ADMINISTRATION presidential bet and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. was branded a "warmonger" by militant lawmaker and senatorial aspirant Satur Ocampo during his visit in Davao Region last week.

Makabayan senatorial bet and Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo said the defense secretary speaks of change but is calling for an all-out war.

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"Gibo speaks of change. Pero ang panawagan niya sa paglaban sa insurhensiya ay ang dagdag na budget sa military, dagdag na mga gamit pang-digma. Gibo is a warmonger. Kung siya ang magiging presidente mas malala pa kaysa kay Arroyo ang magaganap sa ating bayan," Ocampo said.

Ocampo said a lot of politicians are speaking of change, but added that genuine change is that of empowering the people through genuine land reform, providing their basic needs, such as pro-people education, health, housing and other basic services.

"Mas higit na maililinaw natin sa mamamayan kung ano ang pulitika ng pagbabago na dala ng mga progresibong party-list na simula pa lamang noong Partido ng Bayan na lumaban sa diktadurang Marcos ay dala-dala natin hanggang ngayon," Ocampo said during his visit to Compostela Valley recently.

Makabayan aims to field candidate from national down to the local positions. It announced the running of its local bet Belen Galleto for the municipality of Pantukan, Compostela Valley.

The Makabayan senatorial bet for the 2010 elections asserted the need for the progressive group to gain more representation in the government, in order for the peoples' voices be heard in the legislative body.

In related news, Ocampo refused to dignify the text message that circulated wherein local militant leaders Joel Virador and Ariel Casilao were ridiculed for allegedly giving threats to the military.

Text messages, which circulated over the weekend, claimed that the New People's Army (NPA) is campaigning for militant leaders who will be running in the 2010 elections. This reportedly got the ire of Virador and Casilao and berated the military for the black propaganda.

"Joel Virador and Ariel Casilao have the guts to threaten and silence the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). If in the process of informing the people about the threat situation in the country their intentions in joining the election are put to question, because of their obvious support and biases to the CPP and the NPA, then it becomes their responsibility to clear their names by renouncing violence, the means the CPP is using to overthrow the government. What crime is committed if a soldier tell the truth that the NPA is campaigning for Bayan Muna, Gabriela and Anakpawis?" the text message read.

In his reply, Ocampo said: "I will not dignify that text message obviously coming from military black propaganda outfit. That has been their discredited line against the progressive party-list organizations since 2001 that the people have ignored and rejected by repeatedly voting for the people's group." (BOT)