Photos courtesy of: NORDIS WEEKLY

Baguio militants call for GMA ouster

BAGUIO CITY (June 15) — Following controversial policies and moves by the government and giant corporations, militant sectors in Baguio City called for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday, June 14. This came at the heels of a scandal arising from an alleged wire-tapped conversation by GMA with a high-ranking government official allegedly arranging a one million-election margin in favor of then incumbent president Arroyo. 

Militant student organizations protested the skyrocketing prices of tuition and miscellaneous fees, particularly in private schools like Saint Louis University (SLU), University of the Cordilleras (UC-BCF), and the Baguio Central University (BCU). 

BCU also drew controversy for denying enrollment rights to Chester Mark Tuazon, the governor of Samahan ng mga Mag-Aaral ng Narsing at Midwifery (SMNM), who, according to BCU President Dr. Margarita Fernandez, “led several rallies without permit from offices.”  BCU eventually allowed Tuazon to enroll in the university, on condition that he is not to lead or participate in any form of action against the BCU administration.

Student groups also attacked SLU’s carry-over scheme, the University of Baguio’s alleged “harrassment” and “intimidation” of editorial staff and UC-BCF’s Land and Infrastructure Maintenance, Acquisition and Development (LIMAD) fees, the latter having not undergone proper consultations from the student body. 

Further, the rallyists called for the scrapping of the expanded value-added tax (e-VAT) law, the return of student fare discounts for students on weekends, and the realignment of priorities by the government to education.

Militant groups also interconnected these problems in the education sector with the continuing workers’ strike at the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation (LCMCo) in Mankayan, Benguet; Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac; and issues of corruption charges and electoral fraud following the now-infamous “Gloria-gate” scandal. 

While groups called on the resignation of GMA, the halt of campus repression and higher state subsidy in education, the rally was generally peaceful, and no violence or excessive police presence were reported.

The march-rally proceeded under the initiative of the Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance-Youth Center (CPA-YC), and was supported by other militant sectors in the City.  Among these groups are the Organisasyon dagiti Nakurapay nga Umili ti Siyudad (ORNUS), Innabuyog-Gabriela, Tongtongan ti Umili (TTU), ANAKBAYAN-Metro Baguio, the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines-Baguio Benguet (CEGP-BB), the National Union of Students of the Philippines-Baguio Benguet (NUSP-BB), the League of Filipino Students-Metro Baguio (LFS-MB), Progressive Igorots for Social Action (PIGSA), Gabriela Youth, the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP), Tanghalang Bayan ng Kabataan sa Baguio (TABAK), and other militant organizations in various schools and workers’ groups here. 

The march-rally took place at 12 noon, from the Post Office Loop down to Session Road and to Km. 0. # Marck Rimorin for NORDIS