March Actions

As soon as we thought that our Campaign against the BNPP will shift gears to popular education once the session closes, we were all stunned when there was a scheduled hearing just a day before the Congress session closes (March 5). Immediately, we needed to organize an activity to hype up our call for legislators to withdraw their endorsements to the bill but this time, we have to name specifically who these legislators are. So we prepared a powerpoint presentation/press release naming these legislators to be announced publicly through a press conference. Last March 4, 2009, we held the press conference at Max's Restaurant (Quezon City Circle). It was well attended by the media. FDC VP Etta Pargas-Rosales presented the names of these supportive BNPP legislators. Also, a representative of the Faith-based Congress Against Immoral Debts (FCAID), Fr. Ben Moraleda also one of the FDC VP's, was there to reiterate the importance of the coming Lenten season for Congress Representatives to reflect on the decision they will make regarding the BNPP bill. Mr. Nicanor Perlas, the technical expert of the study made during the Ramos administration, was also there to offer more information about the study and to tell the public that he has submitted these information to Congress as requested together with his credentials as technical consultant.

Although the event did not make it in primetime news, there were articles published online and in broadsheets enumerating the names of all these supportive legislators, which I think gave added pressure to them.