Philippines: Coalition Clamor for the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill (tags)
Still enough time for FOI – if House leadership supports it. With only nine session days remaining before Congress adjourns for a long election break, members of the Right to Know Right Now Coalition are reminding members of Congress that they still have enough time to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill even without the prodding of Malacanang.
Philippine campaign against high electricity rates snowballs (tags)
QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Thousands of electricity consumers from 55 cities and municipalities from 15 provinces and 10 regions are expected to stage a multi-form protest on November 22, dubbed as “National Day of Action against Epira (Electric Power Industry Reform Act), high electricity rates and privatization of the power industry.”
NDFP-EASTERN VISAYAS CONDEMNS TAN WARLORD DYNASTY AND THE FASCIST AFP (tags)
The EPCC NEWS learned today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today slammed the Tan political dynasty for using Western Samar’s possible recall elections to push militarization and warlordism. The EPCC NEWS quoted NDF -East Visayas leader Fr. Salas :“We condemn the maneuver from the Tan dynasty through the provincial office of the Commission on Elections in asking for the deployment of the military and police to oversee the signature verification for the recall elections.
NPA TO UNDERTAKE STEPS TO PREVENT CIVILIAN CASULATIES-NDF (tags)
THE PESANTE BULETIN based in the United States today reported that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas said today that the New People’s Army is undertaking steps to prevent civilian casualties over concerns of such occurring last Dec. 8 and Dec. 14 in Northern Samar. The PB reported that “In upholding the people’s war as just, correct and principled, it is important for the NPA to ensure the observance of the rights of civilians,” said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "This demonstrates the NPA’s firm unity with the people and differentiates it from the enemy, which is carrying out an unjust and unpincipled counterrevolutionary war backed by US imperialism. It is the people, not arms alone, who are decisive in war — contrary to the casual acceptance of so-called “collateral damage” as well as the willful targetting of civilians by the Armed Forces of the Philippines."
8th ID INTENSIFIES OPERATIONS DURING LOCAL ELECTIO (tags)
The PESANTE BULETIN based in Los Angeles reported that the Efren Martires Command, New People’s Army-Eastern Visayas, today debunked the 8th Infantry Division’s allegation the NPA is supporting some candidates in the barangay elections, dubbing it an excuse for more military operations.
NDF-EV in solidarity with the Catholic Church against large-scale foreign mining in Region (tags)
The Los Angeles based PESANTE NEWS said today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today ( August 26, 2010) said it is one with the Catholic Church in fighting large-scale foreign mining in Region 8. "We agree with the stand of the Palo Archdiocese that large-scale mining today will not benefit the people but only foreign capitalists, as well as seriously damage the environment,"said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "Indeed, foreign mining seeks the quickest way to make profits from simple raw materials extraction and export, without contributing to our industrial development and without regard for safeguarding the environment.
By continuing Oplan Bantay Laya, Aquino shows he is no different from Arroyo (tags)
The PESANTE BULETIN based in Los Angeles gathered that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today assailed the announcement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on extending its Oplan Bantay Laya campaign until January 2011 as proving that Benigno Aquino III is no different from his predecessor. From the news sources in the Philippines, PESANTE BULETIN also learned that While the world commemorates International Humanitarian Law Month today, the AFP will be continuing its campaign that has led to many killings of social activists and other civilians," said NDF-EV spokesperson Fr. Santiago Salas.
NDF Response to military propaganda for surrender before peace talks (tags)
THE PESANTE NEWS based in Los Angeles learned today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today ( August 5 in the Philippines or PST) said that the 8th Infantry Division, by calling for the surrender of the revolutionary forces, highlighted the unjustness of the ceasefire-and-surrender line of the Aquino administration. "Through its program in a radio station last August 1, the 8th ID essentially dismissed the peace talks as irrelevant and called on the revolutionary forces to surrender first," said NDF-EV spokesperson Fr. Santiago Salas.
REACTIONARIES MUST OBEY THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT WHEN THEY ARE IN GUERILLA CONTROLLED (tags)
he PESANTE NEWS learned last March 12 taht the NDF or the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas reacting to statements by the 8th Infantry Division and Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone, said today that there already two governments in the country and the revolutionary movement does not simply accept bribes to let reactionary politicians win in the election.
NDF-EV demands immediate release of Michelle Adelantar from GRP custody (tags)
The PESANTE NEWS learned today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today demanded the immediate release from the Arroyo government's custody of Michelle Adelantar, a daughter of a cadre of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People's Army. "In violation of international humanitarian law, Michelle, 17, was abducted and detained last Feb. 3 in San Jose de Buan, Western Samar by operating troops from the 34th Infantry Battalion merely because she was the child of a CPP-NPA cadre," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson.
Palparan's vow to attack unarmed and vulnerable targets is cowardice -- NDF-Southern Minda (tags)
The EPCC news learned today through media sources that the NDF-Mindanao condemns the butcher general Jovito Palparan, Jr. had pronounced last year that he will bring his anti-communism crusade in Davao City especially during the election period. Now with only a month to go before the reactionary GRP election kicks off, expect Palparan's open and dirty war against progressive party-lists, individuals, groups and their supporters to be unleashed.
8th ID offensives in Basey prove worthlessness of AFP ceasefire declarationJanuary 2, 2010 (tags)
PESANTE NEWS of Los Angeles today learned through news sources today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today said that continuing offensive operations by the 8th Infantry Division in Basey, Western Samar proved the worthlessness of the short-term unilateral ceasefire declared by the Arroyo government. "A unilateral ceasefire declaration is only as good as the word of its proponent, and meant for goodwill and respect," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "But the 8th ID offensives in Basey belie the Arroyo government unilateral ceasefire from Dec. 24-26 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
Resist Arroyo's martial law and brazen attempts to remain in power (tags)
EPCC news learned today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today called on the people to resist Gloria Arroyo's proclamation of martial law in Maguindanao as well as her brazen attempts to remain in power. "Gloria Arroyo's martial law in Maguindanao is an attack on the people, not serving justice on the Ampatuan clan, and thus must be confronted with a strong movement of the people," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "It is in line with Arroyo's avowal to remain in power, through running for congress and other opportunist acts in her favor. The people must thus do their utmost and fight Arroyo and martial law today and in the coming months. The people must raise the clamor for Arroyo's ouster the more she remains intransigent." Fr. Salas averred that the martial law proclamation was a ploy in Arroyo's favor. "Declaring martial law will not render justice to the victims of the massacre or make the election better in Maguindanao, where many believed the Ampatuans and Arroyo connived in 2004 and 2007 for their mutual interests. It is instead an act of the superior taking charge over the messy affairs of the subordinate to ensure the survival of their common interests, especially keeping Arroyo in power.
NDF -EV URGES PEOPLE TO ACT ON UTILITIES CRISIS (tags)
PESANTE NEWS today learned through news sources that NDF-EV or The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today expressed solidarity with the people over the crises in electricity and water in Tacloban and the rest of Leyte and the region. "The people of Tacloban are struggling to get such basic needs as electricity and water," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "But the Petilla and Romualdez political dynasties not only ignore this, they add further to the mess by squabbling over water administration as one of the political spoils at stake in the 2010 election. Meanwhile, the people are fuming at the lack of water and furthermore anticipate a power rate hike on top of that problem. Poor water and electricity services are not unique to Tacloban but widespread in the region because of government neglect."
Military supremacy leading to human rights violations in Eastern Visayas (tags)
PESANTE NEWS learned today that the the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas charged the 8th Infantry Division today of pushing its Oplan Bantay Laya campaign by intimidating the public and dominating the civilian government in the region. "The military is intimidating the public by coming out with an order of battle or liquidation list, and then going into schools and communities to conduct witch hunts and commit other human rights violations," said NDF-EV spokesperson Fr. Santiago Salas.
ACTIVE US INTERVENTION IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
The Pesante News gathered today from news sources that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is deceiving the Filipino people when it claims that US soldiers based in the Philippines are not engaged in operations against the New People's Army (NPA). NDF-Mindanao spokesperson Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos said this in reaction to a statement by AFP spokesperson Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Jr. denying US troops' involvement in anti-NPA operations. Pesante News said that Ka. Oris, NDF-Mindanao spokesoerson said that "Brawner is a flunky of the US military. He is an apologist for US military intervention. Just like his superiors in the AFP and the Arroyo regime, he praises the US military for permanently stationing its troops in the Philippines even if it violates Philippine sovereignty," Madlos further said that US soldiers have been involved in operations against the NPA for several years now. The 600-strong Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) under the US Pacific Command has been stationed in the Philippines since 2002 and is involved in "counterinsurgency" operations.
Arroyo government plotted and carried out Fr. Lucero's murder- NDF-EV (tags)
-The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today , September 7, accused the Arroyo government of planning and carrying out the dastardly murder of Fr. Cecilio Lucero, a well-known peace and human rights advocate who served as parish priest of Catubig town and chairman of the human rights committee of the Catarman diocese in Northern Samar. Fr. Lucero was shot and killed by assailants in bonnets and military uniform in San Jose, Northern Samar, yesterday Sept. 6 while his two companions were wounded. "Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself virtually signed Fr. Lucero's death warrant," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson.
ABUSO NG MILITAR LUMULUBHA SA SAMAR-LEYTE (tags)
Ibinabalita ngayon ayon sa mga nalikom na balita ng Pesante New na lumulubha ang paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa mga isla ng Samar at Leyte. Ito ang iniulat ng mga grupong pangkarapatang pantao sa Pilipinas. Ang mga abusong militar diumano ay dahil sa sa sunud-sunod na kabiguan ng militar na puksain ang rebolusyonaryong kilusan sa Eastern Visayas, ipinatutupad dito ng 8th Infantry Division ng Philippine Army (8ID-PA) ang mababagsik na operasyong militar na bumibiktima sa maraming sibilyan.
Melissa Roxas: Torture, Not Political Affiliation, Is the Issue (tags)
The latest accusations of Philippine Congressman Jovito Palparan should bear no weight in determining the outcome of the ongoing investigation on the case of American torture victim Melissa Roxas. This must only be determined by the facts, including the evidence currently being gathered by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in the Philippines.
An Open Letter to the People in Response to an 8th ID ruse (tags)
A group with the pornographic name of SABIK (Samahan ng mga Biktima ng Komunista) recently issued a press statement assailing the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas over a "child rebel" issue. The NDF-EV believes that the 8th Infantry Division is behind this group, since legal and moral predicaments hinder the military from exploiting the child, whom it claims to have recently rescued from the New People's Army. In these interesting times, it is important for the revolutionary movement and the democratic mass movement to answer such fascist and anti-democratic groups as SABIK (for publicity, we presume).
Troop additions meant to suppress protests against Cha-cha (tags)
---The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today belittled the 8th Infantry Division's push for troop additions and said that the real purpose for new soldiers is to suppress the people's protests against charter change or "cha-cha". "It is not credible for Gen. Arthur Tabaquero to say that an additional 600 soldiers will ensure government victory by 2010," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "During the Marcos dictatorship, the New People's Army in Samar alone thrived while fighting against government troops numbering more than twice the present military deployment in the island. The revolutionary movement today is far stronger than it was more than twenty years ago and is fast expanding in Samar and Leyte. The real reason for additional troops is to put down protests against impending charter change and to ensure by armed force that Gloria Arroyo will remain in power beyond 2010. More troops will mean more political killings and other human rights violations."
The commanding general of the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Lt. Gen. Pedro Inserto, says that “the Palparan solution” failed. The so-called solution is named after the notorious Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr., now retired. In all his assignments,
So-called US humanitarian mission in Samar a guise for military intervention (tags)
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Eastern Visayas expressed today that the Pacific Friendship 2008 ending this June – a "humanitarian mission" by the US Navy in Samar – is but a guise for foreign military intervention and tramples on national sovereignty. "Because it is confronted by people's resistance worldwide and thus fighting on so many fronts, the US currently relies on psychological warfare operations and selected deployments of its special operations forces," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDFP-EV spokesperson. "The principal fighting forces of the US are currently bogged down trying to quell the anti-occupation resistance movements in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus in other countries like the Philippines where it has strategic interests, the US has in recent years resorted to feigned humanitarian missions such as the recent one in Samar, and the Balikatan war exercises where US special operations forces train their counterparts in the puppet Philippine military."
New AFP chief dared to bring abusive military personnel before Congress (tags)
Taking cue from the statement of newly-installed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Alexander Yano to make good his promise to turn over to civilian authorities military personnel involved in abusing military detainees, opposition lawmaker Rep. Teofisto Guingona III yesterday challenged the latter to fulfill his promise by turning over erring personnel to the House committee on human rights. “Bring those erring officers before the committee on human rights of the House of Representatives so that we may know the truth,” Guingona said.
Samar court summons top CPP leaders and party-list rep (tags)
The Regional Trial Court (RTC) here has ordered the clerk of court to issue anew summonses to 37 respondents to a petition of writ of amparo filed by the family of a missing barangay official. During the hearing on March 24, RTC Branch 30 Judge Jovito Abarquez also issued an order of protection for Dennis Gutierrez, son of Elizabeth Gutierrez who was allegedly abducted by New People’s Army (NPA) members on Oct. 24 last year.
Militarisasyon sa kanayunan ng Pilipinas lalong tumitindi-AJLPP (tags)
Patuloy ang pamamaslang ng mga berdugo ni Arroyo sa mga lider-masa at tagasuporta ng progresibong kilusan. Nitong Disyembre, isang makamasang konsehal ng bayan ang binaril sa loob ng kanyang upisina sa Masbate. Sa Quezon at Surigao, biktima ng dislokasyon ang libu-libong mamamayan kabilang ang maraming bata dahil sa militarisasyon. Sa Compostela Valley, isang lider-manggagawa ang pinagbantaang papatayin. Samantala, dalawang pinaghihinalaang kadre ng Partido ang dinukot at tinortyur sa Nueva Ecija noong huling linggo ng Nobyembre.
NDF-EV condemns virtual martial rule in troop deployment to Tacloban City (tags)
The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today condemned the virtual martial rule in the deployment by the 8th Infantry Division of soldiers to the northern barangays of Tacloban City and the outright role of the military in rigging the elections to favor the Arroyo regime. "The military psywar blabberers blatantly lie that the 8th ID is sending troops to the northern barangays of Tacloban City because of the alleged presence of the New People's Army," said NDF-EV spokesperson Fr. Santiago Salas. "What the military really aims after the elections is to forestall mass protests by heightening the psywar campaign against the people's organizations and party-list groups, whom they frame as part of the NPA to justify attacking and killing off their leaders and members. In the elections, various reports from Samar and Leyte also describe soldiers as terrorizing the people against voting for the progressive party-list. But the people have democratically defied the military and the Arroyo regime in the elections: Despite the barefaced use of fraud and military terrorism against them, the progressive party-list groups are clearly headed for Congress. The people have spoken, but in retaliating by sending troops against them, the military goes on with its script of mayhem and murder."
Party-List Groups and the 2004 Elections (Second of three parts) (tags)
A review of what happened in the 2004 party-list election is necessary to know not only how many seats were given to party-list groups but also to know the kind of representation the marginalized sectors got.
Party-List Groups and the 2004 Elections (tags)
A review of what happened in the 2004 party-list election is necessary to know not only how many seats were given to party-list groups but also to know the kind of representation the marginalized sectors got.
Bayan Muna member gunned down in Northern Samar (tags)
A member of the party-list group Bayan Muna and chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in Northern Samar was gunned down late yesterday afternoon by a motorcycle-riding assassin in front of students at the University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman. Professor Jose Maria Cui, also a former secretary general of human rights group Karapatan in the Eastern Visayas, died on the spot after being shot in the head and chest by an unidentified suspect outside the Engineering Building of the campus around 4:15 p.m.
Palparan named deputy NSA (tags)
President Arroyo has appointed controversial Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan as deputy national security adviser for the government’s anti-insurgency campaign, Malacañang announced yesterday. Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor said Palparan will assume his new post when he officially retires from the military on Sept. 11. As expected, Palparan’s appointment to a sensitive government post was denounced by militant groups that have complained that the retiring Army officer is behind the extra-judicial killings of leftist activist
4 ‘NPA sympathizers’ slain in CL (tags)
Four suspected sympathizers of the New People’s Army (NPA) have been gunned down in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija in the past three days, and the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Central Luzon has again pointed an accusing finger at the military.
Military batters rebels in Eastern Visayas (tags)
The 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army has again battered CPP/NPA terrorists in the Eastern Visayas after hitting them in two separate operations in Leyte and Northern Samar, Eastern Visayas, Central Philippines.
AFP beefs up anti-Red forces in Samar, Leyte (tags)
Pesante-USA reprinted the news of renewed AFP deployment of forces from Mindanao to areas in Luzon and the Visayas against the NPA. The new counter-insurgency campaign ordered by President Arroyo is reminicensce of the Marcos anti-NPA drive during martial law. Pesante condmens such gross militarization that will only result into more poltical killing that had reached more than 610 since 2001, hardship for the Filipino people and the perpetuatio of GMA into power.
2 leftists killed in wake (tags)
The blood of leftist militants just won’t stop flowing. A week after men on a motorcycle gunned down former New People’s Army leader Sotero Llamas in Albay province, a lone assassin wearing a bonnet over his head shot dead a Bayan Muna member and a leader of a farmers’ group during a wake on Sunday night here. Bayan Muna’s David Costuna, 48, and Arcadio Macale, 60, president of the local Barangay Agrarian Reform Council, were the 19th and 20th militants murdered around the country in the past two months. Their deaths brought to 228 the total number of activists assassinated since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed office in 2001, according to an Inquirer tally.
Condemn Political Killings in Central Luzon, Philippines (tags)
Pesante-USA reprinted an interview by Ang Bayan of Salud Roja, a revolutionary leader in Central Luzon. it was printed at the QC Indymedia regarding the political killings in Central Luzon on June 4.