A number of local government officials from Metro Manila and the
provinces also graced the convention, including Manapla Mayor Manolet
Escalante, head of the mayors league in Negros Occcidental. .
Colmenares gained national prominence as Bayan Muna counsel in the
landmark Supreme Court cases including the disqualification of
pseudo-partylist organizations and traditional political parties in
2004 and the series of anti-democratic measures of the Arroyo
government including Proclamation 1017, Calibrated Preemptive Response
and Executive Order 464.
Colmenares was a private counsel for petitioners in the two
impeachment complaints against President Arroyo, and collaborating
counsel for the Batasan 5 in the trumped-up rebellion charges filed by
the government.
A graduate of UP College of Law, Colmenares gained expertise in
international humanitarian law and international criminal law as a
graduate student and fellow in Australia’s Melbourne University.
Ocampo is a journalist by profession, was assistant business editor of
the pre-martial law Manila Times, founding president of the Business
Reporters Association of the Philippines and former vice president of
the National Press Club.
Fondly called “Ka Satur”, Ocampo is more popularly known as
spokesperson and chief negotiator of the National Democratic Front in
the 1986 peace talks. Many dub him the “Statesman of the Left” and
“the most acceptable voice of the Philippine Left.”
Casino was secretary-general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan at the
time of People Power 2, and former president of the College Editors
Guild of the Philippines. ###
[tags]davao today, davao, bayan muna, mindanao, joel virador, satur ocampo, teddy casino, philippine politics[/tags]
