Youth Groups Demand GMA Resignation In South RP

Philippine leader Gloria Arroyo, center, with husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, and daughter, Luli Arroyo.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 28, 2008) – Militant youth and student groups calling for President Gloria Arroyo’s resignation held a street rally Thursday in Davao City in southern Philippines and vowed for more and larger protests in the weeks to come.

Rachel Pomar, spokesperson of the Anakbayan-Southern Mindanao, said there will be huge street protests to come as more groups are joining calls for the president to resign over corruption scandals involving the flawed national broadband network deal with China’s ZTE.

Members of youth organizations League of Filipino Students (LFS) and Anakbayan led the rally which coincided with the national day of action initiated by the group called "Youth Act Now!".

“The NBN-ZTE Deal is said to be a concrete manifestation of how the present government would want to steal people's wealth to stay on power,” Pomar said in a statement.

She said the many young people, particularly the youth, are disappointed with the Arroyo administration. “In as much as the youth's primary concern is education, they say that it has long been neglected by the government, instead, focuses on other projects that are not actually demanded by the people," Pomar added.

“Here is our call for our right to education which we believe is more important to be largely allocated by government budget than an overpriced broadband network deal, among others. Majority of the Filipinos is in dire need of free and affordable education while GMA and her corrupt officials continue to harbor projects as sources of corruption.”

Karlos Manlupig, LFS-Southern Mindanao spokesperson, said Arroyo’s resignation would bring new hope for the country to move on. “We cannot wait for her to retire on 2010 as she had a bad record of telling the truth in the past, she would only perpetuate her stay in power. The Filipino people deserve a better leader that would genuinely serve the interest of the people,” Manlupig said. “The streets will serve as our den in defending our democratic interest slowly stolen and deprived by a corrupt government.”