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| Few of the MindanaOne Cotabato City volunteers and members after the 2016 Electoral Journey. |
National and Local Election has just been ended. Though
there are still candidates in the national and local posts who are victoriously
waiting to be officially declared as winners or are planning to concede out of
hope of winning.
Filipinos, registered voters or not are all witnesses to
this “democratic” process – a process that has two faces. One where corruption,
fraudulence and filthiness prevails played by the powerful, greedy and
self-centered individuals collaborating with the economic oligarchs and on the
other where hopes for change are the only weapon of the marginalized and
oppressed individuals and social sections.
Being consistent to engage the electoral process as one of
the means to win the demand of the marginalized and oppressed sectors in
Mindanao, the MindanaOne in Cotabato City did have its political journey in the
May 9, 2016 elections. Worse than the previous one, the 2016 election prevails
massive vote-buying; violence (killings, bombings, riots, etc);
disenfranchisement of voters; flying voters flocked who are either minor,
unregistered or multiple voters; unsystematic polling stations as some
precincts do not prioritize elderly people, pregnant women, and
differently-abled persons; pre-shading of ballots; harassment of election
supervisors and stealing of ballots.
But despite of this sad reality MindanaOne-Cotabato City
would still continue to fight for life with dignity and we will engage the
government in different forms for this cause.
We call upon and challenge the new national and local
government administrations to seriously address the concerns and prioritize the
demands of the local and overseas workers for decent pay, benefits and regular
jobs; to develop a people-centered, eco-friendly and sustainable local economy;
to provide efficient social services to the people without discrimination; and
to include all sectors at the margin in all political and peace processes
especially in Mindanao.
Particularly to the newly-elected government officials of
Cotabato City, we are calling for your attention to work particularly on the
social services and development for women, youth, workers, urban poor, farmers
and fishers, transport workers; investigation and legislative actions on labor,
wage and benefits issues for workers in the city; and the legislative and
executive actions to stop trafficking of persons.
For MindanaOne - Cotabato City, the May 9, 2016 election is
not the end of the struggle. The struggle continues until the peoples live with
dignity.
Goldy Omelio
MindanaOne – Cotabato City
09161081342
www.mindanaonemovement.blogspot.com
katipunanmindanao@gmail.com
May 12, 2016
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