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.
Missing sisters and missing credibility (tags)
The daughters of slain Filipino peasant activist Eddie Gumanoy – Rose Anne, 21, and Fatima, 17 – were traveling to the city of Cavite on the morning of July 3 when they realized they were being followed. They sent a text message to their mother Maria to meet them at a mall in Muntinlupa, but the two sisters never arrived. They later sent a second text message saying they had been intercepted by soldiers. The family and members of the human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights) thus began looking for the two women. On July 4, they went to the office of the Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo, which denied that the military was holding Rose Anne and Fatima. They also filed a complaint with the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame in Quezon City. That afternoon army spokesman Col. Ernesto Torres denied that the military had abducted Rose Anne and Fatima, but did admit that the two women were under the care of the army. He refused to disclose where they were, however, stating that the young women had voluntarily sought protection from the military as they were afraid of Karapatan.
BUSH SENDS NUCLEAR AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
With the subservience of the Arroyo regime, Bush continues the political-military intervention in the "killing field" of the Philippines, wasting millions of tax-dollars in suppressing the Moro insurgents and Filipino national-democrats, abetting the horrendous extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances and widespread poverty and oppression, all in the name of the war against "terrorism," a code-word for popular resistance against global capital's greed and inhumane devastation of the planet.
Satur Ocampo details UN report on HRVs in Canada speech (tags)
Philippine Rep. Satur C. Ocampo (Party List, Bayan Muna), Deputy Minority Leader in the House of Representatives of the Philippines, appealed to the Canadian government to urge the Philippine Government to seriously consider the recommendations of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the spate of extrajudicial killings that have been going on at an alarming rate in the Philippines over the past six years. In a speech delivered to the Filipino community at the Carr Hall of St. Michaels College of the University of Toronto, Ocampo spoke about the report submitted by Prof. Philip Alston to the United Nations on November 28, 2007.
DUTCH FASCISM & BUSH-ARROYO STATE TERRORISM ATTACK FILIPINO REFUGEES (tags)
Colluding with U.S. & Filipino reactionaries, Dutch fascist authorities arrested Jose Maria Sison, a Filipino political refugee, and raided the National Democratic Front International Information Office in Holland. This is a clear example of State Terrorism working on behalf of predatory imperialist capital. All progressives and democrats everywhere should protest this outrage and support the Filipino people's struggle for justice, equality, and true independence.
FILIPINA SENATOR ATTACKS ARROYO STATE TERRORISM IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
Of distinguished progressive lineage, Senator Jamby Madrigal of the Philippines takes a principle stand critical of the Arroyo regime's bloody and brutal repression of Filipinos backed by the Bush neocons. This article provides a context for the Philippine crisis and Senator Madrigal's views on U.S. imperialism in the neocolony and its complicity with State-terrorist repression.
Filipino Ambassador to US besieged by questions on ‘human rights’ during talk In Seattle (tags)
The Honorable Willie Gaa, Philippine Ambassador to the US wrestled with claims of illegal arrest and detention of Congressman and labor leader Crispin Beltran and United Church of Christ Berlin Guerrero, the unabated political killings of unarmed social activists—at least 850 since Pres. Arroyo took power, and the involvement of the death squads affiliated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, during an open discussion at the Filipino Community Center last Saturday, June 16th. A member of the Ecumenical Fellowship for Justice and Peace, a church-based human rights group, presented the full page advertisement of the ‘statement of concern’ of the church and labor community, demanding among other things an immediate end to state sponsored political violence and the release of all political prisoners in the Philippines.
Political Killings haunt GMA in New Zealand (tags)
Protesters greeted President Arroyo and human rights was one of the main issues she discussed with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark during their meetings here yesterday. After a bilateral meeting between the two leaders at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Parliament House, Clark informed the media that the respective human rights commissions of the two countries “have started a dialogue and are exploring ways in which New Zealand might share its experience and support the work with its counterpart.” The Philippines was called a “disaster area for human rights” by New Zealand parliamentarians and human rights activists, which said hundreds of trade unionists, priests, journalists and human rights advocates had been systematically murdered since Mrs. Arroyo took office in 2001.
TOOLKIT FOR DISMANTLING THE ARROYO KILLING MACHINE IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
On this May 14 election week, the brutal Arroyo regime in the Philippines backed by the Bush administration is facing the people's judgment for "crimes against humanity." This essay reflects on themes and issues surrounding the crisis of the neocolonial polity in the context of Bush's war of terror and barbaric, predatory globalized capital's assault on the peoples of the world.
* Philippine Government Apathetic Toward Human Rights Abuses * (tags)
UNITED Nations special rapporteur Philip Alston gave an oral report to the UN Human Rights Council yesterday of the preliminary findings and recommendations in connection with his 10-day visit to the country in February to investigate extrajudicial killings. In his report, Alston criticized key government agencies, particularly the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice, and Malacañang for shirking their responsibilities in upholding human rights in the Philippines.
Progressive FilAm Organizations in Los Angeles Snubbed the March 26 PNP-AFP “Pulong Bayan (tags)
More than 20 Filipino American journalists attended the Philippine Consulate General’s “Pulong Bayan sa Konsulado” on Human Rights in the Philippines with deputy director General of the PNP, General Avelino Razon last Monday, March 26 at 3600 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles. But prominently absent were representatives from different Southern California Filipino American progressive organizations like the Alliance Philippines (AJLPP), Gabriela and other organizations who were also invited but who boycotted the affair.
An Appeal to Philippine President Arroyo (tags)
Stop agrarian violence and killing of farmers! Implement agrarian reform in contentious landholdings!
AJLPP –USA Condemns the latest killing of ANAKPAWIS Provincial Coordinator (tags)
-The Alliance for A Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) –USA condemn in the most strongest terms possible the brazen killing of Renato “Atong” Pacaide, general secretary of the peasant organization, NAMDDS. a chapter of the KMP ( Peasant Movement of the Philippines and Provincial Coordinator of party list group ANAKPAWIS last March 2, 2007
APPROACHING THE FILIPINO EXODUS & DIASPORA (tags)
Two new books by noted Filipino author E. SAN JUAN, Jr. explore the predicament of millions of Filipinos leaving the Philippines and working or settling in other countries around the world--an unprecedented 9-10 milllion of 85 million Filipinos are scattered around the planet. Their huge remittance props up a sharply divided class society where a tiny oligarchy (supported by Washington/Pentagon) exploits and oppresses the majority. Over 830 victims of extrajudicial killings occured from 2001 up to the present under Arroyo's corrupt, illegitimate regime. Why is this happening?
US bishops mag-aatras ng suporta kay GMA (tags)
Iaatras ng pamunuan ng United Methodist Church (UMC) na nakabase sa Estados Unidos ang kanilang suporta sa administrasyong Arroyo hanggang hindi nareresolba ang mga nagaganap na extra-judicial killings sa bansa kabilang na sa mga taong Simbahan. Ito’y matapos na dumating sa bansa ang 17-kataong "mission team" sa pangunguna ni Bishop Beverly Shamana buhat sa California-Nevada Conference ng UMC. Layon ng grupo na pag-aralan ang mga nagaganap na political killings at mga paglabag sa karapatang-pantao sa bansa. Ayon kay Bishop Soli to Toquero, binisita ng grupo ang mga lugar ng Nueva Ecija, Leyte, Samar, Davao at Cagayan de Oro. Nagulat umano ang grupo nang malaman na maging mga taong-Sim bahan ay hindi pinapalagpas sa naturang mga pagpatay. Dahil sa natuklasan, nakatakdang makipagpulong ang grupo sa kanilang mga mambabatas sa Estados Unidos upang magsulong ng imbestigasyon at pilitin ng kanilang pamahalaan na iatras ang suporta sa administrasyong Arroyo.
Pesante-USA Decries and Condemns the Arrogance of “Butcher” Palparan (tags)
By declaring that the report of the Melo Commission and the initial findings of United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston on the extrajudicial killings are flawed because both purportedly partook of the “propaganda” of the “enemy of the state,” Palparan showed his criminal mind, contempt for law and his fascist kind thereby exposed himself to the people.
Alston press statement and Melo commission report (tags)
The press statement of the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and special executions Prof. Philip Alston and the report of the Melo commission put forward important findings and conclusions that hold the Arroyo regime and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) accountable for extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations from 2001 to the present.
AJLLP Joins the Call for the Removal of AFP Chief and NSA Chief in the Philippines (tags)
he Alliance- Philippines (AJLPP)-USA supports the call of -- party list group Bayan Muna (People First) and other pro-people groups that demanded the sacking of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and Armed Forces chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr., and the prosecution of retired major general Jovito Palparan, now a Department of Justice security adviser for the political killings in the country.
Statement of Prof. Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur of the UN-Human Rights Council (tags)
Professor Phillip Alston, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions in the Philippines
ARROYO AT MARCOS, PAREHONG PASISTA, PAHIRAP SA MASA-- PESANTE-USA (tags)
Ubod ng Walanghiya! Para sa Pesante-USA, ano pa bang salita ang higit na makakapaglarawan sa itsura ng rehimeng US-Arroyo sa mata ng sambayanang Pilipino dito sa Amerika at maging sa Pilipinas? Kung mamakapatay lamang ang mga salita at ang galit, matagal nang natunaw tulad ng asin ang rehimeng kinamumuhian ng mamamayan.
PESANTE CONDEMNS AFP RED BAITING (tags)
Philippine Peasant Support Network(Pesante)-USA based in Los Angeles, in a statement issued today, September 14, 2006 vehemently condemns AFP Chief General Esperon’s statement against Ocampo and Casino and other leaders of the progressive mass organizations in the Philippines. “Esperon’s statement is a clear military’s anti communist mind-set. It’s bunker mentality that foments anti-communist with-hunting and a clear signal for the military death squads to go after progressive mass leaders.”
PHILIPPPINE MILITARY CHIEF CALLS BAYAN MUNA's OCAMPO, CASINO -"ENEMIES OF THE STATE.& (tags)
Philippine ARMED FORCES of the Philippines chief of staff, General Hermogenes Esperon yesterday said some party-list representatives, including Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño, were enemies of the state hiding behind the legitimate cover of their organization, Bayan Muna. On the other hand, the Philippine Peasant Support Network(Pesante)-USA based in Los Angeles, in a statement issued today, September 14, 2006 vehemently criticized Esperon’s statement against Ocampo and Casino and other leaders of the progressive mass organizations in the Philippines. “Esperon’s statement is a clear military’s anti communist mind-set. It’s bunker mentality that foments anti-communist with-hunting and a clear signal for the military death squads to go after progressive mass leaders.”
Cabua, not Palparan to the NSA (tags)
The World Council of Churches has condemned the killings and called on the government to disband the death squads, private militias, and paramilitary forces operating in the country. The church group also asked the United Nations Human Rights Council, wherein the Philippines is a member, to take up the issue of extra-judicial killings in the country. Danilo Ramos, secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, said Palparan should be punished not commended. "His appointment (to a new government post) is like unleashing the butcher on the whole nation to carry out a bloodbath."
We Demand a Credible Independent Investigation of the Murder of Filipino Activists (tags)
The Melo Commission of the Arroyo administration is doomed to fail because her regime as the prime suspect in the killings is also the prime investigator. We Fil-am students call for a truly independent and credible investigation of the murder of Filipino activists.