Youth leaders: Rody a ‘pseudo oppositionist’

At a news conference organized by The Alliance of Youth Against Cha-cha (TAYO Against Cha-cha) in Quezon City, Akbayan Youth secretary general Khylla Meneses said Dutertes’ opposition to “Cha-cha” is fake.

She said the former President was just to trying to cover up his previous crimes “when thousands of people died in his war on drugs,” and to divert public attention from the International Criminal Court’s investigation on the alleged extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.

Meanwhile, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is seeking peaceful solutions as the Senate prepares to examine amnesty for rebel groups and the delayed decommissioning process of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, headed by Senator Jinggoy Estrada has started addressing resolutions on granting amnesty to members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa Ng Pilipinas (RPM-P), Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP-NPA), MILF, and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), as well as the delays on the conduct of the decommissioning of the MILF forces and weapons on Feb. 6, 2024.

Last November, President Marcos Jr. issued four proclamations granting amnesty to members of the RPMP-RPA-ABB, CPP-NPA-NDF, MILF, and MNLF.

The inclusion of the MNLF and MILF in the amnesty proclamations, despite the existence of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), is crucial for the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro’s (CAB) normalization track.

The CAB aims to reintegrate their members into society and provide them access to the government’s socio-economic services.

“Guess what administration is it pushing for Cha-cha? If you think it is the Marcos Jr. administration, well that’s true. And if you think it is also the Duterte administration, that’s very, very true,” Meneses said.

“How can the Dutertes’ claim to be in opposition when during their peak of power, they also advocated for revising our constitution? We cannot expect any truth from the Dutertes.”

“From spreading fake news to governing ineptly, the Dutertes are now portraying themselves as pseudo oppositionists to gain an advantage in their dynastic war with the administration and escape accountability for their crimes,” she said in a statement.

Duterte as well as his family must be held accountable for their crime, the Akbayan Youth leader insisted.

Retired police officer Arturo Lascañas, a confessed member of the supposed Davao Death Squad, recently accused Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte and her father as masterminds of the killings, saying she was the one who came up with Oplan Tokhang war on drugs.

Meneses called for the resignation of the Vice President, who shrugged off the ex-cop’s charges.

Along with Meneses, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines spokesperson Matthew Silverio, SK chairperson Ashley Sarmiento and the other youth leaders believe there is a worsening education crisis, and that reforms are doable without even amending the 1987 Constitution.

He said nine out of 10 children at the age of 10 struggle to comprehend what they read.

Moreover, there is a nationwide shortage of 160,000 classrooms in elementary and secondary schools with the country ranking poorly in reading, math and science based on The Programme for International Student Assessment ranking, he added.

The coalition vowed to oppose the 100 percent foreign ownership of the educational institutions under Cha-cha.

“Cha-cha will not address educational reforms and youth employment,” it claimed.

The coalition is composed of SK federation chairpersons and officials from Manila, Pasig City and Marikina City; Student Council Alliance of the Philippines; Model SK Network, and student council leaders from the University of the Philippines-Diliman,  Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Bulacan State University, X-Ed Senior High School Coalition, University of the East Manila, National Teachers College, Batasan Hills National High School, City College of San Jose Del Monte, and Junior Association of Local Colleges and Universities.

Meneses urged other youth organizations and formations to take part in the National Day of Prayer and Action on Feb. 23 at the Edsa Shrine to rally against constitutional amendment.

— Rio N. Araja & Macon Ramos-Araneta