BayanKo and the Katipunan

The leaders of federations and groups of marginalized sectors have signed the charter and by-laws of a new political party, Katipunan ng mga Manggagawa at Magsasaka ng Pilipinas or Union of Workers and Farmers of the Philippines. It will be registered at SEC and the Comelec next week.

What is the difference between BayanKo and the Katipunan? BayanKo is a movement for constitutional change. Its members may or may not be members of the Katipunan, depending on their political affiliation. The Katipunan, on the other hand, is a political party that seeks wider and fairer representation for its marginalized sectors in the national decision-making process. 

Both BayanKo and Katipunan share the vision of a nation under God. The Preamble to the charter of the Katipunan begins by “Invoking the mercy and blessings of Almighty God.”

They also seek constitutional change towards a parliamentary federal system of government. The objectives in Article II, Sec. 1(i) of the Katipunan charter include “Achieving a truly democratic, fair and equitable distribution of political and government powers by working for the adoption of a federal and parliamentary form of government.” Sec. 2(c), Principles and Values, seeks to avoid the centralization of government and provides assurances of participation by all citizens under a parliamentary federal system.

The chairman emeritus of BayanKo is former Chief Justice Reynato Puno who is going around the country calling for constitutional change. Its Executive Board includes leaders of federations and groups of marginalized sectors, as well as other members who are not necessarily affiliated with Katipunan.

Subject to election by its National Assembly, the national chairman of Katipunan, who shall serve for a term of six years (as will the vice-chairman), will most likely be former Sen. Ernesto Herrera, president of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, and its secretary-general, most likely Ruben Torres (former Executive Secretary under President Fidel V. Ramos) who will be the presiding officer and head of the executive secretariat. The secretary-general will also serve a term of six years.

The highest governing body of the Katipunan is the National Assembly which shall be composed of at least 350 delegates from the regional assemblies that will provide representation to all congressional or parliamentary districts in each regional assembly. At least two-thirds of all the delegates will come from representatives of the labor and farmers sectors, while the remaining one-third or less will come from the other sectors, groups and individuals comprising the Katipunan. Members of the Party who are elected or appointed to high government positions, as may be decided by the National Assembly, will automatically be members of the Assembly.

The National Party Council shall be composed of 35 members, 27 of whom will be elected directly by the National Assembly for a term of six years. Its other eight members are the national chairman, the vice-chairman, the secretary-general, the four deputy secretary-generals — one for organization, another for education and information, a third for finance, a fourth for international affairs and the national party treasurer.

The tasks of the National Party Council are to approve the annual budget and program of the Party, decide with finality all appeals from the executive secretariat regarding membership dismissals or loss of membership privileges, removal of members of the Executive Secretariat, decide with finality all appeals from decisions of the Executive Secretariat regarding the choice of the National Assembly and the Regional Assembly for official candidates of the Party in national and regional elections for public office, and perform such other duties and functions that the National Assembly shall give to it. The decisions of the National Party Council are not only final but also executory.

Regional Assemblies will be organized in all the administrative regions of the country, including autonomous regions of the Cordilleras and of Muslim Mindanao.

Each Regional Assembly will be composed of not more than 80 members chosen from members of the Party in the region. They will serve a term of six years unless removed by the Executive Secretariat for causes under the Katipunan charter.

Each Regional Assembly will have a chairman and vice-chairman, a regional secretary and three deputy secretaries, all serving a term of six years. It is the Regional Assembly that elects these officers and the members of the regional secretariat.

There are also provincial, city, and municipal secretariats whose functions, responsibilities, duties, composition, structures and officers will be prescribed by the National Assembly.

The basic organizational unit of the Katipunan Party is the barangay cell, each composed of at least three but not exceeding five Party members. Three cells may be organized into a section. The officers, duties, and functions of the cells and sections will be prescribed by the National Assembly, the National Council and/or the Executive Secretariat.

There is also an Audit Commission whose chairman and two members will be elected by the National Assembly for a term of six years. The commission will be independent from the organs, departments and/or offices of the Party. It will only be accountable to the National Assembly and/or National Council. It will audit all the programs and expenditures of the Party and submit an annual audit report to the National Council and the National Assembly.

 The Katipunan recognizes the need for party discipline and plans to enforce it strictly.

The program of the Katipunan will focus on improving the lives of the marginalized sectors principally through education, healthcare, housing, and creation of jobs, as well as through environmental protection and renewable sources of energy. It also aims at industrialization, the improvement of agriculture and food security, the development of a fishing industry and a foreign policy of good relations with all nations and the strengthening of Asean. It seeks to eliminate all forms of economic and social discrimination.

Katipunan recognizes that to attain prosperity and social justice, it must work in harmony with the business sector without sacrificing its basic principles and interests. It seeks a partnership with business entities that have a social conscience.

In the past few months, TUCP has been fielding delegations to different countries to strengthen its ties with labor unions abroad by working on joint programs.

The ranks of BayanKo have been swelled recently by NACTODAP led by its secretary-general Jocelyn Magcale. This is an organization that has a membership nationwide of 3 million tricycle drivers.

With the Katipunan and NACTODAP as its firm allies for constitutional change, BayanKo now counts millions of adherents in its coalition. Our next step is to invite the major universities and their students to join our cause. Numbers are what politicians understand and BayanKo and its allies now have the numbers that can tip the balance and influence the political landscape provided elections are fair and free. If there is cheating, it could move plan B.

When the Katipunan is registered on Sept. 1, 2015 it will indeed be a historic date.