GMA must go! — UP Students

February 28, 2008

GMA must go!

THE University of the Philippines Council declared this yesterday, adapting two separate resolutions seeking the resignation of President Arroyo and Romulo Neri as chairman of Commission on Higher Education at the same time.

In a statement, the group enumerated Arroyo’s acts which it felt are “a direct assault on nearly all the values we hold sacred in the academe,” adding that she apparently has lost the moral ascendancy to continue in office.

Among the acts mentioned included the infamous “Hello, Garci” scandal, the unprecedented number of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, her stonewalling or order a “sham” investigation renders government institutions created under the Constitution or the law to safeguard accountability ineffective.

The group also scored the Arroyo administration’s invocation of executive privilege in responding to the Senate investigation on the $329-million National Broadband Network deal with China’s ZTE Inc.

“The exercise of basic freedoms has been met with repressive measures such the calibrated pre-emptive response and Presidential Proclamation 1017,” the group’s press statement said.

“This criminal regime resorts to kidnapping and massive bribery to prevent the truth from coming out,” it added.

They said the actions and response of Arroyo administration in all controversies and issues enumerated “are in stark contrast with two objectives which are cherished by the university — getting at the truth and forging a democratic society. Both of these are obviously anathema to GMA.”

The UP faculty group, for its part, demanded the immediate resignation of Neri as UP faculty and CHED chairman for allegedly protecting government officials and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, when he told NBN whistle-blower Rodolfo Lozada to “moderate their greed” instead of work within the law.

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