Kabataan party-list marches to Mendiola
Demand justice for 2 slain poll watchers, decry vote-padding for Malacanang-backed party-lists
Photo taken from http://www.malaya.com.ph
Kabataan Party-list today took to the streets to protest the numerous cases of fraud and election-time terror marking the mid-term elections.
Around 300 youth and students assembled in front of the University of Sto. Tomas in Espana at noon today to commence in a protest march to Mendiola.
“We can only express utter disgust at the Arroyo administration for failing to stem the increasing cases of fraud and violence these elections. This tolerance surmounts to the administration’s refusal to accept Team Arroyo’s dismal performance in the running tallies, and a virtual owning up to the numerous cases of fraud and election-time terror,” said Raymond Palatino, Kabataan National President.
Kabataan Party-list demanded the immediate investigation on the cases of two slain youth poll watchers in Camarines Norte.
Ronaldo Brezuela, 16, and Roberto ‘Jun-jun’ Bagasbas, Jr., 27, were abducted by unformed men on May 15 and found dead of multiple gunshot wounds on May 16 in Brgy. Old Camp Capalonga, Camarines Sur.
The military dismissed their deaths as ‘collateral damage’ in an alleged encounter between the NPA and the AFP. Witnesses, however, dispel this statement saying that Brezuela and Bagasbas were last seen delivering food to other Kabataan volunteers in the Capalonga polling place.
Palatino also cited the emergent trend of massive vote-padding for Malacanang-backed party-lists in provincial and municipal canvassing levels.
He cited cases of vote-padding for Kasangga, party-list of FG Mike Arroyo’s sister, in Caloocan and Isabela among others, and for UNI-MAD, another known Malacanang party-list, in Sibugay, Zamboanga. (Visit http://www.pollwatch2007.wordpress.com.) “This tactic affects not only progressive party-lists but other party-list bets that represent the truly marginalized. It is a butchery of the party-list system.”
Kabataan, together with Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela and Suara also earlier filed a criminal case at the Comelec against election officials involved in electoral fraud, in violation of Comelec Resolution 7859 surmounting to electoral sabotage. Perpetrators found guilty of electoral fraud face lifetime imprisonment.
Kabataan party-list is also set to participate in the rally of concerned citizens against electoral fraud and violence at the PICC later this afternoon. ###