Kabataan Partylist

Partylist tales
by Raymond Palatino
http://mongpalatino.motime.com

Campaign materials made by young farmers in Hacienda Luisita for Kabataan Partylist

Our most important endorser

Friends have been asking how we got young showbiz stars to endorse Kabataan Partylist. I’m sorry; it’s a trade secret, hehe.

But celebrities are not our most important endorsers. They add to the appeal of our group, they increase our winning chances, but we rely on the strength of our membership in order to win in the elections.

Let me mention the founding organizations of Kabataan Partylist:

National Union of Students. The most prestigious student group in the country. Period. (hehe)

College Editors Guild. The oldest and largest existing student group in the country.

Anakbayan. The most indomitable youth group in the country. They are so persuasive that I agreed to marry one of its officers. (hehe)

LFS. Student rallies are still associated with LFS. That’s the legacy of LFS in the student movement.

Student Christian Movement. An ecumenical youth group with extensive membership.

Karatula. Young artists who composes most of the campaign songs of Kabataan Partylist.

We are overjoyed with the endorsement of some many youth groups, SK officials, bloggers, young professionals, students and even those who are no longer young. Thank you po for supporting Kabataan Partylist.

But I would like to give special mention to the support of young farmers of Hacienda Luisita for our partylist. For me, it is the most cherished endorsement in this elections.

While attending an assembly in Tarlac a few days ago, some teens approached me and introduced themselves as farmers from hacienda Luisita. They brought campaign streamers made from carton. They assured me of their support for Kabataan Partylist. Then, someone from their group asked me a question which I will never forget: Ipaglalaban mo ba kami kapag nanalo ka?

It was a simple but very important question. It made me realize that partylist groups exist to promote the welfare of our people, which include the struggling farmers of Hacienda Luisita. Kabataan Partylist exists to empower the oppressed, give hope to the dispossessed and fight for the rights of the poor.

We are proud of the endorsement given by Angel Locsin, Dennis Trillo, Ciara Sotto, Marvin Agustin, Tuesday Vargas, among others. We are also proud to announce that the brave young farmers of Hacienda Luisita are on our side.

“Apparently, Malacanang is not the only one fielding or funding partylist groups in this elections. Local politicians or local warlords have also established bogus partylist organizations.”

Kabataan Partylist President and First Nominee Raymond Palatino said some established political dynasties have already penetrated the partylist system by forming partylist groups in order to get more pork barrel funds for personal enrichment.

“Instead of empowering the poor, the partylist system is now being used by traditional politicians to extend their sphere of influence.”

Palatino, who just came from campaign sorties in Ilocandia, identified the Ortega clan in La Union as one of these dynasties whom he said is behind the Abono Partylist which claims to represent a marginalized sector of our society.

“We received reports from our members and students in La Union that this dynasty ordered all incumbent officials and candidates, from provincial to barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officers to endorse and campaign for Abono Partylist.”

“We also got complaints from our chapters in La Union that officials affiliated with the Ortega clan are preventing other partylist groups including Kabataan from campaigning in their districts,” he added.

“There is nothing wrong with partylist groups soliciting the support of local politicians. But it is unfair and illegal for local politicians to establish a partylist group, proclaim that it is a group of disempowered Filipinos and use massive resources to ensure its victory. It is unjust for local politicians to bar other partylist groups from campaigning just to please the local kingpin of the province. This is not how the partylist system works. This is not how to strengthen our democracy.”

“There are 93 partylist groups participating in the 2007 elections. How many of these groups are truly representative of the underprivileged sectors of our society? While we contend with very little resources, some groups find it easy to mount an expensive campaign since they are shameless dummies of traditional politicians.”

“We are gathering more evidences and strongly considering filing a petition for the Commission on Elections to look into the matter,” he said, adding that Kabataan Partylist and a group of student volunteers are already conducting an extensive research on partylist groups that are being funded or that were formed by political dynasties in different parts of the country.

Meanwhile, Palatino reiterated the call for COMELEC to publicize the list of partylist nominees. He added that Kabataan Partylist will be pushing for the amendment of the partylist law after elections to prevent unscrupulous politicians from bastardizing the partylist system.

“We urge the Commission on Elections to be more discerning in recognizing partylist groups. We support the proposal to publish the list of nominees of partylist candidates. We will not be surprised if scions of political dynasties are among the nominees of some partylist groups.”

“We hope the people will not be coerced into voting dummy partylist groups of traditional politicians. We hope they will realize the evil machinations of local politicians in forming these groups.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=59136

By Jeffrey M. Tupas
Inquirer
Last updated 03:12am (Mla time) 04/08/2007

WHAT could be more convincing than seeing Angel Locsin, Dennis Trillo and other movie and rock stars come together to urge the youth to be over-audacious and brassy in confronting society’s ills today? (more…)

Kabataan party-list, the sole youth party-list group in the May elections, marked Easter Sunday with an “Egg-hunt for the Youth’s Aspirations for the Mid-term Elections” in Old Balara, Quezon City.

The event was held in cooperation with Danton Remoto, congressional candidate for Quezon City’s third district and a prominent advocate of “LGBT” (lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgendered) rights.

Remoto and the Kabataan members unveiled colorful makeshift eggs painted with the words ‘education’, ‘employment’, ‘equal rights’, ‘good governance’ and ‘clean and honest elections.’

Residents of Old Balara, an urban poor enclave, had earlier hidden the “eggs” in various places.

In a statement, Raymond Palatino, Kabataan national president and nominee, said: “This year, we mark Easter Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of Christ, with the youth’s hopes and aspirations for the upcoming elections.”

“We echo the Supreme Court’s appeal to our fellow youth to exercise the right to vote in order to put forward our interests and fervent prayers for a better future,” he added.

“This is also to symbolize the ‘resurrection’ of the youth and truly marginalized voices in government. We need fresh and refreshing changes in governance. It is time to usher in new faces, new voices and new platforms in Congress,” Palatino said, referring to Remoto.

Palatino said that one of Kabataan’s main advocacies is the advancement of “equal rights and opportunities regardless of age, sex or gender.” - GMANews.TV

Watch the new 20 seconder infomercials posted in the video section of KABATAAN website. Ayos!

‘SASAMA PA KIDZ MORE’
TU candidates, GMA teach wrong values to young Filipinos

The Kabataan Partylist today criticized President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and TEAM Unity’s new political gimmick for its candidates, saying the administration slate’s memory aid* should have been “SASAMA PA KIDZ MORE.’

“Mrs. Arroyo must be suffering from memory loss. How can she claim that her government is ‘investing for the future and the young generation’ if her education and economic policies actually lead to a growing number of dropouts and out-of-school youth and unemployed new graduates?,” Kabataan Partylist President and First Nominee Raymond Palatino said.

On the contrary, Palatino said, Arroyo’s TEAM Unity imparts wrong values to young Filipinos.

“How can a party that is mostly composed of turncoats, the President’s political clients and lawmakers who tried to conceal the truth during the last impeachment trials be for the kids and the youth?”

“They serve as bad examples to young Filipinos. We fear that if these Malacanang lackeys will get elected in this elections, bribery, cheating, stealing and lying that marked the last Presidential elections will just be customary part of Philippine politics in the future. Their brand of politics goes against any acceptable standard of morality and will afflict the generations of Filipinos to come if we will not do anything to stop it,” he pointed out.

“By electing these unprincipled candidates in Senate, we will only be teaching Filipino children that what they did in concealing the truth in the 2004 elections and supporting the President was actually right and warrant reward.”

Meanwhile, Palatino said the only thing the youth could actually wish for Arroyo is peace of mind and clean conscience.

“This is probably the best gift Arroyo can give to herself and the nation as she marks one of her life’s milestones. But the only way she could have these if she will finally admit all of her wrongdoings in the 2004 elections.”

He added that the unity that the president wants can only be realized if calls for reconciliation are based on sincerity and repentance.

“It starts with a remorseful spirit and the humility to step down from power. We pray that Arroyo will use this season to reflect and find these things in her heart.”

*“Mas para sa kidz mo” (for the children) is the acronym she (Arroyo) came up with for the Team Unity candidates, coined from the names of the 12 administration candidates, which she announced at the national convention of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party in Pasay City last Monday. (excerpt taken from the Inquirer)

(more…)

Pictures and more here.

A photo of this event landed in the Regions page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer today.