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Pamalakaya activists arrest, jail GMA

Militant group “ arrests, jails Gloria”
for crimes against fisher people

Members of the left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) “ arrested and jailed” President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this morning in Mendiola Bridge two days before the 19th anniversary of first EDSA revolution.

Some 700 fisherfolk activists belonging to Pamalakaya took part in the arrest and subsequent jailing of Mrs. Arroyo for her crimes against the Filipino fisherfolk. Leaders of the militant group said President Arroyo committed the following six grave crimes against the Filipino fisherfolk:

Ø The Macapagal-Arroyo government’s policy of privatization and conversion of fishing areas further triggered the massive transformation of communal fishing grounds into eco-tourism, industrial and commercial zones that eventually displaced and deprived livelihood of nearly 200,000 fisherfolk to date.
Ø The implementation of Fisheries Code of 1998 caused massive poverty because the law legalized plunder and monopoly appropriation of fishery resources across the archipelago.
Ø The local fisheries incorporation to World Trade Organization (WTO) facilitated the massive influx of imported fish and other fishery products to the country to detriment of small fisherfolk and other local producers
Ø The high crimes of corruption of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. Last year P 728 million of agricultural funds were missing because these funds were channeled to President Arroyo’s campaign kitty during the May 10, 2004 national elections.
Ø The brutal killing of five Pamalakaya leaders din Mindoro Oriental and Quezon provinces allegedly perpetrated by government troops.
Ø The anti-people policies of the Arroyo including the controversial Value Added Tax (VAT) and the revived anti-terrorism bill and national ID system

“ There is legal, political and moral basis to “arrest and jail” President Arroyo. As far as we are concerned her crimes against the Filipino fishers are tantamount to grand betrayal of national patrimony, complete sell out of people’s sovereignty and stirring crimes of plunder and corruption”, said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a press statement.

Hicap said the government’s privatization and conversion projects in coastal areas and lakeshores to attract foreign and local investors triggered left and right eviction of small fisherfolk and urban poor families.

He said government ambitious development projects like Laguna Lake 2000 and Manila Bay Master Development Plan are strongly rejected by the fisherfolk residents fishing and living in these major fishing areas in South and North Luzon.

To date, Pamalakaya’s Hicap said, a total of 18,000 fishing families were forcibly demolished along the coastal shores of Las Piñas, Parañaque and Pasay City to give way to government and private infrastructure projects like the controversial President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard and SM Asia Mall in Pasay City.

The militant leader said the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) would also reclaim another 65-hectares of coastal waters along Roxas Boulevard for the construction of another gambling casino in Manila Bay.

Hicap said, Pagcor officials are also planning to revive the Jumbo Palace of casino mogul Stanley Ho, a floating casino inaugurated during the administration of ex-President Joseph Estrada, but owners decided to stop its operations due to mammoth protest staged by anti-gambling and anti-corruption groups. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 09:11 | link | comments |

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