Statement on Christmas Ceasefire 2014

December 20, 2014

May the Christmas ceasefire bring  the gift of peace!

As citizens longing for lasting peace, we welcome the respective  announcements by the Government and  by the Communist Party of the Philippines of limited ceasefires for the Christmas period that covers the Papal Visit. We pray that there will be  good will and effective  compliance by the  parties.

Indeed the visit of Pope Francis is an important event for many Filipinos that we hope will inspire them to live humbly and justly, to serve others and respect all creation.

We also urge the parties  to consider  the  possibility of a humanitarian pause beyond the Papal visit, to give  respite to victims of humanitarian disasters in different parts of the country, and to encourage the country as a whole to refocus thoughts on healing and on rebuilding vulnerable communities.

KOMPRe calls for more vigilance in prosecution of Enrile, Estrada and Revilla

The Koalisyon ng Mamamayan para sa Reporma (KOMPRe) reiterates its support for the reform agenda of the Aquino administration to curb corruption. The prosecution of the Senators Estrada, Revilla and Enrile who have been implicated in various schemes using the PDAF and other public funds as their personal treasury sends a strong signal that this government will exact justice for unacceptable acts of stealing from our people.

Devoid of concern for the well being of many poor who have suffered from ravages of past corrupt governments, these so-called public servants thought nothing of re-allocating public money for their selfish ends.

The consistent disclosure of the many whistle blowers sufficiently confirms that these are not mere allegations of wanton excesses, but are deliberate and elaborate schemes to defraud and rob the people of funds intended for better health care, education, needed infrastructure and agricultural support in a nation that has started to feel the benefits of this administration’s reform agenda.

KOMPRe Statement of Support for the Coconut Farmers

For immediate release
19 November 2014
Contact persons:
Mildred Ople – 0935.187.1689
Mardi Mapa-Suplido – 0917.860.9250


KOMPRe (Koalisyon ng Mamamayan para sa Reporma) expresses it support for the coconut farmers in their struggle to attain a just settlement to the Coco Levy issue. It calls on President Aquino to listen to the proposal put forth by the coconut farmers to address an issue of injustice perpetrated by the dictator Marcos at the height of martial law.

The Coco Levy, for so many years was a tax imposed by the then President Ferdinand Marcos on the coconut farmers. It was a scam to deceive the coconut farmers. Ostensibly set up to provide support for the farmers, the fund was instead converted into a well of ill gotten wealth that was used by his cronies for their personal interests.

As such, it conned the farmers of their legitimate income and left them without the needed support to enable them to prosper as they were denied access to its use. The Coco Levy is blatantly unjust and inhuman because it was built on the sweat and toil of the coconut farmers and because it exploited the coconut farmers and robbed them of their legitimate income while propping up a cabal of cronies without regard for the farmers welfare.

KOMPRe Anti-Political Dynasty Manifesto

URGING CONGRESS TO IMMEDIATELY PASS

AN ANTI-POLITICAL DYNASTY LAW

Dynasties are threats to democracy

Acknowledging that political dynasties threaten the country's democratic ideals, the framers of the 1987 Constitution tasked government to guard our reacquired democracy by declaring that “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law” (Article II, Sec. 26).

Unfortunately, 27 years since the constitutional ratification and several governments after, a law has yet to be passed prohibiting political dynasties, which according to Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio (in a decision on the Navarro v. Ermita case) described it as a “phenomenon that concentrates political power and public resources within the control of a few families whose members alternately hold elective offices, deftly skirting term limits.”

The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) analyzed the 2013 midterm elections and dynasties in its research paper “The 2013 Philippine Mid-Term Election: An Empirical Analysis of Dynasties, Vote Buying and the Correlates of Senate Votes”, and asserts that “political dynasties refer to members of the same family occupying elected positions either in sequence for the same position, or simultaneously across different positions.” 

Patuloy nating pagningasin ang pagsusulong sa reporma

10 October 2014

Dear KOMPRe Founding Members,

Walang iwanan sa tuwid na daan. Isang daan na matagal na nating sama-samang tinatahak.  Kaya gusto naming simulan itong email sa isang pasasalamat sa inyong pagsuporta sa paglunsad natin ng Koalisyon ng Mamamayan Para sa Reporma!! At sa pamamagitan nitong mga regular KOMPRe email updates, we hope we can share with you all the various efforts, plans, concerns and activities of our KOMPRe member networks around the country in pursuing our reform agenda.

Over just a month ago, we together launched the coalition with over 400 CSOs last August 25, 2014 at the Ateneo de Manila University Campus in Quezon City. There we agreed on our KOMPRe Unity Statement, and discussed the many achievements of the PNoy administration these past four years, and the proposed priorities for the next two years. We then dialogued with several Cabinet Secretaries including Sec Mar Roxas, Sec Dinky Soliman, Sec Edwin Lacierda, Sec Ronald Llamas, Sec Arsenio Balisacan and NYC Chair Gio Tingson who greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet and listen to the CSO community. Our launch was covered widely by many national TV stations, newspapers and news websites, inspiring many others to want to join.

This was followed by successful KOMPRe launches in La Salle Cavite for CALABARZON members last September 21, then in Bacolod City on September 23, and in Davao City just last week on September 30. Again, we had broad participation with over 300 participants from various sectors and organizations in each of the areas, and successful media coverage. The workshop outputs were also presented to Sec Mar, Sec Butch Abad and Sec Edwin Lacierda in Cavite, to Sec Mar and Sec Ging Deles in Davao, and to several regional and provincial directors from DSWD, DILG and DBM in Bacolod City. Below are some pictures from those gatherings.

KOMPRe to VP Binay: Prove your innocence, face the Senate

For immediate release
17 September 2014
Contact persons:
Karina Constantino-David
0917.834.3733
Leah L. Navarro
0917.898.1957

KOMPRe to VP Binay: Prove your innocence, face the Senate

KOMPRe (Koalisyon ng Mamamayan para sa Reporma) on Wednesday challenged Vice President Jejomar Binay to “walk the talk” and attend the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on September 25 and prove his innocence.

The Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee headed by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III invited Vice President Binay to attend the public hearing on Thursday, 25 September, “to inform the committee about what you know regarding the subject matter under inquiry. We look forward to your Honor’s presence during the said hearing.”

“We exhort the Vice President to prove his innocence by accepting the invitation of the Senate blue ribbon committee and attend the hearing,” said KOMPRe lead convener Karina Constantino-David.

#KOMPRe accepts PNoy's challenge

AQUINO administration allies from the Senate, the Lower House, local government units (LGUs), political associations, business groups and civil society organizations represented by KOMPRe (Koalisyon ng Mamamayan Para sa Reporma) were invited to attend a gathering in Malacanang Friday morning to listen to the President exhort his allies into action.

In response to the call to action by President Noynoy Aquino for the people to support and communicate the reforms made under his administration, KOMPRe not only accepted the challenge but committed to defending and pushing for more reforms before the end of his administration.

“We have already been communicating reforms made under this administration. In fact, a majority of our members are involved in “Ipadama ang Reporma”, a grassroots program under which we explain to the people how to access government services made available precisely because of his good governance, ” said KOMPRe lead convenor Karina Constantino-David after the President’s speech.

#KOMPRe: We support the Anti-Dynasty Bill

For immediate release
3 September 2014
Contact persons:
Karina Constantino-David
0917.834.3733
Leah L. Navarro
0917.898.1957

KOMPRe supports the Anti-Dynasty Bill

EXPECT KOMPRe (Koalisyon ng Mamamayan Para sa Reporma) to push for key political and fiscal reforms and launch chapters in key cities and provinces in the coming days. In the coalition's successful launch last week at the Loyola campus of Ateneo de Manila University, it affirmed the key reforms already undertaken by the PNoy administration such as the passage of the RH Law, peace with the MILF and the arrest of alleged plunderers of PDAF.

The conference highlighted the need to intensify public vigilance and support for pending reforms in the last two years of this administration, especially given the vicious attacks against the government of counter-reform groups that are already being affected by reforms.

KOMPRe will support the move to legislate the Anti-Dynasty Bill and Budget reform laws, twin reforms that the coalition believes are attainable in the last two years of the Aquino administration.

#KOMPRe by the numbers

A TOTAL of 166 organizations were represented during Monday's (25 August 2014) inaugural conference and public launching of Koalisyon ng Mamamayan para sa Reporma (KOMPRe) held at the ISO Building of the Ateneo de Manila University campus in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

Out of that number, 52 are from the National Capital Region (NCR), 62 from Luzon, 20 from the Visayas and 31 from Mindanao. There were also 54 individuals who took part in launching the reform movement, whose members are keen on doing similar activities in the regions.

"We will do the same activity in the regions. But unlike dito na we invited cabinet secretaries, sa mga regional launching we will invite regional representatives of the agencies," said KOMPRe lead convener Karina Constantino-David during her closing remarks.

Below are the list of the organizations which took part in launching Kompre.

Unity Statement

25 August 2014

KOMPRe National Conference and Public Launching

Institute of Social Order (ISO), 

Ateneo de Manila University

Loyola Heights, Quezon City

1. KOMPRe is a national gathering of organizations and individuals from different faiths, generations and walks of life. We have, through the years, fought against the dictatorship and corrupt governments and practices. We will continue to fight for the reforms under the Aquino administration. The“Tuwid na Daan” must continue beyond 2016.
   
2. KOMPRe believes that for reforms to succeed and be sustained, the citizenry should engage government by assessing, assisting and proposing, progressive policies and programs.
   
3. KOMPRe believes that when such reforms are undermined and threatened by counter-reform forces, we must openly and pro-actively take a stand. We must educate and organize, mobilize and empower the people who stand to lose by any reversal to the reforms.
   
4. KOMPRe believes that under the present administration we gained significant headway in institutionalizing and establishing mechanisms for promoting people’s participation, transparency and accountability in government, in promoting growth in the economy, in providing better access to education and health care, and in providing the poorest Filipino people the chance to uplift their lives through the Conditional Cash Transfer and the Grassroots Planning and Budgeting Program. We also moved forward in creating lasting peace in the country with new agreements with armed political and separatist groups including the Bangsamoro. While KOMPRe acknowledges these, we also recognize that much work remains to be done.
   
5. KOMPRe will continue to vigorously push for more reforms and faster implementation in the next two years to ensure that government fulfills its obligations under the President's Social Contract.
   
6. KOMPRe will remain vigilant in making sure that those who stole from the people, regardless of political affiliation, will be prosecuted and punished.
   
7. KOMPRe shall support leaders with unquestioned integrity and competence because reforms can only be sustained by upstanding appointed and elected public servants.
   
8. KOMPRe vows: “Sa Tuwid na Daan, walang iwanan”. Walang iwanan as we push for inclusive growth under this administration and beyond. Walang iwanan as we continue to collectively shape and support the “Tuwid na Daan.” Walang iwanan in keeping the spirit of our struggle towards a more peaceful, democratic, progressive, and inclusive Philippines – a nation truly worth fighting for!

Koalisyon ng Mamamayan para sa Reporma [#KOMPRe]

KOMPRe, or Koalisyon ng Mamamayan para sa Reporma, is a broad-based coalition of civil society groups, people’s organizations, political parties, social movements and reform-minded individuals committed to sustaining the momentum of reform that the Filipino people have started during the last four years.

KOMPRe aims to ensure that positive gains made under the Aquino Administration are continued beyond 2016 through the institutionalizing, broadening and deepening of reform processes within government.

KOMPRe will officially launch this advocacy at the Institute of Social Order (ISO), Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), Quezon City on 25 August 2014, National Heroes Day, from 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 pm. The launch comes after months of discussion on how to defend, advance and strengthen positive reform and good governance.