Tuesday, October 23, 2007 Group calls for boycott of Arroyo cronies’ firms
A CIVIL society group on said people should boycott companies owned by close allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the First Family particularly those owned by businessman Enrique “Ricky” Razon while renewing their call for a snap election to solve the current political impasse amidst corruption charges against the administration.
At the same time, the Black and White Movement (BWM) also proposed the creation by the judiciary of an independent body to investigation the allegation against the President such as the alleged bribery-ridden National Broadband Network (NBN) contract and the alleged payoffs to lawmakers and governors during separate meetings in Malacañang early this month.
“We are calling on all sectors to show their outrage at the massive graft and corruption happening in our land by boycotting crony companies owned by allies of the President and her family particularly the company of Enrique Razon,” BWM lead convener Vicente Romano said during a forum in Makati City.
Razon reportedly is one of the closest allies of the President’s husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo. He owned the International Container Terminal Services Incorporated (ICSTI) and is the publisher of the daily broadsheet Manila Standard Today.
The defunct Newsbreak magazine in its February edition pointed at Razon as among the 10 closest friends of the First Gentleman.
Romano said a working group composed of members of civil society groups allied with BWM will finalize the list of companies they wanted to boycott.
“At this point, aside from that of the company owned by Razon, we have not yet identified the crony companies but we will released it once we finalize the list,” Romano said.
In calling for the holding of a snap election, Romano said the current political crisis generated by questions regarding the legitimacy of President Arroyo needed to be solved the “democratic way.”
“Snap election is the way out of the current political impasse,” Romano said.
It was not the first time that BWM, which count among its members several former Cabinet officials who resigned in 2005 amid allegation of election irregularities in the 2004 elections and were collectively known as the “Hyatt 10”, made the call.
In 2005, the group also called on Mrs. Arroyo to resign and pave the way to her constitutionally-mandated successor, Vice President Noli de Castro, to take over the post.
On Monday, the group renewed their call for President Arroyo’s resignation and for de Castro’s assumption of the post.
“Mrs. Arroyo has been making a fool out of the entire Filipino by clinging to her post,” Romano said.
Anakbayan party-list Representative Loretta Ann Rosales echoed Romano’s statement and said a military junta would only worsen the country’s political plight much like during the martial law years when the security forces has free reign over the civilian authority.
“We don’t want a military junta. We should never allow that genie out of the bottle,” said Rosales, who herself is a former street parliamentarian during the Marcos years.
Rosales said the Vice President should preside over the conduct of the snap election.
Regarding the creation of an independent investigating body, Romano said the Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) cannot be trusted to conduct an impartial investigation on the graft and corruption allegation against the administration since this area headed by Arroyo appointees.
Ombudswoman Merceditas Gutierrez is a classmate of the First Gentleman.
Romano also said the investigation conducted by these bodies tend to be “open-ended” and lacking in conclusion.
In a related development, the group likewise said they will launch a movement dubbed “NAKATANGGAP KA NA BA” campaign targeting lawmakers and local officials who allegedly received money from Malacañang early this year.
Romano said they will ask their provincial chapters to spearhead the campaign by asking their respective congressman and local officials if they received cash donation.
Earlier, Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio disclosed he was given P500,000 when he attended a Palace meeting. He was later followed by Bulacan Governor Jonjon Mendoza who echoed his claim.
Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said such “gift-giving” was normal fare for several years now.
Romano said the “shame campaign” would pressure lawmakers and local officials who likewise received cash donation to emulate Panlilio to restore the moral fabric of the country.
He said they would also ask leaders of various faiths to help in the campaign since it is a moral issue. (AH/Sunnex)
