An exclusive from LOUI GALICIA
Amsterdam, October 12 & 17
Pinoy migrant workers in the Netherlands are enraged by the issue of corruption and bribery involving President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and members of the Senate.
Most of them have read about these scandalous allegations from the Internet and watching ABS-CBN's news programs on The Filipino Channel or TFC.
Photo: Munting Nayon, Amsterdam-October 12, 2007
But none had convinced them more than the words directly coming from the lips of Sen. Jamby Madrigal and Bayan Muna party list Rep. Satur Ocampo, who separately held meetings with the Filipino communities during their recent visit here.
At two separate forums held in Amsterdam, Sen. Madrigal and Cong. Ocampo pounced on the issue of bribery involving President Arroyo.
"This came after the big brouhaha about ZTE and NBN contract in China, indicating that the president and her husband were directly involved. In April, when the ailing husband of Gloria was struggling for his life at the St. Luke's hospital, she flew to Hainan to witness the signing of a contract. What is her interest?" Cong. Ocampo told an audience that was intently listening at the ABC Treehut in Amsterdam on Oct. 17.
"But the matter will not die down easily when Congress resumes session in November. There will be continuing investigation and moreover, there's this new initiative to impeach the government [Pres. Arroyo]," Cong. Ocampo added.
He also used the occasion to call for "people pressure" to force President Arroyo to stop the gross human rights violations in the Philippines.
Cong. Ocampo wants the Filipino people to understand that their campaign and their assistance in order to expose these violations of human rights in the Philippines and the abuse of the government are very effective in showing to the world the anomalies of the Arroyo government.
He spoke to a group of one hundred of his die-hard supporters who came from the different parts of the Netherlands to hear him speak or to just see him.
Consie Lozano of Liga ng Kabataang Pilipino said that Cong. Ocampo has been expected to "drop by" the Netherlands every time he is in Europe, if only to give back the support of the Filipino community which voted for him under his Bayan Muna party list.
Cong. Ocampo told his supporters that "people pressure" is still a very effective tool. He said that pressure can be exerted on the government to prevent, reduce and ultimately to stop the killings and violations of human rights and stop the corruption of officials in the government.
Photo: Ruth de Leon, Amsterdam-October 17, 2007
"In any way, the decision is with the Filipino people," Cong. Ocampo said.
Sen. Madrigal also fearlessly spoke on the alleged involvement of Sen. Manny Villar and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano during a forum on Repression and Human Rights Violations Under the Pretext of Anti-Terrorism held on October 12 at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Law.
She was one of the panelists at the forum which included Jose Maria Sison and his two lawyers Jan Fermon and Michiel Pestman.
Mr. Sison's lawyers spoke on the continuous persecution of the Communist Party of the Philippines Founding Chair under the Arroyo regime.
Sen. Madrigal did not think twice on speaking ill of her two colleagues.
"It is a matter of record. I said it on the floor and it was on the front page for two days. I see no reason why I shouldn't talk about it. Because si Cayetano ginamit lang niya yung pagsisira ke first gentleman [Arroyo] so nung gusto niyang maging senador, vocal siya. Ngayong senador na siya, nagpepreno na siya. Nangangahulugan na hindi na din siya sincere sa taong bayan kasi nag-iba na siya," Madrigal said.
Senators Villar and Cayetano were respectively number five and number eight on the Magic 12 list of senators voted by the Overseas Absentee voters here in the Netherlands on May 14.
Sen. Madrigal dismissed allegations that she is vocal because she has the backing of the New People's Army.
"I think nakakatawa yan kasi hindi ko maintindihan bakit ang isang tao eh kailangan magsinungaling. All I'm doing is I'm telling the truth. Wala akong preno kasi yung mga trapo politician na masyadong preno eh sila ang nagsisira sa ating bayan. It has nothing to do whether I have the backing of NPA, the church or other groups. I will tell the truth. It has nothing to do being backed by any group. It has all a matter to do with telling the truth," Sen. Madrigal reiterated.
The Pinoys who heard the actual scenarios surrounding the scandal from the speeches by these politicians couldn't help but be affected.
Jun Saturay of Rice & Rights was very angry and disgusted.
"Lalong nagiging litaw sa amin yung larawan ng nabubulok na gobyerno ni Arroyo," Saturay shouted.
They call on the overseas Pinoys to be vigilant.
"Kinakailangan talaga kahit kami wala sa bansa na kinakailangan maging vigilante. Maging mapagmasid sa mga nangyayari sa ating bansa," OFW Danny Evangelista told ABS-CBN.
The president of Migrante Netherlands is very furious because he says that the corruption and bribery scandal of the Arroyo government also affects the OFWs.
"Maraming mga OFWs dito ngayon kahit halos ganoon nalang ang tiwala ng aming mga amo eh nababawasan na dahil lang sa kanila. At ito ngayon, yung scandalo tungkol sa suhulan sa ating mga congressman eh matindi din yan. Di mo sukat akalain yung ibinoto namin na congressman eh yun pala ang unang-unang manghuhudas sa amin," Mr. Evangelista said.
"Talagang wala na. Wala na kaming nakikita kundi yung kinang ng pilak ang kanilang pinahahalagahan. Hindi yung pagtulong sa mahihirap na mamamayan," Evangelista complained.
Photo: Ruth De Leon, Amsterdam-October 17, 2007
Another OFW, Rami Compra also of Migrante is thankful that he attended the two forums with Madrigal and Ocampo.
"Napakalaki pala. Napakarami pala ang dapat matutunan ng mga Pilipino tungkol sa nangyayari sa Pilipinas. Mga grabeng corruption sa Pilipinas e di pa pala nawawala. Lalo na yung bribery," Mr. Compra said.
Mr. Compra thinks that the Philippines is hopeless because the problem of corruption has not been resolved even with the changes of government.
"Lalong naghihirap [the Philippines]. Sa aking pananaw sabi nila gaganda ang Pilipinas. Sa aking pananaw parang mas lalong maraming naghihirap sa panahon ngayon," Mr. Compra said.
He also condemns the Arroyo regime for its political persecution of Communist of the Philippines Founding Chair Jose Maria Sison.
"Pag sinasabi nila na ang isang tao eh nag-aklas isa na itong terorista. Pero sa palagay ko ang pag-aaklas hindi ito isang terorista. Dapat bang tawagin na terorista ang isang tao kagaya ni Jose Rizal at Andres Bonifacio? Sila ang naging unang-unang terorista na nag-aklas sa bansa para mapalaya ang bansang Pilipinas. Si Joma Sison lang naman siguro nagmahal sa bansa nya. Ganon ang pananaw ko para sa kanya at ganon ang natutunan ko para sa kanya at hindi siya terorista," he declared.
(related article...see Madrigal, NDFP sign JOINT STATEMENT)
Source: http://www.mnnetherlands.com/mn208/cp_arroyoscandal.php
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