MEDIA RELEASE April 29, 2000
After yesterday's successful noise barrage, the Labor Day rally at Liwasang Bonifacio is the next venue for Filipinos to express their dissatisfaction with the Estrada government.
"The overwhelming response that we received from pedestrians and motorists during yesterday's noise barrage is proof that Filipinos are really looking for concrete changes in the Estrada government. The message is that if the government still refuses to change, it should be prepared to face the growing clamor for Estrada's ouster," said Bayan Secretary General Teodoro Casiņo.
Bayan will join the huge rally led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno. Aside from Bayan which is traditionally present on Labor Day rallies, there are other sectors from the middle forces, professionals, progressive groups and even members of the opposition who will link arms with militant labor in demanding an end to cronyism, rampant corruption, unbridled globalization and militarization.
"Perhaps Estrada thinks that he can once more fool the people to believe that his government is actually doing something for them by simply mounting a roadshow. Is this Estrada's answer to criticisms, an expensive public relations gimmick?" he said.
He also assailed Malacaņang for claiming that the oil price decrease was Estrada's "gift" to workers on May 1. "Whether or not a meeting with oil cartel executives took place, oil prices should go down. In fact, the rollback, aside from being too small, is long overdue," said Casiņo.
He said local petroleum prices should have gone down several weeks ago when world crude prices started falling as a result of OPEC's decision to increase production. Following the industry rule of thumb, he said oil prices should have gone down by as much as 92.1 centavos per liter.
Casiņo said Estrada's lack of any worker's amelioration package usually given by government on Labor Day only shows the bankruptcy of the Estrada government. It has no serious effort nor program to really help workers and alleviate poverty.
While Estrada has promised to work harder, he has done nothing to curtail the tide of cronyism, graft and corruption, and has even continued to impose additional burdens on the people like the road user's tax and the electric power industry reform bill. His government even honored Lucio Tan, an Estrada crony with a P25-billion tax case, with an award as one of the country's model taxpayers along with oil companies facing tax fraud charges. ###