ in this gruelling match. “Pacquaio may not have been knocked out by questions about the contradiction between his position and his wife’s Jinkee’s use of the pill, but he will not survive a decision by the Filipino people on his fight for the RH bill. Survey after survey has shown a majority want access to reproductive health, among them birth control which Jinkee has the privilege of enjoying as a billionaire’s wife,” asserted Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

Once more, PM mobilized its members for lobbying with the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) at the House of Representatives in Batasan, Quezon City.  Hundreds of women trooped to Congress to see the expected debate between Rep. Edcel C. Lagman and Rep. Pacquaio on the interpellation for the RH bill.

And in response to Pacquiao’s support for the Catholic Church’s position, Miranda argued that, “More or less 40% of the Philippine population are below the poverty line, these people, especially women, cannot afford having many children as per statement na ang utos ng simbahan ay humayo at magparami.  The workers greatly admire Pacquiao for his boxing prowess, pero sana naman pag-isipan niya na ang deklarasyon niya bilang kinatawan ng Sarangani in particular ay may malaking impact sa kalusugan at buhay na kababaihan.”

“Insisting that Filipinos religiously follow the Catholic Church’s outmoded doctrine on family planning and contraception is disregard for women’s universal right to reproductive health,” declared Miranda.

“Bakit, Manny, pagtutulungan ba ninyo ng Simbahang Katoliko ang pagtugon sa gastusin at pangangailangan ng mahihirap na pamilya kung susundin nila ang kautusang ito?  If you can afford to buy a P4 million-bag for Mommy Dionisia, these poor Filipinos na marami ay kababayan mo cannot even afford to eat three meals a day, buy clothes and send their children to school,” added Miranda.

Indeed, Pacquiao has declared that he will not change his position, nevertheless, PM would like to make this last appeal, “Manny, mas kailangan ng mga manggagawa lalung-lalo na ng kababaihan ang tulong mo, more than former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and the Catholic Church.  Hindi kami hihingi ng balato mula sa milyon-milyong dolyar na kinikita mo sa boxing at commercials mo, ang hihingin naming balato ay puwang sa iyong puso para sa mahihirap.  Suportahan mo ang RH bill.”

PALEA gets support of FASAP

Press Release

April 8, 2011

PALEA

The fight of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) against the planned outsourcing at Philippine Airlines (PAL) garnered more support with the backing of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP). “We welcome the solidarity of our brother and sister employees of PAL. With FASAP’s backing, PALEA is slowly but surely completing the components for the paralyzing work stoppage in defiance of the Labor Secretary’s order enjoining us from a strike,” announced Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa.

In a statement FASAP, declared that “FASAP will support the PALEA union in its intended strike action to protect the job security of its members. Our members will not cross the strike picket lines. We will stand beside them in their struggle to keep their jobs.” FASAP represents PAL’s flight crew and is the second union within the flag carrier. PAL’s pilots are not represented by any union.

The support of FASAP comes in the wake of an earlier pronouncement by Manila Auxiliary and chairman of the CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action Bishop Broderick Pabillo defending PALEA’s right to strike as a means to seek redress of grievance. Both FASAP and Bishop Pabillo expressed criticism over the decision of the Office of the President allowing the mass layoff of more than half of the ground crew and their transfer as contractual workers in service providers.

“We are deeply disheartened with the Palace's decision allowing PAL to spin-off its ground services, adversely affecting 2,600 PAL employees,” FASAP said in its statement.
Rivera added that “With the support of fellow employees of PAL, organized labor and other sectors, we believe we can hold a successful strike that will finally force management to heed our demand to maintain regular jobs and start collective bargaining negotiations. We intend to test the law, and defy the assumption and certification order of the Labor Secretary which has been abused to deny workers their means of defense.”

PALEA welcomes bishop’s support for “RH”

Press Release

April 7, 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) welcomed the solidarity expressed by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo in a meeting held yesterday. “We are glad that Bishop Pabillo supports RH for PALEA, that is regular na hanapbuhay. The solidarity of the Catholic Church strengthens the resolve of PALEA to defy the order of the Labor Secretary against a strike. It also bolsters our fight for regular jobs and against labor contractualization at Philippines Airlines (PAL),” declared Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa.

PALEA met Bishop Pabillo yesterday afternoon at the office of the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) office in Intramuros in order to solicit support and coordinate plans. Bishop Pabillo committed to support the various activities of the labor groups, such as a workers caravan, to popularize the demands of PALEA and the call against contractualization.

He also declared backing for a planned letter of concern for President Benigno Aquino to be sent by the different labor groups. Big labor groups, including the TUCP, are critical of the Office of the President decision allowing Philippine Airlines to layoff some 2,600 employees and transform them into contractual workers in service providers.

Among other concrete activities, Bishop Pabillo was open to initiating a big meeting of advocates for PALEA. He also opened up the media network of the CBCP for the campaign against contractualization. PALEA and the other labor groups will be guests at the weekly press conference organized by the CBCP and the Radyo Veritas. Further Bishop Pabillo plans to lead a mass on the Labor Day commemoration of labor groups.

“We believe that church-labor solidarity is just as important as the labor unity forged in support of PALEA’s fight for regular jobs. This will not be a country fit for our children if no one will enjoy the dignity of a regular job. A regular job that provides decent wages, substantial benefits, security of tenure and the protection of a union should be the Filipino way of life. For this to be realized, employers need only be guided by Christian teachings on sharing the fruits of production,” Rivera asserted.

Aside from PALEA, the anti-contractualization coalition KONTRA, the federation UFSW, the labor unions of Fortune Tobacco and Philippine National Railways, and representatives from the Urban Missionaries and the Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns attended the meeting.

PALEA has not announced any date for the planned strike to paralyze PAL’s operations but has been patiently building support for it. Aside from soliciting the support of organized labor and the Catholic Church, PALEA is also building alliances with human rights groups, student and youth associations, and even lawyers and other advocates.

Labor group slam rich barangay ordinance against condom sale

PRESS RELEASE
28 February 2011

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) condemns the issuance of an ordinance by officials of Barangay Ayala Alabang against the sale of condoms. The group meanwhile welcomed the position of the Muntinlupa City council that in its review of the barangay ordinance said that it might be violation of the law and guidelines of the Department of Health.

“The officials of Barangay Ayala Alabang are obviously being dogmatic while the Muntinlupa city councillors are being prudent in their positions. The exclusive subdivisions of Ayala Alabang may put as high a wall to prevent poor people from peering but they cannot setup its own rules in contradiction with the laws of the country,” explained PM Secretary General Judy Ann Chan-Miranda.

She added that, “The need for prescription undermines the right of residents in the barangay to contraceptives. In the first place, the need for prescription to purchase condoms and pills is baseless. Matagal na itong kinategorize na over-the-counter essential medicines ng Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) and even by the World Health Organization. Now, seemingly, these barangay officials have suddenly becomes medical experts.”

Yesterday more than a thousand women and men from PM and different women’s groups marched at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) office in Intramuros. On March 4, PM will hold a big assembly of women workers on the RH bill and other working women issues in preparation for the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8. PM will commemorate Women’s Day with rallies at the Senate and House and Representatives to lobby for the RH bill.

“Prescriptions are used for drugs and medicines that may put people’s lives at risk. Anong health risk mayroon ang condom? And pills? Actually, it is highly prescribed by the WHO in preventing HIV-AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.” said Miranda.

PM further explained that legislating the Catholic Church’s doctrines, even at the barangay level, is coercive. “Women, men, parents and couples have the right to decide which contraceptives to use. It is neither up to the State nor the Church to decide on these matters,” Miranda insisted.

PALEA asks House Labor Committee to probe millions in PAL corporate bonuses

Press Release
November 5, 2010

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) called on the House Labor Committee to investigate the bonuses received by Philippine Airlines (PAL) executives and board members during the years that the national flag carrier was claiming losses. “PAL’s alleged losses are questionable when it doles out millions in corporate bonuses. Or if indeed PAL is losing then how come it rewards the failure of its executives and officers with indecent benefits? And why is it that workers have to pay for the financial crisis of PAL?” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chairperson.

Rivera quoted from documents in PALEA’s possession that reveal bonuses received and estimated to be received by the top senior executive officers in the three years from 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 at around USD 60,000 (PHP 2.76 M at exchange rate of PHP46 to USD1) per year. This is aside from salaries of around USD 360,000 and other annual compensation of up to USD 90,000.

“For the same years, all the other PAL officers and Board of Directors received no less than USD 25,000 in bonuses on top of salaries of more than USD 150,000 and other annual compensation of up to USD 265,000. These bonuses and other compensation were given out during the years that Labor Secretary Baldoz in her decision cites PAL’s claimed of losses of USD 297.8 M in 2009 and USD 14.3 M in 2010 as basis for retrenchment,” Rivera added.

The House Labor Committee is due to hold a hearing on November 10 on the labor dispute at PAL. PALEA along with other labor groups will attend to push proposals to regulate the “epidemic of contractualization at PAL and other companies.”

Rivera is optimistic that the Labor Committee can oblige PAL management to make a full disclosure of corporate bonuses. “PAL should not hide behind confidentially arguments since it is a public utility that enjoys a government franchise. Corporate bonuses becomes a public issue when PAL plans to layoff thousands on claims that it may go bankrupt if not allowed to contract out work,” Rivera insisted.

PALEA hopes that the Labor Committee will express concern at the mass layoff. “We will welcome support from legislators who will add their voice to the chorus of solidarity with the PAL employees. PALEA thanks Bishop Broderick Pabillo for his condemnation of the Labor Department’s approval of the mass layoff,” Rivera said.

Bishop Pabillo, chair of the National Secretariat for Social Action-Justice and Peace (Nassa), the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), yesterday conveyed disappointment at the policy of the government to favor capitalists rather than ordinary workers.

“President Aquino can still redeem the anti-labor image of his administration by reversing the controversial decision of Labor Secretary Baldoz. If not then P-Noy’s promise of change will be exposed as just a campaign gimmick,” Rivera averred.

Women workers express support for Robin Padilla in condom ad case

Press Release
June 18, 2010

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) expressed support for Robin Padilla in the case filed against him for promoting the use of condoms through advertisements. “Robin Padilla is a good boy for endorsing the use of condoms which is traditionally shunned in the macho culture of Filipino males. Condoms are a reproductive health concern not a moral issue,” declared Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

Miranda called on the Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) that filed the case against Padilla to face a debate on condom promotion and reproductive health. “We challenge pro-lifers such as AKP and Buhay, who all stand against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, to a public forum to discuss the merits of the issue,” she added.

PM is the group that backed the Department of Health in its controversial condom distribution campaign and trooped to the office of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines last March 8 as part of the group’s campaign for the RH bill. The Calabarzon chapter of PM also held a motorcade last March 14 that offered condoms for free.

Miranda appealed to Padilla to stand firm in the face of the case. “Women workers ask Robin not to retreat in his endorsement of condom use. While we know Robin is not a saint, he is a positive role model for Muslim-Christian dialogue through his various projects and advocacies.”

The group however called on the government to assume the responsibility for massively distributing and promoting condoms. “It is should not be principally the business of the private sector but the task of the State to provide access to reproductive health services. We ask the incoming government of Noynoy Aquino to certify as urgent and priority legislation the proposed RH bill. It is the right of women to control their bodies and it is the responsibility of the State to defend the freedom of women to choose,” Miranda explained.

She cited a research (“The Incidence of Induced Abortion in the Philippines: Current Level and Recent Trends” by Fatima Juarez, Josefina Cabigon, Susheeia Singh and Rubina Hussain, published by Guttmacher Institute, New York, 2005) that concluded “one of every two married women did not want a child soon or wanted no more children, but were not using a contraceptive method.” Miranda insisted that “Filipinos want to reduce the number of children but do not have the means to do so. In poor communities, one condom amounts to a pack of noodles. To millions of half-starved families, basic survival definitely comes first over safe sex. Thus the RH bill provides that government must step in by providing access to reproductive health services.”

Robin Padilla suportado ng kababaihang manggagawa sa kaso sa condom ad

Press Release
May 8, 2010

Nagpahayag ng suporta ang grupong party-list na Partido ng Manggagawa kay Robin Padilla sa kinakaharap nitong kaso sa pag-endurso ng condom sa advertisement. “Si Robin Padilla ay isang good boy sa kanyang pag-endurso ng paggamit ng condom na kadalasang iniiwasan ng mga machong Pilipino. Ang paggamit ng condom ay isang usaping reproductive health hindi isang isyung moral,” paninindigan ni Judy Ann Miranda, secretary-general ng Partido ng Manggagawa.

Nanawagan din si Miranda kay Jo Ambong, kandidatong pagkasenador ng Ang Kapatiran Party na nagsampa ng kaso, na humarap na lang sa isang debate. “Hinahamon namin si Ambong at iba pang kandidato, gaya ni Mike Velarde na isang party-list nominee, na ipagtanggol ang kanilang posisyon laban sa condom at kontra sa Reproductive Health bill sa isang public forum,” aniya.

Dati nang sinuportahan ng Partido ng Manggagawa ang Department of Health sa kontrobersyal nitong programa ng pamamahagi ng condom. Ang Partido ng Manggagawa din ang grupong nagprotesta sa opisina ng Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines noong Araw ng Kababaihan. Tumatakbo ang Partido ng Manggagawa sa halalan sa party-list sa platapormang “Apat na Dapat” na ang ibig sabihin ay regular na trabaho, sapat na sweldo, murang pabahay at reproductive health.

“Nananawagan ang kababaihang manggagawa kay Robin na huwag umatras sa pag-endurso sa paggamit ng condom. Alam naming hindi santo si Robin pero magandang role model siya para sa mga isyu gaya ng pagkakaisa ng mga Muslim at Kristyano,” paliwanag ni Miranda.

Nanindigan naman ang Partido ng Manggagawa na trabaho ng gobyerno ang promosyon ng condom. “Sa halip na gawing negosyo ng pribadong sektor, pangunahing responsibilidad ng gobyerno ang paglalaan ng reproductive health services. Hinihiling namin sa uupong bagong gobyernong na gawing urgent and priority legislation ang panukalang RH bill. Karapatan ng kababaihan ang mapasya sa kanilang mga katawan at tungkulin ng estado na ipagtanggol ang kalayaan ng mga babae na pumili sang-ayon sa kanilang kagustuhan,” giit ni Miranda.

Women workers express support for Robin Padilla in condom ad case

Press Release
May 8, 2010

The labor party-list Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) expressed support for Robin Padilla in a case filed against him by a senatorial candidate for promoting the use of condoms through advertisements. “Robin Padilla is a good boy for endorsing the use of condoms which is traditionally shunned in the macho culture of Filipino males. Condoms are a reproductive health concern not a moral issue,” declared Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

Padilla was the subject of a case filed yesterday by a senatorial candidate of the Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) that sought to stop the ads of Trust Condoms. AKP candidate Jo Ambong argued that the ads are an affront to “public decency and morality.”

Miranda called on Ambong to face a debate on condom promotion and reproductive health instead of filing a case. “We challenge Ambong and other candidates such as Mike Velarde, nominee of Buhay party-list, who stand against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill to a public forum to discuss the merits of the issue,” she added.

PM is the group that backed the Department of Health in its controversial condom distribution campaign and trooped to the office of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines last March 8 as part of the group’s campaign for the RH bill. The Calabarzon chapter of PM also held a motorcade last March 14 that offered condoms for free. PM is also running for the party-list elections on an “Apat na Dapat” platform of regular jobs, living wage, affordable housing and reproductive health.

Miranda appealed to Padilla to stand firm in the face of the case. “Women workers ask Robin not to retreat in his endorsement of condom use. While we know Robin is not a saint, he is a positive role model for Muslim-Christian dialogue through his various projects and advocacies,” she said.

The group however called on the government to assume the responsibility for massively distributing and promoting condoms. “It is should not be principally the business of the private sector but the task of the State to provide access to reproductive health services. We demand that the new government that will assume power certify as urgent and priority legislation the proposed RH bill. It is the right of women to control their bodies and it is the responsibility of the State to defend the freedom of women to choose,” Miranda explained.

She cited a research (“The Incidence of Induced Abortion in the Philippines: Current Level and Recent Trends” by Fatima Juarez, Josefina Cabigon, Susheeia Singh and Rubina Hussain, published by Guttmacher Institute, New York, 2005) that concluded “one of every two married women did not want a child soon or wanted no more children, but were not using a contraceptive method.” Miranda insisted that “Filipinos want to reduce the number of children but do not have the means to do so. In poor communities, one condom amounts to a pack of noodles. To millions of half-starved families, basic survival definitely comes first over safe sex. Thus the RH bill provides that government must step in by providing access to reproductive health services.”

Party-list campaigns on RH platform, dares Buhay’s Velarde to a debate

Press Release
March 29, 2010

Amidst the electoral carnival that puts a premium on personalities rather than platforms, the labor party-list Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) enters the second half of the national campaign by stressing its advocacies on issues such as the Reproductive Health (RH) bill. As an example of its platform-based campaign, PM held today an assembly of more than a hundred urban poor women in a depressed community in Quezon City in which reproductive health was the main agenda.

While discussing the RH bill, Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general and a nominee of the group, issued a challenge to El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde for a debate on the issue. The dare was in reaction to Velarde’s announcement that he decided to run as a party-list nominee in order to oppose the RH bill.

Miranda announced that “So that the voters can have an informed choice for the party-list based on platforms, we are open to a public discussion on the Reproductive Health bill with Velarde as Buhay nominee.”

PM also expressed its support for the plan to teach sex education in the public schools. Miranda said that “In the context of fighting the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and preventing teenage pregnancies, teaching sex education to the youth is a no-brainer. This is a topic that cannot be left only to parents and their children since this is also a public concern given the social dimensions of the issues.”

PM is the group that presented baskets of condoms to the Catholic Bishops Conference Office last March 8. PM is running for the party-list elections on a platform of “Apat ng Dapat” which includes working class concerns such as universal healthcare coverage, regular jobs, affordable housing and a wage hike.

“Similar to the planned debate between Health Secretary Cabral and the Catholic bishops, a public discussion between PM and Buhay on the pros and cons of the RH bill will educate the public in general and the voters in particular. A debate on issues is certainly much better for the voters than being entertained by dancing girls on stage or being barraged by self-serving political ads,” insisted Miranda.

In a preview of her position in a debate, Miranda added that “Reproductive health is not a moral issue but a public health concern of women. Women must have the freedom to make informed choices concerning their bodies and their welfare.”

Miranda is a former UP Manila student council officer with two decades of experience as organizer of workers and the urban poor. The other nominees of PM are Renato Magtubo, former union president of Fortune Tobacco; Gerry Rivera, current president of PAL Employees Association; Wilson Fortaleza, former student activist who also became an organizer; and Malou Parroco, union vice-president of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative.