Students to join Metro-wide protests on Thursday

August 26, 2008

Students from major universities across the Metro are set to join the
protests against the high costs of basic commodities and the Value
Added Tax on August 28, Thursday.

According to Vencer Crisostomo, national chairperson of the League of
Filipino Students (LFS), thousands of students mostly from UP, PUP,
Adamson, JRU, PLM, Lyceum, and some high schools are expected to march
from their campuses to the assembly points in Metro Manila.

“When world prices were going up, the government was quick in using it
as reason for their inaction. Now that the prices in the world market
are going down, the government is silent about lowering the prices.
The government is clearly in cahoots with big foreign capitalists in
exploiting the consumers,” said Crisostomo.

Crisostomo explained that in May 2008, when world crude price was at
about $114 per barrel, diesel price was at P44 per liter. Now, with
the price per barrel down to the about same levels, it is “unjust”
that diesel per liter continues to be sold at P55.

“The real culprit in the rising costs of living is not the instability
of world price levels, but the profiteering of big companies with the
government supporting their acts of thievery. This is a clear case
against deregulation and this clearly exposes government inability to
address the people’s concerns,” he said.

Students, transport groups and labor unions which are set to
participate in the Thursday actions are calling for the immediate
scrapping of the Value Added Tax, P125 wage increase and the repeal of
the oil deregulation law. Among the places where they will launch
their actions are the following: Welcome Rotonda in QC, Araneta
Avenue, Philcoa, Litex-Commonwealth, Stop and Shop in Sta.Mesa, Pedro
Gil, Pinagbuhatan in Pasig, Marikina Sports Complex, Novaliches-Bayan,
Cainta-Junction, Marulas Market in Valenzuela, Moriones Tondo, Mariano
Alvarez Market in Las Pinas, Alabang. #

Reference: Vencer Crisostomo, LFS National Chairperson, 09228262606

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