[No clear promise on Arroyo] KMU slams Aquino post-impeachment speech

Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned today Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s speech on the conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona by the Senate impeachment court, saying the speech did not contain a direct promise of going after former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Pres. Aquino mentioned Mrs. Arroyo only in the first parts of his speech, where he was laying the justifications for the impeachment of the chief magistrate.

“Has Pres. Aquino taken the Filipino workers and people for a ride with Corona’s impeachment? His speech on the Chief Justice’s impeachment makes us think so, because he does not make a clear promise that he will convict and jail Mrs. Arroyo,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“If it is too much to ask of him to state that he will not try to reverse or undermine the Supreme Court decision on Luisita, it is reasonable to demand that he be clear in going after Mrs. Arroyo for her numerous crimes against the Filipino workers and people,” he added.

“We know that workers and the poor will never have an honest and independent judiciary under the present system of governance in the country. What people want from Corona’s impeachment is the conviction and jailing of Mrs. Arroyo and her cohorts,” he said.

The labor center said Aquino has again shown that he is not serious in going after the former president.

“Despite its anti-Arroyo rhetoric, this government has failed to file criminal charges on the major issues of plunder, electoral fraud, and human rights violations against Arroyo. It has merely put the former president under hospital arrest," Labog said.

“It took this government more than 500 days before it filed a minor case of electoral sabotage in relation to the 2007 elections against Arroyo. And it was only forced to do so to stave off the people’s outrage which Arroyo’s escape from the country would have surely ignited,” he added.

“Aquino’s speech merely confirms that his objective in ousting Corona is to reverse or undermine the Supreme Court decision on Hacienda Luisita and to gain complete control over the government so he can easily implement his anti-worker and anti-people policies,” he said.