Arroyo next after Corona? Militants cry for conviction of ex-president

Former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Militant groups staged a short protest at the Chino Roces Bridge in Manila Wednesday to demand the speedy trial of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a city police officer said.

Police Officer 2 Wilfredo Laicus said that around 100 members of the Kilusang Mayo Uno and other groups marched to the famous bridge to voice their demands in the wake of the conviction Tuesday of Chief Justice Renato Corona by the Senate acting as an impeachment court.

Laicus said the groups broke up and left Mendiola around 12:45 p.m.

In a statement, KMU said they called for the immediate conviction and jailing of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her “cohorts,” the immediate distribution of Hacienda Luisita’s lands to farmers and the immediate resolution to the worsening hunger and unemployment in the country.

KMU chairperson Elmer “Bong” Labog said that “now that Corona is out of the way, President [Benigno] Aquino [III] should stop making palusot (lame excuses).”

According to Labog, Aquino should immediately prosecute, convict, and jail for good former President Arroyo for her grave crimes against the Filipino workers and people.

He said that it will be a lot easier for Aquino to face these challenges since he now “have full control over the Supreme Court,” after the Senate impeachment court’s historic guilty verdict slapped on Corona Tuesday.

The labor center cited the following forms of immediate relief: the implementation of a P125 across-the-board wage hike for private sector workers nationwide, and the P6,000 increase in the minimum pay of government employees; the junking of contractual employment; and the ending of demolition of poor communities, among others.

KMU said other organizations that joined KMU were the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, Pagkakaisa ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide, Gabriela, Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students, Migrante International, and the Confederation for Unity, Respect and Advancement of Government Employees or Courage.