Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) | NEWS RELEASE | November 9, 2001 | Rafael Mariano, KMP Chairperson
The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) together with PAMALAKAYA and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) greeted today the opening day of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in Doha, Qatar with a body-painted Human Chain and a protest rally against the WTO and Imperialist Globalization at the U.S. Embassy.
The peasant group reiterated their call for the Philippine delegates to side with the Filipino people's interests and defy President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's subservience to the WTO's anti-people, anti-poor dictates by staging a walk-out during the ministerial meeting.
Since the country became a member of the WTO, the government has implemented a series of all-out economic programs and policies that resulted in disastrous and destructive effects to peasants, fisherfolk, national minorities, and the whole agricultural sector.
"Macapagal-Arroyo's hell-bent subservience and rabid adherence to the policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization has only shown that she is the Philippines' number one agent of the WTO. The Philippine delegates to the WTO should not be Arroyo's henchmen but must side with the interest of the Filipino people and stage a walkout during the meeting." KMP chairperson Rafael Mariano stressed.
Mariano also said it is high time the Senate correct their past mistake in ratifying the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in December 1994 which evolved into the WTO on January 1, 1995 despite strong and widespread opposition. And that a hint of opposition to the WTO Treaty from some members of the Senate would not mollify the anger of the expanding ranks of Filipinos who are in opposition to and widely affected by the treaty's negative results. "The entire Senate should seek absolution from its sins against the people. A mere statement of opposition to the WTO from certain Senators wouldn't fill the stomachs of millions of hungry Filipinos. What we need is concrete action from the Senate. We challenge and dare them to formally abrogate the WTO treaty," stated Mariano.
The body-painted human chain and protest rally today culminated the "Weeklong Activity Against Imperialist Globalization" spearheaded by the KMP, PAMALAKAYA and BAYAN. Yesterday, a People's Street Conference was held, where 500 peasants, fisherfolk, workers, women and youth gathered together in Plaza Ferguson in Roxas Blvd., Manila to condemn the disastrous effect of liberalization, deregulation and privatization.
The said participants drafted a resolution and agreed to continue to struggle for the abrogation of the WTO in solidarity with other members of the international community who are also launching a series of protest actions in their own countries as counterpoint activities to the WTO Ministerial Conference.
Mariano also warned that if Macapagal-Arroyo and the Senate did not take concrete action and end all ties with the WTO, they would face massive mobilizations from the peasantry, fisherfolk and other sectors.Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP):
