Kabataan Partylist

Roberto Andres
http://www.pinoyweekly.org/pw6-15/feats/lat_2.htm

Taong 2000, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Diliman. Kampanya para sa eleksiyong pangkonseho ng mga mag-aaral. Kakaiba ang sigla ng mga aktibista. Usap-usapan maging ng mga propesor ang suporta sa kumakandidatong tagapangulo.

kinakampanya ng mga estudyante sa mga silid-aralan ang gusto nilang ipanalo, tinawag nilang “Chairman Mong” – si Raymond Palatino.

At tulad nga ni Chairman Mao, hinahangaan si Mong ng marami. Madali niyang makabig at mahikayat ang mga kabataan at estudyante sa mga isyu at pakikibaka ng sektor. Hindi kataka-takang siya ang napiling unang nominado ng Kabataan Party-list sa halalan ngayong Mayo.

Pinanday ng pakikibaka
Si Mong, 27, ay lumaking relihiyoso. Pitong taon siyang naging sakristan na araw-araw nagsisimba. Ngayon, dala-dala pa rin niya, aniya, bilang aktibista “ang Kristiyanong aral na sikaping maging mabuti sa kapwa.”

Hayskul siya nang magsimulang mamulat. Noong 1995, lumahok siya sa piket sa Embahada ng Pransiya para tutulan ang pagsasanay ng armas-nukleyar ng gobyernong Pranses. Noon pa’y mapanuri na siya: BA Secondary Education ang kinuha niyang kurso sa kolehiyo dahil pagiging guro “ang pinakamarangal na propesyon,” aniya.

Noong 1997, sa harap ng malawak na pagtutol sa charter change ng rehimeng Ramos, sumali siya sa Center for Nationalist Studies, organisasyong aktibista sa UP Diliman. Akala niya, Foundation for Nationalist Studies iyon, organisasyong itinatag ni Renato Constantino, ang makabayang istoryador na noo’y paboritong awtor niya.

Hindi nagsisi si Mong. Dumalo siya sa mga pag-aaral at paglubog sa batayang masa. Sa proseso, natuklasan ang potensiyal niya sa pamumuno. Naging tagapangulo siya ng konseho sa kolehiyo niya bago naging tagapangulo ng sentrong konseho ng UP Diliman. Bilang tagapangulo ng konseho noong 2000-2001, pinangunahan niya ang libu-libong iskolar ng bayan para patalsikin si dating pangulong Joseph Estrada.

Tulad ni Edgar Jopson na sinasabing kamukha niya, naging presidente siya ng National Union of Students of the Philippines o NUSP, alyansa ng mga konseho ng mag-aaral.

Nagsunud-sunod na ang mga labang nilahukan niya. Pagbasura sa Reserve Officers Training Corps at Expanded Value Added Tax. Pagtutol sa giyera ng US sa Iraq at sa Balikatan Exercises. Pagpigil sa pagtaas ng matrikula at presyo ng langis. Paglaban sa pandarambong nina Estrada at Pangulong Arroyo.

Magagandang katangian
Bilang lider-kabataan, hindi kilala si Mong sa maaalab na talumpati sa ibabaw ng trak kapag may kilos-protesta. Tila mas angkop sa malumanay niyang tinig, pang-totoy na mukha, at mahinahong pananalita ang mga pag-aaral – sa mga porum man o maliit na grupo. Ang totoo, sa mga talakayang ito lumulutang ang galing niya bilang lider at guro.

Paborito niyang gawain ang “isiwalat ang maling mga patakaran” maging sa pagsusulat. Isa siya sa unang nakasapul sa bisa ng blog sa pag-abot sa mas maraming tao. Kilala siya sa sirkulo ng mga blogger, at minsan nang dumalo sa pandaigdigang pagtitipon ng mga blogger sa India. Lagusan din ito, aniya, ng napupulot niya sa hilig sa pagbabasa. Paborito niya ang blog nina Prop. Luis Teodoro at Prop. Roland Tolentino ng UP, at Gerry Albert Corpuz ng Pamalakaya, grupo ng mga mangingisda.

Matatag sa prinsipyo si Mong. “Simpleng pamumuhay at puspusang pakikibaka” ang prinsipyo niya sa buhay, maging sa pagpapalaki sa dalawang taong gulang na anak na si Renee Elle. Mapagmahal siya sa anak at “takot” sa asawang si Frances. May isa pang katangian si Mong na alam ng marami: palabiro at palatawa.

Higit pa sa pagiging opisyal sa Batasang Pambansa, pangarap niyang maging guro sa pampublikong paaralan, kasabay ng pag-oorganisa. Ang paborito niyang islogan: “Sagot sa kahirapan, rebolusyon!”

Tunay na kinatawan ng kabataan
Nanalo si Mong at mga kapartido sa kampus noong 2000. Binasag ng panalong iyon ang halos isang dekadang pagkatalo sa halalang pangkonseho ng makabayang alyansa ng mga organisasyon sa UP Diliman. Si Mong din kaya ang unang kongresistang maipapanalo ng party-list na nagsusulong sa interes ng kabataan? Siya rin kaya ang babasag sa mahabang panahong walang sariling tunay na kinatawan ang kabataan sa Kongreso?

Iisa ang sagot ng mga nakakakilala kay Mong: Sana. O mas marubdob: Dapat.

http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/breakingnews /nation/view_ article.php? article_id= 62026

By Leila Salaverria
Inquirer
Last updated 08:49pm (Mla time) 04/23/2007

MANILA, Philippines — Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno won praises for his fighting words in defense of human rights and the sweetest praise came from the Kabataan party-list group, which gave him a mocha cake.

Kabataan vice president Carl Ramota delivered the cake to the court but court spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez said Puno was at a meeting and received it on behalf of the Chief Justice.

Marquez said Puno had been told about the cake and thanked the group for it.

The icing on the cake read: “CJ Puno Kampeon ng Karapatang Pantao. Idolo ng Kabataan (Champion of Human Rights. Idol of the Youth).”

Puno, in a commencement speech at the University of the East, warned against the “mindless” scramble to end terrorism at the expense of human rights and civil liberties.

He candidly said that a government with credibility problems could do little to solve the country’s problems of poverty and security.

“We are happy to know there are still people, like Chief Justice Puno, in government … who stand up for truth, justice and democracy,” Ramota told reporters.

He said Puno was someone the youth could emulate.

“That is what the youth are looking for, people who could inspire the youth to continue to stand up for their rights, for truth, justice and democracy,” he added.

Puno also said the anti-terror war has led to legal shortcuts that “have scarred the landscape of [human] rights in the Philippines. ”

He cited the escalation of extrajudicial killings in the country, which has earned the administration the increased scrutiny and criticism of the international community. The Chief Justice also noted that the extrajudicial killings invited retaliation from communist rebels. With Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, INQUIRER.net

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view_article.php?article_id=61223

Bayan Muna, youth party protest detention of two members
By Jolene Bulambot
Inquirer
Last updated 11:18pm (Mla time) 04/18/2007

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Bearing placards, 20 members of two party-list groups protested the alleged abduction and detention of their two members in front of the city courthouse.

The members of the Bayan Muna and the Kabataan party-list groups held a brief silent protest in front of the Marcelo Fernan Hall of Justice in uptown Cebu City to call the public’s attention to the detention of Beethoven Avila, 28, Cebu City South district coordinator of the

Avila said unidentified men also took him into a waiting van upon his arrival from Cagayan City at Pier 5 at 8 a.m. on April 12.

He said he was hit several times on the thighs and the body while being interrogated.

“Still blindfolded and handcuffed, they hit me on the chest, head and thigh as they wanted to force me to admit involvement with the revolutionary armed movement which I vehemently denied,” Avila said in his affidavit. He also named Naldoza as one of his interrogators.

Both Daño and Avila said they were brought to the Toledo City hall on April 13 and were later released to the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) of the Police Regional Office in the evening.

Senior Superintendent Augusto Marquez, the RIID chief, said the military endorsed Daño and Avila to their unit after the two were arrested based on a warrant of arrest for murder charges.

Marquez, however, said both activists were later released after the Regional Trial Court in Toledo City remanded the murder case to the city prosecutor for re-investigation and temporarily set aside the arrest warrants.

However, Marquez refused to name the military unit that endorsed Daño and Avila to his office.

Bayan Muna Cebu secretary general Armand Perez said they would pursue the filing of criminal and administrative charges against some military officials for kidnapping and electioneering before the Ombudsman this week.

Related stories:
Soldiers grab party-list staff (Sun Star Cebu)
Legitimate arrest, says police: Militant leaders claim abduction (The Freeman Cebu)
Probe on alleged abduction of 2 militant leaders urged (The Freeman Cebu)
Party-list groups ready harassment charges vs. military (The Freeman Cebu)

Inquirer
Last updated 01:34am (Mla time) 04/18/2007

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her minions are beginning to sound alike. Earlier, Ms Arroyo blamed the high incidence of hunger on the citizens’ penchant for “luxuries” such as texting and smoking. Now, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus is blaming the country’s high rate of birth as the cause of classroom shortage.

Let’s start with the facts. The government, according to a Unesco study, should be spending 6 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product) on education; instead it appropriates a measly 3 percent.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has admitted it lacks 45,775 classrooms, based on a ratio of 45 students to one classroom. According to the President, the budget is now ready to provide 14,000 classrooms more this year. Will that answer the lack of classrooms? No. the DepEd still needs to put up 31,775, at least.

“Every minute, four babies are born. It’s like every 10 minutes, I’m short of one classroom,” Lapus said. Why would Lapus blame the population growth rate as the cause of classroom shortage? Simple. Because he, along with other Palace lapdogs, has been tasked to cover up their boss’ inability and lack of sincerity to save this country.

The lack of classrooms did not stem from overpopulation. It started when the State misallocated the national budget (which could have paid for basic social services like education) to follow the dictates of the World Bank and other “generous” foreign lending imperialists.

Apparently, this government has no balls to repeal former President Ferdinand Marcos’ Presidential Decree 1177 which provides for the automatic appropriation of tax revenues for debt service; and former President Corazon Aquino’s Executive Order 292, which instituted Section 26 of the Revised Administrative Code of 1987 providing automatic appropriation for the payment of principal and interest on public debt.

If the government were sincere in addressing the education crisis, it could have done so by not “overfeeding” the administration-led House of Representatives with pork. It could have done so by not making it appear that the budget for state universities and colleges is P34 billion short of the budget of the Department of National Defense. It could have done so by exercising political will to impose a cap on debt servicing and start prioritizing the people’s welfare.
Unfortunately, it needs more money for its political survival.

KARLA HYASMIND APAT, vice president for Mindanao, Kabataan Party List (via e-mail)

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

Pictures and more here.

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

Members of Kabataan Partylist, College Editors Guild of the Philippines and National Union of Students of the Philippines held a gathering of young civil libertarians and press freedom and human rights advocates at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City. Guest speakers were Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot and Antonio Ocampo, son of detained partylist representative Satur Ocampo.

Left to right: Kabataan Partylist president and first nominee Raymond Palatino, Antonio Ocampo and Isagani Yambot

DEFY Political Repression!
DEFY Tyranny!
STAND FOR DEMOCRACY!

Photo taken from gmanews.tv

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=71570

Hundreds of toga-wearing supporters held a “graduation march” Tuesday in front of the Commission on Elections main office in Intramuros, Manila to support the filing of candidacies of nominees of the Kabataan party-list group. (more…)

Slam AFP ‘summons’ to student activists, parents

Members of Kabataan Party-list today stormed the headquarters of the Civic Military Operations (CMO) Battallion in Fort Bonifacio to protest military harassment against student activists and their families and the continued presence government troops in Metro Manila communities and schools. (more…)

http://pulseasia.newsmaker.ph/main.asp?mode=&page=article&articleID=731912203870&section=Highlights

Kabataan Partylist President Raymond Palatino was quoted by the Inquirer in this editorial.

EDITORIAL
Inquirer
Last updated 00:03am (Mla time) 03/13/2007
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view_article.php?article_id=54396

The Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration and its military arm appear determined to cripple the leftist party-list groups to prevent them from winning in the coming elections. That is the immediate objective. The long-range objective, it seems, is to make the leftist party-groups so powerless that they cannot mount any significant opposition to the administration.

This tactic emerged early during the first Arroyo administration. From the time Ms Arroyo assumed the presidency in January 2001, 834 militants have been killed, victims of extrajudicial killing. That is by the militants’ own count. The Inquirer count places the total at 274. But whichever is the correct count, the killings are unacceptable in a civilized society that values human life and under an administration that has abolished judicial or court-imposed executions. Many of the victims in extrajudicial killings were members of leftist party-list groups, like Bayan Muna, Gabriela and Anakpawis. (more…)

Kabataan partylist was featured in this article….

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=69685

BY MA. ALETA O. NIEVA
abs-cbsNEWS.com

The Internet has made it possible for millions of Filipinos to stay connected online with loved ones working or living abroad, former classmates and friends and even meet thousands more that may be impossible to accomplish in a lifetime. (more…)

Gets young celebrities on bandwagon
By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 01:36pm (Mla time) 02/26/2007
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view_article.php?article_id=51677

MANILA, Philippines — You’re young. You’re committed. You’re seeking public office. And you’re practically penniless.

How do you mount a campaign without the millions of pesos needed for television and radio ads to reach your hoped-for constituency?

Kabataan (Youth), which is seeking House seats in the May elections for party-list groups, seems to have found the answer, wooing the youth and educated voters on the Internet.

The group’s slick campaign video clip featuring celebrities Angel Locsin and Dennis Trillo and other artists endorsing the group is now making the rounds of YouTube, an Internet-based video hosting service, and local blogs. (more…)

First posted 03:52:15 (Mla time) 2007-01-13
Inquirer

http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/theenvironmentreport/view.php?db=1&story_id=43173
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view_article.php?article_id=43173

IN 2004, all candidates were required to undergo a drug test before the Commission on Elections would approve their petition to run in the elections. I think not one candidate was found guilty of using illegal drugs. (They were not drug dependents, just drug lords).

For the 2007 elections, why not require candidates — from senatorial “wannabes” down to would-be local chieftains — to plant a tree in their respective “barangay” [villages or neighborhood districts]. Before approving a petition for candidacy, the Comelec should require a candidate to submit a certificate, signed by a barangay chairman, that he/she has planted a tree this year. Imagine the thousands of trees which will be planted in 79 provinces, 115 cities and 1,500 municipalities. This undertaking will complement the Green Philippines Highways project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Luntiang Pilipinas [Green Philippines] of former Sen. Loren Legarda and the one-billion-trees program of Speaker Jose De Venecia. (more…)