Comments on: Kontra Daya’s pre-election report: Conditions for wholesale electoral http://kontradaya.wordpress.com/2007/04/13/kontra-daya%e2%80%99s-pre-election-report-conditions-for-wholesale-electoral/ Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:08:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Tony Montematyor http://kontradaya.wordpress.com/2007/04/13/kontra-daya%e2%80%99s-pre-election-report-conditions-for-wholesale-electoral/#comment-6 Tony Montematyor Thu, 03 May 2007 01:44:39 +0000 http://kontradaya.wordpress.com/2007/04/13/kontra-daya%e2%80%99s-pre-election-report-conditions-for-wholesale-electoral/#comment-6 Greetings. My name is Tony Montemayor and I am with the ABA-AKO party list. In the interest of fair play, may I request Kontra-Daya to publish our reaction to its accusation that ABA-AKO is a “palace fielded” group. We had also earlier sent a letter to former Vice President Guingona last April 20, 2007. The ABA-AKO, which is a coalition of farmers, fisherfolk, farm workers, urban poor, and supporters of the traditional Filipino family, categorically denies that it is a “palace fielded” group as alleged by Kontra Daya. Moroever, ABA-AKO protests the sweeping character judgments simply on the basis of a person’s job or friendships. Our first 3 nominees are (in the following order) former DA secretary Leonie Montemayor and farmer leader Diocky Granada, and pro-life advocate Manny Arejola. Both Leonie and Diocky are officials of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) which has been in the peasant and labor sector for over 50 years now. Ironically, Leonie resigned from his post in the CIFF Oil Mills by GMA because he supported her impeachment and in solidarity with the Hyatt 10. The ABA-AKO has participated in all previous party list elections. Through some of its nominees, it was even part of the party list system’s experimental/trial stages during the Ramos presidency. It has also published its list of nominees from day 1 of the 2007 elections (as well as in all previous elections.) Kontra-Daya has labeled our party list as “palace fielded” just because our 4rth nominee is Percy Chavez who is currently the chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP). First of all, Percy Chavez is our 4rth nominee because he is the Sec-Gen of the Adhikain at Kilusan ng Ordinaryong Tao (AKO), one of the major partners in this coalition representing the urban poor sector. Percy has also been a previous nominee of the AKO (prior to the coalition with ABA) and the ABA-AKO in previous elections. We do believe that if you check the personal history of Percy and the organizational history of the AKO, you will conclude that both are very credible advocates of their sector. We do believe that this is why he was appointed to the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP) in the first place (way before the 2004 elections). He is on leave from the PCUP for the duration of the campaign period. Given all these other additional facts, what is the basis of Kontra Daya’s conclusion that we are a palace fielded group? Why is no respect apparently shown to Percy Chavez and his lifelong advocacy for the urban poor? By all means, expose the supposed fake groups. But there should be much stronger criteria on making these kinds of determinations than just a person’s job or his friendships. Sincerely, Tony Montemayor ABA-AKO Party List Greetings. My name is Tony Montemayor and I am with the ABA-AKO party list. In the interest of fair play, may I request Kontra-Daya to publish our reaction to its accusation that ABA-AKO is a “palace fielded” group. We had also earlier sent a letter to former Vice President Guingona last April 20, 2007.

The ABA-AKO, which is a coalition of farmers, fisherfolk, farm workers, urban poor, and supporters of the traditional Filipino family, categorically denies that it is a “palace fielded” group as alleged by Kontra Daya. Moroever, ABA-AKO protests the sweeping character judgments simply on the basis of a person’s job or friendships.

Our first 3 nominees are (in the following order) former DA secretary Leonie Montemayor and farmer leader Diocky Granada, and pro-life advocate Manny Arejola. Both Leonie and Diocky are officials of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) which has been in the peasant and labor sector for over 50 years now. Ironically, Leonie resigned from his post in the CIFF Oil Mills by GMA because he supported her impeachment and in solidarity with the Hyatt 10.

The ABA-AKO has participated in all previous party list elections. Through some of its nominees, it was even part of the party list system’s experimental/trial stages during the Ramos presidency. It has also published its list of nominees from day 1 of the 2007 elections (as well as in all previous elections.)

Kontra-Daya has labeled our party list as “palace fielded” just because our 4rth nominee is Percy Chavez who is currently the chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP). First of all, Percy Chavez is our 4rth nominee because he is the Sec-Gen of the Adhikain at Kilusan ng Ordinaryong Tao (AKO), one of the major partners in this coalition representing the urban poor sector. Percy has also been a previous nominee of the AKO (prior to the coalition with ABA) and the ABA-AKO in previous elections. We do believe that if you check the personal history of Percy and the organizational history of the AKO, you will conclude that both are very credible advocates of their sector. We do believe that this is why he was appointed to the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP) in the first place (way before the 2004 elections). He is on leave from the PCUP for the duration of the campaign period.

Given all these other additional facts, what is the basis of Kontra Daya’s conclusion that we are a palace fielded group? Why is no respect apparently shown to Percy Chavez and his lifelong advocacy for the urban poor? By all means, expose the supposed fake groups. But there should be much stronger criteria on making these kinds of determinations than just a person’s job or his friendships.

Sincerely,

Tony Montemayor
ABA-AKO Party List

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