Protest caravan from Southern Tagalog

fear more police and military blockades

Protests from the urban poor in Southern Tagalog geared towards Monday's State of the Nation Address (SONA) began as early as Wednesday and are now on the third day of a six-day caravan dubbed "Lakbay-Riles ng Maralita laban sa kagutuman, dislokasyon at karahasan ." The caravan took-off from Gumaca, Quezon around 8AM today and is set to reach San Pablo City at around 3PM, but protesters fear that they may be blocked again amid NCRPO chief Vidal Querol's statement that a special operations group of the New People's Army from Mindoro would try to sneak into the capital.

"Querol's propaganda about a supposed NPA plan to sneak into Manila is surely part of their tactics to be able to block protesters from Southern Tagalog and prevent them from joining protests as Arroyo delivers her SONA," Adel Tolentino, secretary-general of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap-Southern Tagalog (KADAMAY-ST), said. Citing Wednesday's incident when the military blocked them at Brgy. Sugod, Lopez, Tolentino noted that they will be passing at least two more military and police detachments in Quezon and more in Laguna where they may be blocked.

Tolentino also condemned the distribution of "black propaganda" by members of the military which depicted peasant leader Guillermo Bautista, chairperson of Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK) who is with the caravan, with tags bearing acronyms of the caravan's organizers – KADAMAY, Samahan ng Mamamayan sa Tabing Riles (SMTR), and Alyansa Laban sa Demolisyon at Dislokasyon (ADD) - as supporters of the NPA. "This proves that the Arroyo administration does not recognize the difference between legal organizations and the armed Left; their propaganda seeks to justify whatever actions they will do against us. Their black propaganda is a desperate attempt to deceive the people but it cannot disprove the fact that the urban poor are becoming poorer," Tolentino added.

In proof of Tolentino's statement, urban poor in Brgy. Cotta in Lucena, Brgy. Lusacan in Tiaong, Wawa, Brgy. Del Remedio in San Pablo City welcomed the caravan with streamers and placards bearing calls against demolition and calling for Arroyo's ouster. In San Pablo, a trolleycade is set to start this morning to gather residents along the railways to an assembly against demolition due to the Southrail Project.

Participants to the caravan wore t-shirts depicting Arroyo with the Hitler moustache and swastika, wearing military uniform and carrying a gun while atop a train; in the background is a red-blood map of CALABARZON marking the towns where the train passes through from Tagkawayan, Quezon to San Pedro, Laguna. A large tarpaulin with the same design is mounted on a truck that serves as an MPT during the caravan. Participants also wore hats bearing their calls.

Tolentino said that around 70,000 families stand to lose their homes and livelihood due to the Southrail project. Implementation of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project from Caloocan to Calamba, Laguna has already began. He condemned the Community Mortgage Program being sold by the government to the urban poor, saying that this only "sinks the people further in debt and poverty." The relocation areas under the CMP amount to around P100,000 per family.

Tolentino said that based on visits to the Southville Housing Project in Cabuyao, Laguna, they found out that the 7,000 families relocated there are suffering from lack of services such as electricity, water, and lack of livelihood. On the other hand, thousands of residents of 13 barangays of Sta Clara, Batangas also face threats of demolition due to the expansion of the Batangas International Port. In Cavite, 34 barangays will be demolished due to private and public corporations and the expansion of MRT 2 from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite. In Rizal, communities in Daang Tubo, San Mateo and along the dumpsite in Montalban, Rizal also face threats of demolition.

The protest caravan will be welcomed by residents of Los Baños, Brgy. Bucal, Calamba, and Brgy. San Isidro, Cabuyao on its way to Cabuyao, Laguna where the protesters will rest tomorrow. The caravan will then converge with other contingents from Southern Tagalog on July 23 to air the real plight of the urban poor on Monday. Tolentino said the Arroyo administration's so-called development programs such as the Southrail do not lead to genuine development. "For the urban poor of Southern Tagalog massive demolitions and disregard to their welfare amid the worsening economic crisis are our bases for calling for Arroyo's ouster." ###

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