Accents
By Julia Carreon-Lagoc

Breadth of protest across the oceans

How goes the pulse beat of the Pinoy abroad re the political storm now raging in the home front? Does it beat the same way ours does? The SWS or Social Weather Station survey says 7 out of 10 Filipinos want Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign from the presidency. The percentage abroad could be more or less the same.

The dimension of protest can be gauged from a Manifesto e-mailed by my friend and former classmate, Prof. Delia D. Aguilar, who teaches at the University of Connecticut. The Manifesto was printed in Dyaryo Pilipino , a Pinoy publication in the West Coast, USA. Fifty-eight heads of various organizations signed up asking the questionable occupant of Malacanang to step down. Among the signatories is a familiar name, Iloilo's own Dr. Benjamen Marte, who has long migrated to the United States. Dr. Marte is Co-Chair of the Pilipino-American Network Advocacy.

Whether you are on the side of Fidel Ramos or one with Franklin Drilon, lend attention to our brothers and sisters across the oceans as they give voice to their concern about the political crisis in the motherland, to wit:

Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
It is time to go, Madame President, Resign Now!

We, the undersigned Filipinos in the United States, call on your sense of patriotism and humility and heed the call of the majority of the Filipino people to step down from the presidency. We ask you to spare the country from further political divisiveness and confusion that aggravate economic hardships and uncertainty. Your obsession to cling to the trappings of power does not help the broad masses of the Filipino people at all. You cannot invoke "upholding the legal process and the Constitution" when you yourself violated the fundamental law of the land by cheating in the elections, and now, you use the usurped powers of the presidency to perpetuate yourself in power. You have arrogated unto yourself the highest office of the land through shameless lie and deceit.

As you prepare to leave office (and please make it fast!), we support the Filipino people's demand for a transitional governing council to take over, which is pro-people and multi-sectoral. It is now high time to change the elitist, ruled by a few, "democratic" system into a political system where the interest of the people: all classes and democratic forces of the Philippine society are really represented. We expect the transitional council to work for more meaningful systemic change, promote and implement reforms, conduct clean elections and unite the nation under a rule of just and lasting peace.

In solidarity with the Filipino people:

Joe Navidad, National Coordinator, Alliance for Just & Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP), Nat'l Steering Committee, International A.N.S.W.E.R.; Mario Santos, Bay Area Coordinator, AJLPP, Coordinator, Filipino Workers Association, SF, ANSWER Steering Committee Bay Area; Christine Araquel, So. California Coordinator, AJLPP, Sec. Gen., Pro people Youth (KmB), ANSWER Steering Committee Los Angeles; Franco Arcebal (FilVet), Vice President for Membership, American Coalition of Filipino Veterans; Faustino Baclig (FilVet), Regional Coordinator, South West American Coalition of Filipino Veterans; Juanito Dellomes, Chair, Urban Parks Committee, Sierra Club/American Association of Retired Personnel-L.A.; Grace Sison, Director, Asian Health Project; Eddie Vergara, Coordinator, Bagwis Cultural Collective, Chicago; Sergio Suero, President, Cabugao Seniors Association Inc.; Asuncion Costiniano, RN, Member, California Nurses Association;

Riko Rosete, Secretary General, Committee on Pilipino Issues, Chicago; Analiza Caballes, Coordinator, Damayan Migrant Workers, New York; Arnedo Valera, Esquire, Chair, Washington Human Rights Forum in the Phils., Spokesman, DIWA Washington D.C.; Rev. Julian Gomilla, Co-Coordinator, Ecumenical Fellowship; Rev. Joe Tronco, Co-Coordinator, Ecumenical Fellowship, An Open Letter to the President of the Philippines; Eladia Chase, Outreach Worker, Echo Park Community Coalition; Villamor Bentura, MD, PANA Long Beach, Federation of Filipino American Associations; Josie Micael, GABRIELA Network, Portland; Guillermo Ponce de Leon, Coordinator, First Quarter Storm Network, Bay Area; Fender Santos, President, Fil-Am Karate Association;

Rev. Richard Rubio Bowley, Interfaith Working Group, San Francisco; Arturo Garcia, Coordinator, Justice for Filipino American Veterans; Johneric Concordia, Chair, Kabataang maka-Bayan (KmB); Laravic Flores, Acting Secretary, Kabataang Maka-Bayan, Bay Area; Oscar Tronco, Coordinator, Kasama Cultural Group; Jeryy Celis, Past Grand Knight, Knight of Columbus Los Angeles; Joseph Bernardo, Community Liaison, District 13 Los Angeles City Council; Fatimah Mahmoud, Co-Convener, Mindanao Caucus; Violy Solomon' President, Pangasinan Association of Greater Long Beach; Jose Mellino Flores, Director, Youth & Student Leadership Program, People's CORE;

Che Lin Navidad, Eskrima Instructor, Xkrima Institute, People's Culture and Arts Center; Fe Koons, Coordinator, Philippine Action Group for the Environment; Victoria Flores, MSW, Coordinator, Philippine Health Development Concern; Vener Malabanan, Co-Coordinator, Philippine Peasant Support Network; Benjamin Marte, MD, Co-Chair, Pilipino American Network Advocacy; Leo Pandac, PhD, Co-Chair, Pilipino American Network Advocacy; Jessie R. de Vera, MD, Regional Medical Director, San Bernardino County, CA; Benito M. Miranda, Jr., President, Board of Directors, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans; Elizabeth Sabado, Chief Steward, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, St. Francis Convalescent Pavillon, Daly City; Sophia Mendoza, Lead Organizer, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, Local 2005;

Robert Hester, Union Representative, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, Local 2005; Jaime Padilla, Coordinator,Science & Technology for the People, SF; Julius Toledo, President, Samahang Pilipino, University of California in Los Angeles; Chi Lopez, Coordinator, Samar Leyte Forum; Mila Anguluan-Coger, Drama Therapy Consultant, Silver Lake Adult Day Care Center; Col. Manny Aquino (ret.), President, Society of Guerillas & Scouts, Inc.; Catherine Avendano, Director, SPACE, University of California in Los Angeles; Nenita P. Domingo, PhD, Teacher, Theatre Arts UCLA; Mildred Quintos, Former Coordinator, Kuya-Ate Mentorship Program, University of California in Santa Cruz; Cindy Sangalang, MSW Candidate, Social Welfare, UCLA School of Public Affairs;

Joy Yanga, Co-Chair, Filipino Student Association, University of California in Santa Cruz; Sherwin Mendoza, PhD Student, Philippine Literature, University of California in Santa Cruz; Ingrid Gonzales,EdD Candidate, Int'l Multicultural Education, University of San Francisco; Leony Lee Cummings, Publisher/Editor, TOP Personalities Magazine; Edwin Habacon, CEO, Tribal Pinoy; Rie Obana, Coordinator, Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, New York; Augustus Martinez, Secretary, US Committee on Labor & Human Rights; and Crispulo Atillo, Founder & Grandmaster, World Balintawak Arnis-Eskrima Association.

Now where in the world are you, rather where in the Philippines are you? Do you comprise the majority of our countrymen who want Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign or to stay put in Malacañang and wreak further havoc on the country? The choice is yours. (Comments to lagoc@hargray.com)