UP Oblation Run: Fratmen slam people's initiative for Charter change

Members of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) Philippines' Eta Chapter on Friday ran around naked at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman campus for the traditional Oblation Run, criticizing recent efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution through a people's initiative.

Carrying Valentine's roses and placards of protest, the masked Oblation runners joined the call to end of Charter change (Cha-cha), saying the move was a threat to Philippine democracy.

It was a show of solidarity for the fratmen, highlighted by the lifting of one of their brods posed as the Oblation itself — the university's symbol of offering oneself to the country.

One of the runners' placards exclaimed: "Ingatan ang demokrasya, Cha-cha ibasura (Safeguard democracy, junk Cha-cha!)!"

"Lupa para sa mamamayan, hindi sa dayuhan (Land for for the people, not foreigners)," read another placard, referring to the contentious economic provisions that Charter change advocates seek to amend.

The Oblation Run has been an annual tradition at the university since its inception in the Diliman campus in September 1977 during the Martial Law era.

At the time, APO sponsored the screening of "Hubad na Bayani," a film diected by Robert Ylagan that portrays a peasant revolt and the possibility of government overthrow.

In a show of defiance against alleged censorship of the film, APO said, two fratmen ran naked along the corridors of Palma Hall in Palma Hall as numerous students looked on.

Since then, the UP Oblation Run has been a venue to call attention to various social, political, and environmental issues.

KMU's call vs. Cha-cha

Photo by: Maki Pulido

Also on Friday, the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) staged a rally at the EDSA People Power Monument to protest the Charter change drive through a people's initiative.

"Alam natin na kapag binuksan, binago ang Saligas Batas ng ating bansa ay magdudulot ito ng lalo pang mas mahirap. Parusa lalo ito sa manggagawang Pilipino," said KMU Secretary General Jerome Adonis.

(We know that amending the Constitution will lead to poorer living conditions. Filipino workers will suffer even more.)

Adonis said the proposed economic amendments through Cha-cha may lead to lower wages for Filipino workers, rampant contractualization, and dismantling of unions.

"Hindi tayo papayag na baguhin ang Konstitusyon para sa kapakanan ng dayuhan. Kung may pagbabago, dapat sa kapakanan ng mga mangaggawa at mamamayang Pilipino," he said.

(We will not allow the amendment of the Constitution for the benefit of foreigners. If anything needs to be changed, it should be the plight of workers and the Filipino people.)

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. had earlier said that the Philippines needs to adapt as the 1987 Constitution was crafted not in the context of a global community.

As it stands, the Constitution limits foreign ownership to 40% in public utilities such as electricity, water, and public transportation.

It also prohibits foreigners from owning land in the country, something that Marcos said he was unwilling to change. He said wealthy foreigners paying big money to buy property will cause its land values to go up.

Meanwhile, the Senate has approved on second reading Senate Bill 2534 or "An Act Providing for a 100 Pesos Daily Minimum Wage Increase for Employees and Workers in the Private Sector."

However, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) on Thursday warned that the proposal to increase the minimum wage of private sector workers by P100 would be catastrophic, as it would compel companies to increase the cost of their products or reduce manpower. — Sundy Mae Locus/ VDV, GMA Integrated News