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Monday, July 25, 2005
Transport group on strike amid Arroyo's Sona
By Danilo V. Adorador III
Correspondent
MONDAY'S State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is nothing but baloney, militants and the local political opposition said.
"She is expected to name various fake achievements, to defend the supposed legitimacy of her presidency and to issue doctored facts on economy," Bayan Muna regional coordinator Nero Vallar said.
Vallar said the militant groups are in deep suspicion that President Arroyo will build a case in Monday's Sona that would pave way for constitutional amendments.
He said these constitutional changes will be aimed at "promoting globalization" and "opening doors for foreign bases in the country."
"She will also project in today's Sona her supposed willingness to face an impeachment, despite the fact that her allies are moving heaven and earth to delay it," Vallar said.
Opposition figure Antonio Soriano also painted a gloomy scenario to Arroyo's Sona Monday.
"It (the Sona) will all be promises for economic recovery and peace and order," Attorney Soriano said.
Caught unaware
The President is also expected to take the offensive, Soriano said, adding that Arroyo may discuss the allegations on vote rigging leveled at her on a "favorable angle".
Arroyo will also put on a confident face in delivering the Sona, Soriano predicted.
"She (Arroyo) will appear calm after having bought some of the congressmen's vote to kill the impeachment complaint and having already satisfied the appetite of the military," Soriano said.
Monday's Sona will be greeted by mass actions from local militants groups and a transport strike called by the Transport Federation of Cagayan de Oro (Trafeco).
Armando Naul of the Solidarity Transport Association in Region 10 (Starex) said they will not be joining the transport strike today.
"There was no call from our national leaders. We were also caught unaware of the pronouncement of the protest today, thus our non-participation," Naul told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
But Naul vowed that his group will join the street protests, while hinting that Trafeco's transport strike today was meant to derail the militants' mass actions.
"It's possible that they are doing this to sabotage the rally. Perhaps this is meant to prevent our members from joining the rally, by depriving us of the transport means," Naul said.
Inclusion
Naul was, however, quick to clarify that he had no clue as to why the moderate Trafeco decided to hold a transport strike.
The Starex's chair previously accused Valmoria's group as "Malacañang's pet," masquerading as a cause-oriented organization.
At the City Council, the local legislators decided to cancel its peace and order inquiry on police and transport agencies in deference to the Sona.
The City Council will instead hear the concerned agencies and the city police chief Honorio Cervantes in Tuesday's session.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 delegates to the "Mindanao Convention for Alternative Governance" pushed for the inclusion of the charter change in the president's Sona.
The summit last Friday held at the Kaamulan Open Theater, Capitol compound in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon province drew in at least 500 officials--20 governors and 50 mayors--with the rest consisting of vice-mayors and the councilors in Mindanao.
In a resolution, the participants have asked the president to speed-up the proposed federal-parliamentary form of government through a constitutional change. (With reports from LJA)
(July 25, 2005 issue)
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