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APO frat to seek respect for rule of law in Oblation Run in UP Diliman


Respect for the rule of law and a reexamination of the pork barrel system will top the calls of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity in this year's Oblation Run at the University of the Philippines Diliman Friday.
 
The group said this year's run, which it referred to as the Ritual Dance of the Brave, will carry the call for "accountability and sustained action on the part of those in power to respect the rule of law."
 
"We, the men of Alpha Phi Omega, denounce the constant defilement of our country's rule of law. Perpetrated even by the people to whom we entrust the execution of laws, these violations have detained Filipinos in fear and doubt not only of the transgressors of law but of its enforcers. This situation has gone on for far too long, and now is the time to stop it," it said in a statement.
 
Also, it urged the government to reexamine what it called the "latest addition to the still-existing pork barrel system," the insertion of lump sum allocations in the 2015 budget.
 
It questioned the practice of setting aside large contingency funds "for purposes yet to be identified," saying this "punches a hole through the budget process' credibility altogether."
 
APO urged the government to "subject members of the administration accused of wrongdoing to the same scrutiny undertaken by errant opposition members."
 
"No one should be spared from the hands of law—not even friends and partymates," it said.
 
"We appeal to our leaders to comply with the Constitution, respect rather than challenge its authority on this matter, and strike down such policies that will violate our country's dignity," it added.
 
Impunity
 
The group also pressed government to address the culture of impunity in society, including:
 
  • the case of slain transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude, where the suspect is still in US custody
  • the squalor of evacuation camps in Zamboanga City
  • the plight of millions of Filipinos who have yet to regain normalcy a year after super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
 
It also said this impunity manifests itself in:
 
  • Hacienda Luisita and other plantations where millions of farmers are still denied the right to own the lands they till
  • struggles of workers for better wages
  • lives of more than 300 political prisoners
  • lack of progress in the Maguindanao massacre trials
 
Spirit of service
 
The group also urged all Filipinos to work together toward restoring rule of law.
 
"Let us take part in the ongoing efforts to build a Bangsamoro Basic Law that will serve as the legal foundation for lasting peace in Mindanao," it said.
 
It also called for legislation for a better and more efficient land distribution policy by writing lawmakers to pass the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill.
 
Also, it called for support for a "genuine Freedom of Information Act" that guarantees absolute freedom of the press, and challenge government to accept and act on calls for complete transparency and unconditional accountability in all its dealings.
 
Three waves
 
For this year's run, the runners from the APO are to go around the Palma Hall in three waves starting at noon on Friday. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News
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