June 04, 2007



US Church and Labor Leaders to Pres. Arroyo: “Stop the Killings and Release Rep. Crispin Beltran Now!”



Los Angeles—The Philippines News Today, a local newspaper in the cities of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, Canada will release a full page Ad of American and Filipino progressive organizations and individuals calling among other things, an end to political killings in the Philippine and the immediate release of detained Congressman and labor leader Crispin Beltran and all political prisoners.



The Supreme Court of the Philippines recently dismissed trumped up case against six Congress leaders including Beltran.



Another local newspaper, Diaryo Pilipino, based in Southern California issued the same statement a month ago. Both newspapers have combined circulation of 60,000 that target to reach the majority of Filipinos living in the West Coast of North America.



In the meantime, the Rev. David Bloom, Director Emeritus of the Rauschenbusch Center for Spirit and Action wrote a letter to six Philippine Consul Generals in the US requesting that the Statement of Concern be presented to President Gloria Arroyo for urgent action.



To quote Bloom: “The recent political killings of some 840 ordinary citizens of the Philippines whose only “crimes” have been their desire for peace and social justice in their homeland is a disturbing reminder that once again people in the Philippines are under threat simply for their support for a strong democratic society.”



The Philippine Daily Inquirer, the leading newspaper in the Philippines refused to publish the statement on the grounds of “being unacceptable and unsubstantiated.” Next to Iraq, the Philippines was tagged as the most dangerous place for journalists



Pres. Arroyo in her latest visit in New Zealand for an inter-faith meeting has been highly criticized for the continuing political violence inflicted upon social activists by “death squads” affiliated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines of which Arroyo is the Commander-in-Chief.



The Philippine National Police recently abducted another pastor from the United Church of Christ Philippines, Rev. Berlin Guerrero.





Contact: Ecumenical Fellowship for Justice and Peace

E-mail: alliance_seattle@yahoo.com