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.
AJLPP Protests The Arrest of Randall Echanis, KMP Leader and a member of NDFP Peace Panel (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) vehemently condemns the unjust transfer and detention of Kilusan ng Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) deputy secretary-general Randall Echanis to the Manila City Jail (MCJ). The AJLPP comments that Echanis, who has been suffering from hypertension, should not be detained at the MCJ due to his health. ” It is a smack of political persecution and a pattern of repression by the US-Arroyo regime against known NDFP peace consultants It has been the SOP of the US regimes since Dictator Marcos during martial law to lump political detainees with common criminals. The US-Arroyo regime precisely doing this maneuvers. ” said the AJLPP.
EUROPEAN COURT ANNUL TERRORIST LISTING OF PROF. JOSE MA. SISON (tags)
In its judgment issued in Luxembourg yesterday, in Case T-47/03 of Jose Maria Sison versus Council of the European Union, the European Court of First Instance (ECFI) in Luxembourg annulled the Council of the European Union (EU) decision blacklisting Prof. Sison as a “terrorist”. The ECFI ruled that the Council of the EU violated the rights of Prof. Sison to defense, the obligation to state reasons and the right to effective judicial protection. There had never been any competent judicial authority calling him to a criminal investigation or any court hearing regarding any terrorist act. The ECFI also ordered the Council of the EU to bear the costs of the litigation incurred by Prof. Sison and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) which acted as an intervener in his favor.
Norway rules out resumption of talks (tags)
Norway rules out resumption of talks PEACE talks broker Norway said it saw no chance of a rapid resumption of the stalled peace talks between the Philippine government and the communist-led National Democratic Front (NDF). “I don’t see the prospect of talks resuming in the near future,” Tore Hattrem, director general of the section of peace and reconciliation at the Norwegian foreign ministry, told AFP after four days of consultations with the NDF.
Gov’t sticks to war, rejects Reds’ peace bid (tags)
MALACAÑANG remains committed to pursuing its all-out war against communist rebels even if exiled leaders of the communist-led National Democratic Front have asked Norway to convince President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo to return to the negotiating table.In a statement, the NDF said it had sent its top leadership to Oslo on Monday for four days of consultations with the Norwegian foreign ministry. Norway had facilitated the peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDF before negotiations were scuttled in 2004.
Detained Philippine solon questions' judge's decision to pursue rebellion raps (tags)
MANILA--The lawyers of Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Congressman Crispin Beltran have asked Presiding Judge Encarnacion Jaja Moya of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 146 to reconsider her earlier Commitment Order, asserting that this "short and sweeping order...dismissed the fundamental issues [raised by the Prosecution] and [resulted] to serious injustice and far-reaching implications to the life and liberty of a 73-year old sickly legislator".