FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 23, 2009

Philippine Peasant Support Network (Pesante)-USA

Contact: Arturo P. Garcia

(213) 241-0995

PESANTE,GABNET MARKS 22nd Year of MENDIOLA MASSACRE, Jan 22, 1987 IN LA

Los Angeles-- REMEMBER MENDIOLA! FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS!



GABNET of the Mariposa Alliance,PESANTE and the Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) in Los Angeles,marked the 22nd Year of the January 22,1987 Mendiola Massacre, where thirteen (13)protesters were killed and over 150 others were wounded in an educational forum in FACLA, community hall on Jan 22, 2009 in Historic Filipinotown Los Angeles.



Speaking before scores of FilAm activists, Arturo Garcia of Pesante and AJLPP explained that the AFP was after the NDF negotiating panel who were in Manila in 1987 during the 60 day ceasefire. Unable to liquidate their targets they pounced on the defend less peasants in Mendiola that day.

" Today, the peace talks in shambles. There is war in Mindanao against our Moro brothers and sister. More than 600,000 people are refugees. All responsible fascist who planned the massacre were promoted and one even became the President of the Philippines.

This is the sad state of human rights in the Philippines where more than 1.200 activist have been killed in the Philippines since, where torture is systemic and illegal arrests is common." Garcia explained.



" Gabnet and AJ LPP recognizes the need to commemorate this tragedy, as well as the need to discuss the ongoing impact of the lack of genuine land reform. Today, due to the Philippine commitment to the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, there are over 11.2 million peasants in the Philippines, 8 million of them being women. " Added Jolene Levid of GABNET during the forum.



The groups that participated in the forum were the Echo Park Community Coalition (EPCC), ANSWER-LA, PSL, The Ecumenical Fellowship for Justice and Peace (EFJP), the Pilipino Workers Center(PWC), LAANE, UCLA Samahang Pilipino,Kabataang maka-Bayan(KmB) and other student groups.

Amanda Martin of GABNET-LA did a pitch for the more than 221 political detainees in the Philippines while Jerry Esguerra of EPCC also scored the fake and sham land reform in the Philppines.

AJLPP’s Arturo Garcia and Jollene Levid facilitated the film showing and forum. The two-hour commemoration ended with a lively discussion and plans for next action steps.

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