ALLLIANCE NEWS
April 23, 2012

AJLPP CONDEMN THE FASCIST BRUTALITIES VS URBAN SETTLERS IN METRO MANILA

Los Angeles- The Alliance Philippines vehemently condemn in the strongest terms the violent dispersal of informal settlers and urban poor communities in Paranaque by the Philippine National Police (PNP) last April 23.

The violent dispersal of April 23 is characterized by violent fascist police tactics and deadly shooting is a carry-over of the fascist policies of dictator Marcos and GMA that cause the death of one person and the wounding of more than 30 others. Scores of people who resisted the brutal suppression were arrested by the PNP.

The attack on the people was to give way to the construction of another mall owned by SM owner Henry Sy. The same Henry Sy who want to destroy the environment of Baguio City by cutting the pine tress to give way to a parking lot in SM Baguio at Luneta Hill.

Fascist Impunity vs. Urban Settlers

This is the same fascist tactics they employed when they attacked the urban communities of Corazon De Jesus in San Juan and the North Triangle community in Quezon City. The fascist impunity is not only present in the countryside but extends to the urban areas where the informal settlers are subject to fascist attacks.

The Alliance and all its allies stand with the urban poor communities of Metro Manila and all over the urban areas of the Philippines. They suffer the brutalities of the ruling system under Benigno Aquino III who favors the foreign companies and their capitalist allies- the ruling rich elite like Henry Sy and others.

We support the just action of the urban settlers who fight for their rights, against the destruction of their homes and properties. Kaisa ninyo kami sa iyong makataungang pakikibaka!

Ipaglaban ang ating karapatang mabuhay!

Makibaka Huwag, Matakot!


For more information please call (213) 241-0995 or email at pilipinokami76@yahoo.com

The urban poor group Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) and the labor party Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) condemned the violent demolition at the Silverio Compound in Paranaque and assailed the use of deadly force by the police. “Heads must roll for the death of one resident from police gunfire and the brutality accompanying the arrest of scores protesters,” said Ramil Cangayao, spokesperson of the AMP. AMP is an alliance of urban poor associations in Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon.

Meanwhile Renato Magtubo, PM national chair, asserted that “Violent evictions must be prohibited. Land disputes must be resolved through negotiations without the threat of violence, deceit or bribery. Residents must be relocated to better living conditions to ensure that negotiations end peacefully in agreement.”

Cangayao expressed the fear that violence may erupt once more in Paranaque since another demolition has been scheduled on Thursday at the Tucuma community in Barangay Merville. Ramil Asturias, president of the Tucuma Federation, declared that they will defend their community from any attempt at demolition.

The Tucuma residents are planning a rally at the Paranaque city hall tomorrow to appeal for a stop to the scheduled demolition. Tucuma Federation is an affiliate of the AMP.

Magtubo explained that one of the demands of the coming Labor Day rally is a moratorium on demolitions. Some 20,000 workers and urban poor under the umbrella of the newly-formed Nagkaisa will march along Espana to Mendiola to highlight the issues of job contractualization, low wages, high prices of oil and power and violent demolitions, among others. Some 40 labor organizations established the Nagkaisa, among them the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Federation of Free Workers, Alliance of Progressive Labor and PM.

http://www.partidongmanggagawa2001.blogspot.com


Parañaque residents rally against demolition

By Tucuma Federation

More than 100 residents of a community in Parañaque staged a rally at the city hall this morning to call for a stop to the scheduled demolition of their homes tomorrow. In the face of the violent eviction at the Silverio compound last Monday, another demolition has been scheduled tomorrow at the Tucuma community at Barangay Merville in Parañaque.

Ramil Asturias, president of the Tucuma Federation has vowed that “We will defend our community where some 1,000 urban poor families reside. It is in the hands of Mayor Florencio ‘Jun’ Bernabe whether a peaceful resolution of the land dispute or another violent confrontation occurs at Tucuma.”

Aside from a stop to the scheduled demolition, the Tucuma Federation also called for the implementation of City Ordinance 0013 s. 2000 expropriating the disputed land and asked that Mayor Bernabe refile the expropriation case on the property owner. The Molave Development Corp. headed by a certain Cynthia Tinitigan is claiming ownership of the disputed land which is less than one hectare big.

“We ask that Mayor Bernabe make a political decision to set aside the demolition order since the affected residents are also the beneficiaries of the expropriation ordinance that has long remained unenforced,” Asturias explained.

The Tucuma Federation likewise condemned the deadly force used on Silverio residents and demands a moratorium on demolitions. “Heads must roll for the death of one resident from police gunfire and the brutality accompanying the arrest of scores protesters,” said Ramil Cangayao, spokesperson of the Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP). The Tucuma Federation is an affiliate of the AMP which is an alliance of urban poor associations in Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon.

Meanwhile Renato Magtubo, Partido ng Manggagawa national chair, asserted that “Violent evictions must be prohibited. Land disputes must be resolved through negotiations without the threat of violence, deceit or bribery. Residents must be relocated to better living conditions to ensure that negotiations end peacefully in agreement.”

Magtubo explained that one of the demands of the coming Labor Day rally is a moratorium on demolitions. Some 20,000 workers and urban poor under the umbrella of the newly-formed Nagkaisa will march along Espana to Mendiola to highlight the issues of job contractualization, low wages, high prices of oil and power and violent demolitions, among others. Some 40 labor organizations established the Nagkaisa, among them the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Federation of Free Workers, Alliance of Progressive Labor and PM.

Akbayan Party condemns the violent dispersal at Silverio compound, Paranaque which reportedly resulted in one dead and scores of protesters, media people and police personnel hurt. We call on all parties involved to exercise restraint to prevent the further escalation of violence in the area and to pave the way for a peaceful and amicable resolution of the issue.

We call on Philippine National Police Director Nicanor Bartolome to suspend and make accountable the policemen caught on television beating up, slapping and hitting an already handcuffed protester. The PNP must exercise maximum tolerance and uphold human rights at all times. There is no excuse for police brutality. The PNP must always display professionalism even in the most difficult situations.

We also call on the legitimate leaders of the protest to police their own ranks and appeal to their members to exercise self-restraint.

Likewise, we call on the Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales to conduct an immediate and impartial investigation on the matter with the end view of rendering justice to all aggrieved, whether they are from the ranks of the informal settlers or the PNP.

Lastly, we reiterate our call to President Aquino to deliver on his promise of signing an executive order calling for a national moratorium on forced demolitions and to create a national framework for in-city, on-site relocation. The incident should serve as a reminder and wakeup call on the Aquino government to consider that demolitions such as what happened in Paranaque will escalate into violence unless a proper and humane program of relocation and housing is crafted to address the needs of the informal settlers.

http://www.akbayan.org.ph/

Informal Settlers’ Confederation Condemns the Violent Demolition in Silverio Compound; Calls for Moratorium on Demolitions

The Kapisanan ng Maralitang Obrero (KAMAO-APL-SENTRO), condemns in the strongest possible way the violent demolition of informal settlers in Silverio Compound in Parañaque last 23 April 2012.

“The violence, the injuries of scores of people and the death of a resident can all be blamed on the ineptitude and the insensitivity of the Parañaque local government and the police forces who are supposed to keep the peace,” Fatima Cabanag, KAMAO Secretary General said.

“For ignoring our long standing demand for the issuance of an executive order calling for a moratorium on demolition, the president, Noynoy Aquino, should also be held responsible for this despicable act,” Cabanag added.

Even as they condemned the local government and the police, KAMAO calls for an impartial investigation to ensure that those who are responsible are exposed and held to account for their crimes.

“We stand by the informal settlers. They are well within their rights to defend their homes and fight for a decent and adequate housing,” Cabanag said. The right to housing is recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to which the country is a signatory.

“A mere court order could not legitimize an immoral and illegal act – the demolition of informal settlers’ houses without adequate relocation,” Cabanag said. The Urban Development Housing Act of 1992 explicitly states that, there should be no demolition without relocation.

“Informal settlers are the victims of the government’s inability to live up to its responsibility to provide socialized housing. So why blame the informal settlers?” Cabanag emphatically said.

Cabanag explained that for more than a decade, local governments have yet to comply with an UDHA provision to hold an inventory of available land and to distribute the same to the urban poor.

“Even the national government has been remiss in its obligation to provide proper relocation to informal settlers,” Cabanag lamented. “Our own investigation in Towerville in Bulacan shows that the houses provided to the poor, if you can call it that, are dangerously substandard and are devoid of the necessary facilities,” she added. Towerville is a massive relocation site where many of the victims of Ondoy have been relocated.

“Enough of these violent demolitions! Issue a moratorium on demolition now!,” Cabanag declared.

KAMAO is a member of SENTRO. At least 1,000 KAMAO members will march with SENTRO and link arms with NAGKAISA! on May 1.

http://www.apl.org.ph/