PHILIPPINES: Martial Law is Not the Answer! (tags)
Statements on the imposition of martial law in Mindanao
BAD OMEN FOR THE ELECTIONS, Pimentel: Garci boys intact, promoted (tags)
PESANTE NEWS learned today through media sources in Manila that the “Garci” boys were never kicked out. They even got promoted. Garci Boys are the officials of the COMELEC involved in widespread cheating during elections in the Philippines. Elections Chair Jose Melo should fulfill his promise to “ground” officials implicated in rigging the 2004 and 2007 polls, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said Wednesday.
GYERA SA MINDANAO-LUMALALA (tags)
Ayon sa pinakahuling ulat ng grupong Pesante-USA, parami nang parami ang bilang ng mga sibilyang Morong binibiktima ng mababangis na operasyong militar ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sa ilang bahagi ng Mindanao. Ayon sa ulat ng International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) na nahalaw ng Pesante, noong Oktubre 29, sa mga evacuation center sa Datu Piang, Maguindanao pa lamang ay mayroon nang 55,000 indibidwal na nagsilikas sa kani-kanilang mga tahanan, mula sa 35,000 katao noong Agosto. Mula Agosto hanggang ikatlong linggo ng Oktubre, umaabot na sa 127,164 pamilya o 611,753 indibidwal ang naaapektuhan ng mga sagupaan sa pagitan ng MILF at AFP sa mga prubinsya ng Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat at Maguindanao.
AFP chief gives green light for Basilan offensive (tags)
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. issued an order yesterday to the troops currently on standby in Basilan to commence military operations in the island province. “It’s all systems go. The units can now start punitive actions against the perpetrators. The orders have been given,” said AFP Public Information Office (PIO) chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, referring to military actions against those behind the beheading of the 10 Marines during the July 10 ambush in Tipo-Tipo. Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, deputy chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), was designated to head the newly formed Task Force Meteor aimed at capturing the group responsible for the ambush.
FILIPINO EDUCATOR ASSAILS ARROYO DICTATORSHIP IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
World-renowned Filipino educator Dr. Francisco Nemenzo, former president of the University of the Philippines and head of the coalition, LABAN NG MASA, urges the formation of a revolutionary transitional government to replace the corrupt, brutal and illegitimate Arroyo regime backed by Bush neocons and predatory corporate elite. The following article provides a background to Dr. Nemenzo's principled critique of U.S.-Arroyo State terrorism.
Mammoth electoral fraud in Philippines elections: Padding and shaving (tags)
Nearly three weeks after election day, there are still no definitive results for the Philippine elections to the Senate and House of Representatives. Counting is still continuing and in a number of provinces it has not even begun. This has nothing to do with inefficiency and everything to do with ballot-rigging. The Philippines is one of the most corrupt ‘democracies’ in the world. During the 2004 presidential election, the victory of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was widely attributed to large-scale fraud. A tape was massively circulated of a conversation between the President and Virgilio Garcillano, head of Comelec, the national election commission. Arroyo was heard addressing him familiarly, ‘Hello Garci’, and the election chief proudly assured her that he would guarantee her a million-vote majority.
OPLAN Mercury Rising in motion (tags)
At the rate the newspapers and TV newscasts are exposing real evidence of electoral fraud since 29 May 2007, Bantay Boto ng Bayan cannot help but feel vindicated for exposing Oplan Mercury Rising. The numerous dagdag-bawas reports accurately quoting, by the hundred thousands of vote leads for Team Unity candidates in the 13th to the 16th slots, give due credence to the Oplan. The provinces where the calumny occurred are the same provinces mentioned in the Oplan. The named Comelec officials are the same persons identified in the Oplan. 1. The delay of the Comelec en banc as the National Board of Canvassers in tallying the provincial COCs and more specifically the canvassing slowdown, particularly in the Oplan Mercury Rising provinces are indicators that this major Oplan strategy is being implemented. It has deferred canvassing in Maguindanao, Sulu, Caloocan City, Taguig-Pateros, Davao del Sur, North Cotabato, and South Cotabato for varied reasons, including allegations of massive cheating, yet no charges and complaints were filed against any Comelec and public official involve We are sending a very strong message on the eventual and probable loss of Honasan, Trillanes and Pimentel, as clearly being shown by the current events. We know that the rule of law will ultimately reign. Concerned Comelec officials must now choose whether they prefer the law of the jungle instead. Bantay Boto ng Bayan is making this statement after due consultation with the convenors of the uniformed active and retired member organizations and with the explicit support from their allied civil society groups.
PHILIPPINES: Kontra Daya( AGAINST CHEATING) post election report (tags)
Kontra Daya ( Against Cheating) congratulates the Filipino people for their continuing vigilance against poll fraud, election violence and other anomalies. This report would not have been possible were it not for the vigilance of ordinary people who acted as Kontra Daya volunteers, sent us their texts and emails or called the Kontra Daya hotline. We also congratulate the various people’s organizations, the vigilant media, the election watchdogs and international observers and other allied groups for their efforts in monitoring the conduct of the Philippine elections. The elections this year saw the rise of a more vigilant and conscious people who would not allow a repeat of the fraud-tainted 2004 polls. Kontra Daya’s preliminary post election report is based on the groups’ own documentation, field date from the Task Force Poll Watch, reports from the People’s International Observers Mission, correspondence with other watchdog groups such as Namfrel, Alliance of Concerned Teachers as well as media reports. The fight against election fraud and violence is by no means over. Kontra Daya expects more incidents of wholesale vote rigging to emerge in the following days. The dark forces trying to subvert the people’s will are working overtime. The people’s vigilance and collective action are needed now more than ever.
PILIPINAS: Eleksyong 2007: Anong Bago at Anong Luma sa Pandaraya? (tags)
Kaisa ang AJLPP sa pahayag ng rebolusyonaryong kilusan sa Pilipinas na “ Ilang ulit na pinasahol ng naghaharing pangkating Arroyo ang bulok na sistema ng eleksyon sa Pilipinas. Labis-labis ang karahasan, pandaraya, panunuhol, maruruming maniobra at pambabraso sa eleksyon nitong Mayo. Isinagawa ito sa pamamagitan ng militar, pulis, mga tauhan sa Comelec at burukrasya. Lalong tumingkad ang kahungkagan ng sinasabing demokratikong eleksyon sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang reaksyunaryong sistema”
PILIPINAS: Eleksyong 2007: Bulok sa kaibuturan (tags)
Ilang ulit na pinasahol ng naghaharing pangkating Arroyo ang bulok na sistema ng eleksyon sa Pilipinas. Labis-labis ang karahasan, pandaraya, panunuhol, maruruming maniobra at pambabraso sa eleksyon nitong Mayo. Isinagawa ito sa pamamagitan ng militar, pulis, mga tauhan sa Comelec at burukrasya. Lalong tumingkad ang kahungkagan ng sinasabing demokratikong eleksyon sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang reaksyunaryong sistema. Pinakamatitingkad ang pandaraya ng kampong Arroyo sa Maguindanao, Sulu at Bohol kung saan nagkaroon ng halos 12-0 resulta ang eleksyon sa pagkasenador pabor sa administrasyon. Sinundan pa ito ng paglilitawan ng 12-0 pabor sa Team Unity sa ilampu pang mga munisipalidad na kontrolado ng mga alipures ni Arroyo.
AJLPP-USA Congratulates Five Filipino Progressive Party-List Groups for their Electoral V (tags)
CONGRATULATIONS AND KEEP ON SERVING THE PEOPLE!” The Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) based in the United States greets the five Philippine progressive party-list groups that declared their victory on Thursday with militant hurrahs! Mario Santos, AJLPP national coordinator said: “ The AJLPP is one with the Filipino people in working for the victory of the party-list groups. AJLPP organizations in the United and other allied groups like GABRIELA –USA fully mobilized their forces to support the party-list groups. We are united with them in their declaration of victory and will maintain vigilance until all votes are counted. The Filipino people have spoken. Their voices are loud and clear. They rejected the corrupt and puppet US-Arroyo regime and wants change! The data from exit polls and the media quick count showed the overwhelming support from the people that the party-list groups got is not only a show of confidence but also a great tribute to those who are until now re missing and the martyrs that have given their lives for democracy and freedom”
GMANews.tv: RP Failed to Redeem Self from 2004 Scandal - Int’l Observers (tags)
The Philippine government failed to redeem itself from suspicions that it "benefited" from such illegal practices in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2004 with rampant irregularities "allowed" in the region in the May 14 midterm polls. This was the conclusion reached by the People's International Observers' Mission (IOM), whose members admitted they are now questioning their belief that the Philippines is a democratic country. "What were very obvious and undeniable was that the government failed to redeem itself from the wide belief that it benefited from these illegal practices in Lanao del Sur in particular and the entire Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao in general in 2004," IOM said. “The Commission on Elections (Comelec), by sins of commission and omission, presided yet again over abominably chaotic elections."
MILF-GRP Peace Talks Update ; MILF wants entire Kudarat- GRP (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is demanding the inclusion of the entire Sultan Kudarat province as part of a new autonomous region in Mindanao as a condition for a final peace agreement with the government, a ranking Malacañang official revealed yesterday.
AFP: Peace pact with MILF by April (tags)
A peace agreement with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is expected early this year, Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. disclosed yesterday. "A final peace agreement with the MILF would be signed by March or April," Esperon told a press conference held at the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command headquarters here. The contentious issues affecting the peace negotiations, particularly disputes over ancestral domain, are now being discussed by both panels, said Esperon, who arrived here as part of a series of camp visits to implement the second phase of President Arroyo’s campaign against insurgency.