Manny SD Lopez

Emmanuel Sto. Domingo Lopez is a Filipino social and political activist who often pays lip service to a direct democracy advocacy. He is the convenor of such groups as the anti-Bangsamoro Basic Law group that called itself Christian Peace Alliance and the anti-Benigno Aquino III group called EdlSA 2.22.15 Coalition. Previously he formed the EPIRMA, a group of direct democracy advocates whose members later left him. He later defended Rodrigo Duterte's Libingan ng mga Bayani burial of Ferdinand Marcos and is currently an apologist for Bongbong Marcos' supposed vice-presidential election win over sitting Philippine Vice-President Leni Robredo.

Christian Peace Alliance

Lopez founded the Christian Peace Alliance to oppose the passage of the Philippine Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). In a July 2015 forum in Cebu City, Lopez said the BBL is a clear and present danger to the Philippines' national security, interest and welfare, stating that it was patterned after the Federation of Malaysia. The proposed legislation, he said, will lead to the creation of a Bangsamoro Islamic sub-state controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, allegedly a Malaysian-backed insurgent group that may eventually lead the sub-state to secede and declare independence. "The Malaysian interest in the passage of the BBL is not to help Filipino Muslims; (the law) is designed for the purpose of creating a buffer state that prevents the Philippines from enforcing its legitimate claim on Sabah," Lopez said.[1] At a press conference prior to the forum, however, Lopez stated that the PCA has written its own version of an ideal BBL.[2]

EdlSA 2.22.15 Coalition

The EdlSA 2.22.15 movement called for Philippine president Benigno Aquino III's and his cabinet's resignation in February 2015[3] and held a "people's summit" on mismanagement issues that the group claimed Aquino's government was answerable to the people for, the Mamasapano massacre chief among them.[4][5]

EPIRMA

Earlier, in late 2013, Lopez, along with other direct democracy advocates, formed the EPIRMA (Empowered People's Initiative and Reform Movement Alliance), a group that initiated moves for a proper people's initiative or bill against an existing pork barrel system in Philippine government.[6][7]

In 2014, however, Lopez called the Archbishop of Cebu to seek the agglomeration of all groups on the same people's-initiative route that EPIRMA was taking in order to form a united front or coalition. With the agreement of the other organizations, mainly the Cebu Coalition headed by the Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu, a consequent merger was hatched that culminated in the "People's Congress" in Cebu City that launched the People's Initiative Against the Pork Barrel in August of that year.[8][9][10][11][12]

Meanwhile, at the same time that EPIRMA prepared for its participation in the initiative launch, Lopez had also been criticizing purportedly questionable military purchases under the Aquino administration.[13]

Other advocacies

Lopez has also long been an advocate of environmental disaster preparedness.[14]

gollark: I think that would be a rally against a rally against a rally against a rally. It's hard to say. Rally stopped sounding like an actual word some time ago.
gollark: Anti³rally⁴ when?
gollark: Current historians increasingly use lots of past records to assemble a more complete picture of history, instead of just looking at things explicitly written as historical records. There's no reason to think future ones wouldn't do this even more, and we have a *lot* of data on random unimportant people, and the ability to store it basically forever (unless there's some kind of civilizational collapse, in which case it will all just disintegrate into half-remembered legends).
gollark: Hmm. Discord is rebelling and refusing to display an embed.
gollark: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect

References
  1. Palaubsanon, Mitchelle L. (June 17, 2015). "No to BBL votes win in exit polls". The Freeman. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  2. Robles, Marietta (June 20, 2015). "T.I.N.D.I.G. BALITAAN SA REMBRANDT JUN.19, 2015-MANNY LOPEZ (3)". Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  3. Araja, Rio N. (February 21, 2015). "Regime Change To Stage Edsa Protest". The Standard (Philippines). Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  4. Oclaman, Mario D. "Awtonomiya at hustisya sa SAF44, sentro ng People's Summit". Amianan Balita Ngayon (in Filipino). Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  5. "Coalition demands resignations to 'overhaul' gov't". Rappler.com. February 22, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  6. Villamente, Jing (November 8, 2013). "Broad alliance to hold People's Congress today". The Manila Times. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  7. "24 Oras: Kampana sa iba't ibang simbahan, pinatunog kontra-pork barrel". GMA News and Public Affairs (in Filipino). October 11, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  8. Cruz, Tonyo (August 22, 2014). "Time to rise up again". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  9. Pedrosa, Carmen N. (August 17, 2014). "The role of the Catholic Church in our nation-building". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  10. "[Statement] CBCP supports the People's Initiative to abolish the pork barrel system - PIAP". Human Rights Online Philippines. July 8, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  11. Mongaya, Emmanuel (July 2, 2014). "People's Initiative Against Pork Barrel (PIAP) on DAP - June 2, 2014". Slideshare.net. Emmanuel Mongaya (journalist/blogger/consultant at PRWorks). Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  12. "People's Initiative to Abolish Pork Barrel Press Statement". KapatiranParty.org. July 8, 2014. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  13. "RP EXTERNAL DEFENSE CAPABILITY COMPROMISED? By Manny S.D. Lopez, Feb 2014". ROILO GOLEZ Reads & Googles. Roilo Golez. February 26, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  14. Zuasola, Ferdinand O. (September 21, 2010). "Davao Oriental one of finalists in search for best in disaster management". Balita.ph. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
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