MILITANT groups on Wednesday asked the public to spend Independence Day, a non-working holiday, in the streets to call for the prosecution of all those implicated in the pork barrel scam.
Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said it will condemn President Benigno Aquino III, whom it branded as the "pork barrel king" for refusing to prosecute allies who have been exposed as involved in the pocketing of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
"We call on all freedom-loving Filipinos to join the Independence Day protest and call for freedom from corruption and foreign domination. The protest will certainly be critical of Aquino under whose watch corruption and foreign domination worsened," said KMU chairperson Elmer Labog.
The President had already cleared Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala from allegations that they benefited from the scam of businesswoman Janet Napoles, who used bogus foundations to implement ghost projects under PDAF.
Aquino even challenged Napoles to present proof as he criticized her for trying to muddle the issue.
In the morning of June 12, KMU will join organizations under the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in marching to the US Embassy in Manila to condemn "continued foreign domination over the country" and call for the scrapping of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), which gives American troops more access to Philippine military facilities.
KMU will also highlight the "chronic" unemployment in the country, as well as alleged massive retrenchments being carried out by companies to bust workers' unions, with the call "Trabaho para sa Pinoy! Sibakin lahat ng kurakot!"
In the afternoon, KMU will gather at Plaza Sta. Cruz then join other organizations under Bayan in Liwasang Bonifacio, then finally march to Mendiola, which is near Malacañang.
While marching, KMU will stage the "wedding" of Aquino and Napoles, in which Abad will play the best man while Justice Secretary Leila de Lima will play the maid of honor.
"The 'Kasal ng mga Kawatan' will show how Aquino and Napoles have been working with each other and not against each other in pinning down the Liberal Party’s potential opponents in the 2016 elections while keeping mum on the involvement of Aquino’s allies in the pork barrel scam," KMU said.
The Palace and de Lima denied speculations that they were only after the administration's political foes, citing the filing of malversation cases in relation to the scam against former Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, a three-term Muntinlupa congressman and one of Aquino's senatorial bets in the 2010 elections. (Sunnex)