Nov.3, 2000

More than one thousand five hundred participants, including representatives of civil society organizations and networks, from various sectors and diverse civic and political groups, have gathered today as KOMPIL II, impelled by the need to take concerted and decisive action on the national crisis involving no less than the president himself, Joseph Ejercito Estrada.

The country is gripped by a crisis of leadership. The Estrada presidency has been characterized by a lack of diligence, direction and coherence. Instead midnight policies have favored crony interests, machismo has plunged Mindanao into war. Worst, the President has betrayed his mandate especially from the poor, by subverting their anti-poverty, asset reform, human rights and empowerment agenda.

We are suffering a crisis of survival. There is no longer any doubt that cronyism and corruption have shattered investor confidence and disabled the economy. And it is Erap’s mahirap who are hardest hit –they who have been pulling their children out of schools, coping with massive joblessness, and succumbing to illness, disease and disasters like Payatas.

We have sunken into a crisis of morality. The highest public office has been stained by a presidential lifestyle of indulging in gambling, excessive drinking and womanizing. The disregard for propriety and blindness to the scandal of unexplained fabulous wealth has seemingly infected even respected persons around the President. And now he stands accused as the lord of all jueteng lords, and with a host of other impeachable offenses.

The president has clearly lost the credibility and moral authority to govern the country. Four more years of his disastrous play-acting and decadence will bring untold suffering to the people and turn back the clock in terms of the country’s development and democratic governance.

Therefore we have reached the inescapable verdict: President Estrada must go. And he must go now! At KOMPIL II, we join the going clamor for the RESIGNATION, IMPEACHMENT, AND/OR OUSTER OF THE PRESIDENT.

We call on President Estrada to do the decent thing and resign to save our country from further ruin.

We call on Congress to impeach Joseph Estrada, to open their eyes and hearts to the evidence and do their duty regardless of party loyalties and promises of pork.

We call on the people to oust Erap, by persisting in peaceful and democratic actions, and by withdrawing support from an incorrigible slacker who has gambled away their mandate for principled and responsible leadership. Hindi kailangang magtiis.

While the crisis centers on President Estrada, it goes beyond him. We realize that as Filipinos we have all been part of the problem. 

We have condoned a politics of patronage and corruption, tolerated incompetence, and chosen our leaders based on glamor and glib talk rather than substance and track record. We have failed to address the poverty and social justice issues of the urban and rural poor who have been further marginalized by the negative effects of globalization. We have allowed the commodification of women and children. We have been blind to the realities and aspirations of the non-majority in our society, the Muslims and indigenous peoples.

These are all issues that we must continue to address even as we remove Erap. WE must begin to insist on and install transparent, accountable and genuinely pro-poor governance and transformative politics. 

At this KOMPIL II, we resolve to REMOVE, IMPEACH, OUST ERAP, and to ensure that what follows will not be more of the same! Our victory will not only be a warning to all would-be leaders, but also a wondrous sign of hope for the just and sustainable future we want to create.

 To this end, we are committed to purse the initiatives and actions proposed during the assembly. These include: 

ð       Escalation of mass actions and street protests, culminating in a General Strike and National Day of Protest.

ð       Withdrawal of support of the Erap government including non-payment of various taxes.

ð       Boycott of family/crony companies and movie stars supporting Erap

ð       Maintenance and strengthening of KOMPIL’s coordination role.

ð       Intensive education and organization among various sectors nationwide for R.I.O. 

And we shall continue to insist and act upon our demands: RESIGN, IMPEACH and OUST, until Joseph Estrada is REMOVED!