Lourd De Veyra (Radioactive Sago Project) performs at the Concert for Freedom in UP Diliman


Dong Abay (with Popoy Diokno)


Bobby Balingit (with Dennis of Juan Isip)

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo no doubt expected the nation to jump for joy when she announced March 3 that she had lifted Proclamation No. 1017, which declared the country as being in a state of national emergency. But there is no reason to put out the fire with which we met her fire.

Just as the people were commemorating the 20th anniversary of EDSA I, the popular uprising that ended the Marcos dictatorship's reign of terror, President Arroyo issued Proclamation No. 1017 – on the basis of a supposed coup attempt which the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had earlier claimed to have thwarted. This would be followed by dispersals of commemorative rallies and a crackdown on various forces known to be critical of the Arroyo administration – which is under fire for electoral fraud, the imposition of anti-national and anti-people policies, corruption, and human rights violations.

Professors Randy David and Ronald Llamas, lawyer Argee Guevarra, Reps. Crispin Beltran and Joel Virador, retired generals Ramon Montaño and Rex Piad, and labor leaders Dennis Maga and Marcial Dabela were all arrested. Reps. Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casiño, Rafael Mariano, and Liza Maza were all able to elude arrest but have had to ask for protective custody at the House of Representatives.

The offices of newspapers The Daily Tribune and Abante were raided. Meanwhile, police were deployed at a number of other media offices – including that of the Catholic church-operated Radyo Veritas. A number of Tribune editors and columnists have been charged with inciting to sedition. Three public affairs programs known to be critical of the government – Ngayon Na Bayan, Diyos at Bayan, and Buhay Manggagawa – have been suspended.

After all these we hear President Arroyo announcing on March 3 that she had lifted Proclamation No. 1017.

She no doubt expected the nation to jump for joy at this announcement. But there is no reason to jump for joy.

Just the day before Proclamation No. 1017 was lifted, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita was bragging that the "crackdown" on President Arroyo's political opponents would continue.

A few days before that, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Arturo Lomibao – ironically said to have been an activist for a brief period before martial law – had announced that they were developing editorial guidelines for coverage of political events. He has declared that the formulation and implementation of these guidelines would go on even if Proclamation No. 1017 is lifted.

We have these straight from the horses' mouths. President Arroyo's lifting of Proclamation No. 1017 is, then, nothing but an illusion.

There is no reason to celebrate the lifting of Proclamation No. 1017. We met fire with fire and we must keep the fire burning.

Artists for the Removal of Gloria (ARREST Gloria)
March 16, 2006

Southern Tagalog Exposure + KASIBULAN Women Visual Artists’ Collective + KUMASA (Kulturang Ugnayan ng Manggagawa at Uring Anakpawis sa Timog Katagalugan) + ARTIST, Inc. (Arts Research and Training Institute in Southern Tagalog) + Kilometer 64 Poetry Group + Tambisan sa Sining + APLAYA (Artistang Pangkultura ng Mamamalakaya sa Timog Katagalugan) + UPLB Umalohokan + Pokus Gitnang Luson + Paolo Martinez + Andrea Muñoz + Gian Paolo Mayuga + Jeffrey Ferrer + Onin Tagaro + Bobby Balingit + Winnie Balingit + Lourd de Veyra + Dong Abay + Ninj Abay + Con Cabrera + Roselle Pineda + Heidi Takama + Boom Dizon + Rommel Lozano + Mary Rose Abano + Aba Dalena + Sari Dalena