Friday, October 12, 2012

LEAH NAVARRO DOES NOT REPRESENT THE URBAN POOR


First, there was KontraDaya. Now, it’s Anakbayan. Both are part of the ultra-leftist coalition of Bayan and the Makabayan Coalition. These groups have waged an all-out campaign to discredit all Party List aspirants not aligned with their Maoist agenda – including Black and White.

Unfortunately, people buy into their propaganda without bothering to check the facts.

Before its creation, the conveners and members of the Black and White Movement were veteran advocates of various social causes. Undeniably, our nominees do indeed stand for their sectors.

They say Leah Navarro cannot possibly represent the urban poor. In our application for accreditation, we never said she did. She represents women – a sector specifically defined by the Party List Law as marginalized and under represented. And, why not? Leah has supported women’s rights causes even before joining Black and White. She is an advocate for responsible parenthood and has actively opposed violence against women. She has represented Black and White at events and projects supportive of various women’s causes alongside fellow conveners Karen Tanada and Beth Yang.

We wonder why they never mention our second and third nominees because, like Leah, they represent their sectors.

Our second nominee is Marco Cabrera – a leader of our Black and White Youth chapter. This segment of the Black and White organization started in 2009 in the Camanava area where it has been actively involved in engaging the youth via community service projects and involvement in political issues, focusing on truth, accountability and good governance. Again, the youth is one sector specifically defined by the Party List Law as marginalized.

Our third nominee is Ka Jose Morales – a leader of our Black and White Katipunan – an urban poor group based in the Taytay-Antipolo area, which has been part of Black and White since its inception in 2005. A tireless campaigner for the rights of our impoverished, Ka Jose is a convener of AKKMA (Aksyon sa Kalamidad at Klima), Ugnayang Lakas ng mga Apektadong Pamilya sa Baybaying Ilog Pasig (ULAP) and the Urban Poor Alliance (UPALL). Definitely, the urban poor are marginalized.

While it is true that some of our conveners are now in the Executive branch of government, it does not change the fact that Black and White has been actively engaged in advancing the causes of sectors considered as marginalized – women, youth, and urban poor. If given the opportunity, we are committed to protect and advance our multi-sector interests through responsive legislation.

We appeal to everyone to check the facts before buying into these groups’ Maoist-communist propaganda. Let us not leave the Party List system in the hands of leftist extremists that are hell bent on blocking the daan na matuwid. -- END