All is set for the National Day of Paralysis

July 24, 2005
Workers expect nothing more from GMA's SONA other than an exaggerated estimate to picture a government that continues to survive despite the total lack of credibility and a seriously questionable legitimacy. Thus declared the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) as it thumbed down Arroyo's scheduled SONA one day ahead of its delivery.

The APL and its affiliate the National Transport Workers' Union (NTU), together with Movement for the Advancement of Student Power (MASP), the Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan (PKSK) and the Bukluran sa Ikauunlad ng Sosyalistang Isip at Gawa (BISIG), today revealed their respective plans for tomorrow's National Day of Paralysis.

Tens of thousands of workers, students, farmers and fisherfolks are set to pour out into the streets of key cities around the country, while transport workers would launch crippling strikes to protest Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's continued usurpation of power.

Cities to be hit by massive rallies and paralyzing strikes would include parts of the NCR, particularly Quezon City and Manila; Lipa City in Batangas; Silang, Dasmariñas and Zapote in Cavite; Angeles, Porac, Dau and San Fernando in Pampanga; San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan; Cebu, Mandaue, Bacolod and Iloilo in the Visayas; Davao, Mati, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, General Santos and Iligan in Mindanao.

"Workers have nothing to lose in a regime change," said APL Chairperson, Daniel L. Edralin. "Time and again Arroyo has proven itself anti-worker and anti-people," he declared.

Edralin said workers will take to the streets on Monday, which has been declared a non working holiday, to send a clear message to GMA that "she's the one who should take a permanent holiday!"

"The picture is bleak as long as GMA is in power," Bren Sayasa, Deputy Secretary General of the National Transport Workers' Union (NTU), said. "We have no other recourse but to launch strike actions," Sayasa added.

In support of the transport strikes, chokepoints would be manned by thousands of workers and students in Welcome Rotonda and Cubao. Similar chokepoints would be set up in other cities outside of the NCR.

In the afternoon, the APL will hold a 100-vehicle motorcade from Welcome Rotonda to Tandang Sora from where they will march towards Batasan to link up with Akbayan and Laban ng Masa.