Akbayan, Anakbayan engage in verbal tussle

Published October 16, 2012 11:45am

(Updated 2:26 p.m.) It was a word war between progressive groups. On Tuesday, members of Akbayan and youth organization Anakbayan exchanged heated words during the former's press conference in Manila. About five members of Anakbayan managed to slip through Akbayan's press conference and criticized their rival for their alleged pro-administration stance, calling for the latter's disqualification from the party-list elections next year on the basis of having members and nominees with government posts. They also held a photo of Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello while chanting "Tuta ng gobyerno" and "Akbayan, fake party-list." Anakbayan is accusing Akbayan of being a Palace front in the party-list system.

"Back in 2007, they said pro-administration party-lists should be disqualified. What about them? Napaka-double standard!" Anakbayan NCR spokesperson Andrew Zarate said. He was raising a photo of Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello shown as holding a "No to pro-administration party-list" poster.

"Just look at their nominees, part of the government holding high posts in the Cabinet," Anakbayan NCR secretary general Dianne Solmayor added amid the scuffle. Didn't take it sitting down

But Akbayan members didn't take it sitting down, countering by calling on Anakbayan as "KSP (kulang sa pansin)" and "utak pulbura."

A fuming Bello confronted the militants during the scuffle, pointing at them and saying: "These people do not respect our right to freedom of speech and assembly."

After the militants were escorted out of the premises, the 66-year-old lawmaker said the militants have become "desperate" to disqualify Akbayan,

"I just showed anger, I admit it. But then who would not be angry if a group deprives you of freedom of speech... We would never do that to them. " Bello told reporters.

He added that Anakbayan was not "civilized" with their protest action during the press conference.

"It's not a civilized way of debate. Unfortunately, some groups now ng extreme left, they no longer want dialogue. Gusto nilang guluhin ang mga events like ours," Bello said.

Bello went on to say that Anakbayan shared the same sentiment as the groups supporting former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but which opposed Akbayan due to their stance against Mrs. Arroyo.

"Ang Anakbayan, in effect, they're in the company of the people that hate Akbayan including the GMA groups. So they have a common interest in trying to destroy our party because of our effectiveness," Bello said.

As for the photo that Anakbayan carried, Akbayan nominee and spokesperson Barry Guttierez said it was a photo of Bello protesting against party-list groups formed or funded by the government during the Arroyo administration.

"It’s a completely different issue. We are not a party created by the administration. We are not receiving funding from the government," Guttierez said.

The militant groups calling for Akbayan's disqualification identified the government officials associated with the party-list as:

Ronald Llamas, former Akbayan president, current presidential political affairs adviser
Etta Rosales, former Akbayan president, current Commission on Human Rights chief
Joel Rocamora, former Akbayan president, current National Anti-Poverty Commission head
Percival Cendaña, former Akbayan chairperson, current National Youth; and Commission commissioner-at-large

The groups also claimed Akbayan’s nominees for 2013 have also held appointive positions:

Barry Gutierrez, Akbayan’s second nominee, Malacañang’s undersecretary for political affairs; and
Angelina Ludovice-Katoh, third nominee, commissioner-in-charge for Mindanao and women concerns from the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor

Another Akbayan member, Risa Hontiveros, has allied with the administration-led Liberal Party coalition as senatorial bet for the 2013 polls. Hontiveros was also a losing guest senatorial candidate of the LP during the 2010 polls. — Marc Cayabyab/RSJ/KBK, GMA News

Tags: partylist, akbayan, anakbayan