Kabataan Partylist

The Kabataan Party and the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) today expressed concern over the appointment of Romulo Neri to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), saying his selection fits perfectly well to government plan to institute corporate control of tertiary education.

“Neri’s appointment to CHED is consistent with the Arroyo administration’s long term plan to reduce government sponsorship and financing of state schools and eventually hand over full control and supervision of tertiary education to the private sector,” Kabataan Party President Raymond Palatino said.

Palatino added that the appointment of the government’s chief economist as higher education czar could mean institutionalization of pure market mechanisms in regulating educational exchanges in public education.

“We fear that his appointment could lead to the imposition of management and efficiency models borrowed from the business sector as a framework for educational decision-making. This would only reinforce government thrust to commodify education and treat state schools not as national agencies performing socially oriented activities and hence entitled to government subsidy but as income-earning entities,” he pointed out.

“Such a shift in decision-making framework could translate to the idea of state schools operating like semi-corporations and continued deregulation of tertiary education, leaving millions of college students and hopefuls at the mercy of school owners and businesses.”

For his part, NUSP Secretary General Alvin Peters criticized the priorities of the new CHED leadership to reassess the relevance of tertiary education with regard to business interests and bank on vocational-technical education.

Peters said there are far more important and basic issues that warrant CHED’s immediate and decisive action which can’t be resolved by existing knee-jerk programs on education.

He particularly emphasized the urgent need to put an end to unabated tuition hikes and imposition of exorbitant fees in schools and resolve the controversy created by CHED’s hasty lifting of the tuition cap in the middle of school consultations last February.

“The first thing that CHED must do is to live up to its own mandate of ensuring that the youth have access to quality education and curb the increasing number of college dropouts and out-of-school youth.”

“We’ve had enough of education officials who compromise education for business interests or even conspire and act as willing accomplices of school owners. What higher education needs is a CHED chairman who has political will and independence to stand up to private school owners and even Malacañang.”

The Kabataan Party today challenged first termers and members of the 14th Congress to offset its predecessor’s dismal performance by being a more productive and independent legislature.

The youth group issued the challenge as it led some 5,000 members of students groups and militant youth organizations in today’s State of the Nation address (SONA) demonstrations in Commonwealth Avenue near Batasang Pambansa.

“The challenge on the 14th Congress is to restore the public’s faith on the legislature and make Congress the repository of the people’s sovereign will once again. They should prove to us that they are worthy of the people’s vote and support,” Kabataan Party President Raymond Palatino said.

Palatino warned the members of the 14th Congress not to follow its predecessor which the group considers as “one of the worst Congresses the country ever had.”

“The 13th Congress operated like mindless accomplice to Arroyo’s whims, reducing itself to a band of political mongrels and lapdogs. Its failure to function as a legislative body and produce more human development laws only made life harder for Filipinos. Much of the pitiful condition that Filipinos are currently experiencing should be blamed on the past Congress’ doing or undoing,” he lamented.

“The poor performance of the 13th Congress only mirrors out the failure of the Arroyo government to live up to its promise of making Filipinos’ lives better,” Palatino pointed out.

He cited the study made by Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) which shows the dismal record of the 13th Congress in terms of the number and quality of bills and laws the legislature deliberated for the past three years.

At the House of Representatives, 6,115 bills were filed. Those pending in the committees reached 3,883. Bills approved after third reading were 787. In the Senate, 2,619 bills were filed while only 22 made it to the plenary after passing the 3rd reading. Of the bills approved by both Houses, only 88 were enacted into law. There are 64 pending bills waiting for President Gloria Arroyo’s signature.

Palatino particularly criticized the past Congress’ failure to pass pending bills which would institute much-needed reforms in the education sector. Among the shelved education bills are the proposed moratorium on tuition and other fee increases and amendments to the Education Act of 1982 which deregulated the tuition system.

“The legislature’s inability to act on these proposals did not just cost a setback on education reforms but it meant a lost opportunity for thousands of poor students to continue their education.”

Palatino also blamed the grossly inadequate allocation for education spending and Congress’ previous failures to enact a national budget for the decrepit condition and declining quality of education in the country’s public school system.

He said the tuition hike in the University of the Philippines is a poignant example of the implications of annual cutbacks in state schools’ budget and government thrust to completely handover the control of tertiary education to the private sector.

He however expressed hope that the incoming 14th Congress would veer away from the poor record of its predecessor.

Palatino said the big number of first termers particularly in the Lower House could mean more openness on its part to new and progressive ideas and proposals. There are 106 neophyte lawmakers in the new Lower House.

“But the only way this Congress can do that is by being more independent of Malacanang and by listening more to people’s clamor than to the president’s dictates. The current state of the nation warrants a gutsy Congress that has political will and can stand up to Arroyo.”

What legacy?
Worst education tragedies happened under GMA, youth groups say

The Kabataan Party and the National Union of Students of the Philippines today disproved government claim of making education its legacy, saying the past six years under the Arroyo administration witnessed education’s worst tragedies.

Kabataan Party President Raymond Palatino said the administration is trying desperately to paint a rosy picture of the education sector in time for the president’s State-of-the-Nation address (SONA).

“Arroyo’s claims are far-fetched. In fact, these are the exact opposite of reality. Education would be the last thing in this government’s mind.”

“Mrs. Arroyo must still be living in her self-induced fairy tale. Her stories are not only illusory; the president herself is a poor storyteller. Even a Grade 1 student would not believe her.”

Palatino said the dismal state of public education, the growing number of school dropouts and out-of-school youth, and the declining quality of education show the real state of education in the country. “Even government figures will tell the public otherwise.”

He said the disheartening stories of Julie Albior and Flores Biwang who were the topnotchers in last year’s National Achievement Test (NAT) are poignant examples of state abandonment of the youth and education. They failed to enter college in the University of the Philippines due to poverty.

“Albior and Biwang represent the millions of poor but intelligent students who are forced to skip schooling because of rising cost of education and decreasing family incomes.”

Palatino added that the 300-percent tuition hike in UP this year even made college education more elusive to ordinary Filipino youth.

“With more preventive fees being charged both in private institutions and state schools, more Albiors and Biwangs failed to enroll for this school year.”

Palatino put the blame on the Arroyo administration, saying current policies on education and government’s disregard allow private institutions to charge onerous and dubious fees on students and transform public schools to corporate entities.

“Since 2001, the government encouraged the reduction of subsidies for public universities. This forced schools either to accept fewer students or to raise fees,” he said.

“Parallel to annual cuts in state schools budgets, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) suspended the tuition cap leading to imposition of higher fees this school year,” he added.

For his part, NUSP Secretary General Alvin Peters said students are now gearing up for the mammoth rally on July 23 to take on the Arroyo government’s abandonment of education.

“Not even the weather or the possible suspension of classes can stop thousands of youth and students to go to the streets on Monday to present the real state of education and the nation.”

“The only legacy this government can boast of is Arroyo’s unparalleled dishonesty and corruption. No amount of lies and deception in this SONA however can make us believe otherwise. The people know better,” Peters concluded.

Students warn of a mid-quarter ‘storm’ vs GMA

The Kabataan Party today warned that Malacanang’s recent shove to outlaw the Communist Party and use the Terror Law against insurgents presage possible crackdown against organizations identified with the legal Left.

“The Terror Law is not really intended to go after communist rebels but is designed to legitimize the government’s all-out war policy against the legal progressive movement which has remained the staunchest critics of the Arroyo administration,” Kabataan Party President Raymond Palatino said.

Palatino said the government and military’s ongoing vilification campaign and red-baiting against militant organizations and anti-Arroyo party lists come as a convenient approach to justify concentrated attack against the legal Left.

“The Terror Law is a retrogression to the dark years of martial rule when organizations critical of the Marcos regime were outlawed and dissent was considered a subversive act. The only difference now is the label terrorism.”

“Such scenario vulnerably opens civilian or non-combatants to military harassment and even liquidation. If the military can make people disappear and kill activists in broad day light even with the existing legal and Constitutional restraints, what would keep it from doing more now that the Anti-Terror law will soon be in place? The Terror Law only feeds the growing killer monster that Arroyo created out of her insecurity and greed,” Palatino pointed out.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) warned the Arroyo administration of a brewing mid-quarter ‘storm’ should the government continue to implement the Terror law and use it against its critics.

“A storm of student protests will engulf schools and the streets in the coming weeks as an act of defiance against this draconian measure. We will not allow this government to rob the youth and the people again of hard-won freedoms and civil liberties,” NUSP Secretary General Alvin Peters said.

Peters said the NUSP and Kabataan will hold a series of noise barrages during lunch hours and protest actions in various universities nationwide starting next week until Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address on July 23.

“We will not be cowed. We have defied the Calibrated Preemptive Response, the No-Permit-No-Rally policy and the Presidential Proclamation 1017 and will continue to defy the Terror Law. The students and youth will be at the forefront of the nation’s crusade to defend democracy and human rights against anyone who threatens it.”

Schools could be the next target for military deployment, the Kabataan Party warned following the redeployment of troops in several urban poor communities in Metro Manila.

But the plan is already drawing flak from human rights groups and the academe and is expected to meet strong opposition from students.

“We find little comfort from the fact that the military has been implicated in extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances whose victims include student leaders and activists. Whether in full battle gear on in plain clothing, their mere presence sends a chilling effect among students, faculty and school personnel,” Kabataan Party President Raymond Palatino said.

“The labeling of progressive groups including student organizations as communist fronts and Mrs. Arroyo’s recent admission that the Anti-Terror Law will be used against Reds only prove that this plan is intended to target progressive student organizations and even student councils and publications that are critical of the Arroyo administration,” he pointed out.

Palatino expressed fears that the deployment of troops in major colleges and universities in Metro Manila and other key cities could lead to an escalation of human rights violations.

“Such plan makes any student vulnerable to surveillance, harassment and even abduction and liquidation.”

“Such fears are not without basis. Two Kabataan poll watchers were murdered in Camarines Norte last May following the brutal killings of known student leaders Cris Hugo, Farly Alcantara and Reimon Guran in other parts of Bicol. UP student activists Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan have gone missing to this day. All evidences and witnesses point to one common perpetrator – the military.”

Meanwhile, Palatino said student groups are prepared to oppose the troop deployment through legal and even “extra-legal” means.

He also challenged Senator Antonio Trillanes and newly-elected lawmakers to look into the matter and conduct an immediate investigation once the next Congress starts its formal session.

“Military troops have no place in academic institutions. Schools are not war zones. We will not allow this government to transform our schools into garrisons and make students their target practices.”

Gov’t meddling yields fewer marginalized groups in 14th Congress

The Kabataan Party called on lawmakers to amend the Party list law following the disappointing outcome of the 2007 elections that resulted to fewer marginalized groups clinching representation in the Lower House.

“The results of the elections only show how Malacanang was able to maximize the flaws of the party list law and the electoral system to disenfranchise parties in the very mechanism that was created to give representation to marginalized sectors,” Kabataan Party President Raymond Palatino said.

Palatino said the disenfranchisement of marginalized groups was aggravated further by the Commission on Elections’ decision to implement the Panganiban formula where only the number one party list will be given three seats.

Related post: Anti-Arroyo party lists could be Terror law’s first target

“The bastardization of the party list system warrants fundamental changes in the Party list law to protect it from being manipulated for political gains. The outcome of the elections should be an eye-opener to everyone how selfish political interests and ambitions have already penetrated it.”

He explained the entry of bogus partylist groups allegedly sponsored by Malacanang and local politicians and vote-padding favoring these groups had a big impact on the chances of Kabataan, Suara Bangsamoro and other sectoral parties of elderly, disabled and national minorities in meeting the two-percent threshold and clinching a seat in Congress. Militant party list groups and election watchdogs pegged the padded votes at 2 million.

“But what makes dagdag-bawas activities different in this party list race is that the padding of votes for certain groups were not actually intended to increase their chances to meet the threshold but merely to bloat the total number of party list votes,” he pointed out.

“This explains the huge increase in the threshold compared to the figures in 2004 elections. It made things more difficult for legitimate political and sectoral parties to win representation.” COMELEC initially pegged the two-percent threshold at 340,000 votes, up by almost 100,000 votes from the 254,000 threshold in the 2004 elections.

He added that the victory of some party list groups such as Abono and the sudden increase in the number of votes of YACAP (You Against Corruption and Poverty) and alleged government party lists in Mindanao, particularly after the contentious Maguindanao canvassing casts doubts over the credibility of the recent party list polls and COMELEC itself.

“What’s problematic about these results is most of these alleged government parties don’t have a clear constituency or base in these areas but they were able to corner in votes as big as 100,000 in just one province, edging out even Muslim and Mindanao-based party list groups. Abono, on the other hand, was able to get two-thirds of its votes in La Union and Pangasinan alone.” Abono allegedly was supported by the Ortega clan in La Union and Speaker Jose de Venecia.

“The discrepancies in the total number of votes cast and the number of registered voters in several areas in Mindanao and the unusual huge turnout for party list should be enough proof that irregularities did occur in these provinces last elections. Unfortunately, the COMELEC only turned a blind eye on these evidences.”

Palatino, however, expressed fears that moves to amend the Party list law might experience the same cold treatment in Congress.

“It would be more difficult to push for changes in the Party list law now after politicians have already seen how the party list system can be used to expand their influence and clinch more seats in the Lower House.”

Youth groups vow to defy ATL

Anti-Arroyo party list groups could be the first casualties of the Anti-Terrorism Law, a youth group warned.

Kabataan Party President Raymond Palatino said ATL gives the Arroyo government another opportunity to finally remove militant and anti-Arroyo party lists in the Lower House which emerged victorious in the recent elections despite government-initiated vilification campaign and massive vote rigging.

“Only a few marginalized groups were able to clinch representation in the 14th Congress. We fear that with the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Law, they will be fewer before the next Congress can even start its formal session.”

He said progressive party lists like Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela, and other anti-Arroyo groups in Congress had always been the subject of government vilification, harassment and even liquidation, as seen with the spate of extra-judicial killings and forced disappearances victimizing leaders and members of these groups.

“These groups could suffer the same fate as that of the representatives of the Democratic Alliance during the Philippine Assembly time who were expelled for their nationalist stance after being tagged as subversives. The only difference now is anti-Arroyo lawmakers will be called terrorists.”

But even more vulnerable are anti-Arroyo groups which were not able to clinch representation in this Congress and other progressive organizations, Palatino said.

“The vagueness of the law, particularly the definition of terrorism, allows more room for subjective interpretation and abuse. The human rights record and insecurity of this regime provide little assurance that this government will not use the law to go after its critics.”

Meanwhile, Palatino said Kabataan and other student groups have already started a massive information campaign in various schools in the country to expose the flaws of ATL.

“The youth and students will not be cowed and we are prepared and determined to defy any law that curtails civil liberties and political rights. We have already defied the No-Permit-No-Rally policy, Calibrated Preemptive Response and Presidential Proclamation 1017. No amount of intimidation and threat or any draconian measure can make us think otherwise.”

He said Kabataan Party and other youth and student groups will join the multi-sectoral rally against ATL on July 13.

Students and youth groups under Kabataan Party trooped to Heart Center today to greet Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran who is finally coming out from hospital arrest this afternoon.

Kabataan Party President Raymond Palatino said Ka Bel’s resilience and determination to stand up to government abuses and harassment is worthy of the youth’s emulation.

“Ka Bel serves as a good example for this new generation of young Filipinos to never get tired of fighting for truth, justice and democracy. He is a living inspiration for every youth to defy any draconian measure that threatens to curtail civil liberties and human rights.”

Palatino also lauded the Supreme Court’s final decision to dismiss the rebellion charges against Beltran and the Batasan 5, saying the high court’s ruling serves as an early warning to the Arroyo administration to think twice before implementing the Anti-terrorism law in its own whim.

“This should teach Mrs. Arroyo and her cohorts that they cannot always have their way and bend law to their favor. The decision is an admonition to this administration not to use the Human Security Act to curtail civil liberties and rights and go after its critics.”

Palatino expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will also strike down the Anti-Terror law and government policy of redeploying military troops in Metro Manila as unconstitutional once civil libertarians and militant groups bring the matter to the high court.

“We remain positive that the Supreme Court will continue to side with the people and stand up to any attempt by this administration to govern above the rule of law.”