Bayan airs 20-point ‘people's demands'

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jul 22): Bayan airs 20-point ‘people's demands'

The militant group, Bayan Negros, and its allies yesterday aired their 20-point urgent people's demands for President Rodrigo Duterte who is delivering his state of the nation address on Monday, which include a call for continued peace talks with the National Democratic Front and the lifting of Martial Law in Mindanao.

Christian Tuayon, Bayan Negros secretary general, said about 3,000 persons will join a “SONA ng Bayan” at the Bacolod Public Plaza Monday afternoon to air their demands as Duterte delivers his SONA at the BatasangPambansa, saying he has failed to deliver on many of his promises.

It has been a year since a people's summit presented to the president a comprehensive “people's agenda for nationalist and progressive change”, which included national industrialization, the peace talks, an independent foreign policy, expanded social services, respect for human rights and measures against corruption, he said.

However, Tuayon said many of these proposals have not been addressed by government, and some have even been rejected.

“We are still far off from the change promised by the president. Most alarming is the administration's dangerous drift to the right,” a Bayan statement released at a press conference yesterday added.

It said the 20-point people's demands are:

*The continuation of the 5 th and succeeding rounds of formal peace talks with the NDF without any preconditions, and the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms within the year;

*The lifting of martial law in Mindanao and a stop to aerial bombings in Marawi and other parts of the country;

*The freeing of all political prisoners as a matter of justice and in compliance with government's obligations to the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law;

*The recall of Department of Labor and Employment Order No.174 and,in cooperation with other labor groups, the issuance of an executive order that would prohibit all forms of labor contracting;

*Support for labor's demand for a national minimum wage of P750 a day, and the certifying of measures in Congress to set the basic salary of government employees at P16,000 a month;

*Certifying as urgent measures in Congress to reduce income taxes for rank and file employees ahead of any other measure that seeks to raise taxes on basic goods and services;

*The issuance of an executive order for a 2-year moratorium on the conversion of agricultural lands recommended by the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council;

* The provision for freeNational Irrigation Authority services as well as irrigation subsidies to small farmers nationwide;

*An order for all state colleges and universities to implement a “No tuition policy” starting this school year;

*The distribution of about 50,000 idle AFP and PNP housing units nationwide to the homeless with basic facilities for electricity, water and sanitation;

*Issuance of an executive order to stop the further privatization of public hospitals;

*The prohibition of the participation of American troops and their private military contractors in military operations inMarawi and other parts of the country;

*A halt to the implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and the cancellation of the remaining military exercises set for this year under the VFA;

*Orders forthe PNP and AFP to stop the extrajudicial killings;

*Pull out the military and AFP-backed paramilitary groups from Lumad communities in Mindanao and the safe return of evacuees to their communities;

*Overhaul of the Philippine National Police to weed out corrupt and abusive police personnel;

*The implementation of closure and suspension orders of former Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez against erring mining companies;

*Asserting through diplomatic means the Philippines sovereign rights over the West Philippines Sea;

*Overhauling the Energy Regulatory Commission and prosecute its commissioner and officials who have connived with industry players in burdening the consumers; and

*Ensuring the Commission on Appointments' confirmation of Secretaries Judy Taguiwaloand Rafael Mariano to their posts.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2017/July/22/topstory5.htm