MILITARY TORTURE AND STATE TERRORISM IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
Despite the election of Benigno Aquino III to succeed the corrupt brutal Arroyo, 43 healthworkers continue to suffer military torture. Five are confined to the military camp alleged as self-confessed New People's Army guerillas, while 38 were transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, notorious for the massacre of Moro suspects. The five persons on which the fascist generals are concentrating their torture are: VALENTINO PAULINO, CHERRYLYN TAWAGON, ELLEN CARANDANG, JENNYLYN PIZZARO, & JOHN MARK BARRIENTOS. Carandang's children were taken from their home by the military," according to KARAPATAN, human rights monitor. Their relatives are threatened or offered bribes coercively to side with the military and incriminate themselves or their kin. We appeal to the international community to denounce this barbaric treatment and demand the immediate release of the Morong 43.
RP GOV'T TO EVICT 15.000 SQUATTER FAMILIES BY THE END OF GMA TERM (tags)
Before President Arroyo’s term ends or within the next three years, the government intends to evict and relocate some 15,000 poor families occupying road-right-of-ways and waterways in the metropolis. An inventory by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) showed a total of 84,000 families living along waterways and roadways out of the 726,906 squatter families in Metro Manila.
Some elements’ in RP security forces behind killings – US report (tags)
"Some elements" of Philippine security forces are "apparently" responsible for unexplained killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrest and illegal detentions, according to the US State Department. In its latest report, "Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The US Record 2006," the State Department said members of security services committed acts of physical and psychological abuse on suspects and detainees, and even instances of torture. The report, which was released and submitted to the US Congress last week, said corruption remained a problem in all sectors of the criminal justice system, including police, prosecutorial, and judicial organs.