Our
situation
The
upcoming May elections are crucial for the survival of the
nation.
With
past issues of electoral fraud still unresolved, the Arroyo
administration is again poised to rig the coming elections in
its favor. The cheating machine is still in place. There are
still no reforms in the COMELEC. The “operators” are still
well entrenched in the bureaucracy.
The
vast resources of the presidency are again at the disposal of
administration candidates. We anticipate massive illegal
spending no different from the multi-million fertilizer fund
scam or the Philhealth scam used by Arroyo in 2004.
The
Garci generals like Esperon and Ebdane are occupying more
strategic positions now than in 2004. The military, under
various pretexts, remain insistent in engaging in the upcoming
polls.
There
is an ongoing campaign to reduce the number of opposition
representatives in the Lower House to prevent another
impeachment complaint against the president.
Extrajudicial
killings have further escalated months before the elections in
an clear attempt to terrorize critics of the regime
participating in the electoral exercise. The targets of
repression include, but are not limited to, partylist formations
and leaders of people’s organizations.
Everything
that discredited the May 2004 elections are still in place and
will again be used to ensure the victory of the administration
slate. And despite the anticipated massive electoral fraud, the
regime will do everything to promote an image of clean and
credible elections.
Our
mission: expose Arroyo fraud and violence
There
will be massive fraud in the upcoming elections. This is already
a certainty. What is crucial for all freedom-loving Filipinos is
to remain vigilant and prepare for this eventuality. We must
strive to expose all the maneuvers and illegal acts of this
administration BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER the May elections. We
know all too well that cheating doesn’t happen on election day
alone.
There
is no other moral and logical recourse but to expose Arroyo’s
election fraud and violence and rally people to thwart her evil
plans.
Our
commitment
We
shall work closely with individuals, personalities, people’s
organizations, faith-based formations, middle forces and other
concerned sectors to build a broad based people’s election
watchdog. We are willing to cooperate and coordinate with
existing political parties, poll watch formations and other
electoral watchdogs who share the same goals of exposing and
thwarting Arroyo’s election fraud and violence. We shall also
seek the cooperation of the international community in observing
important developments in our country.
We
assure the Arroyo administration that a repeat of the election
fraud of 2004 will be totally unacceptable and politically
costly for her and her cohorts.
|
