PHILIPPINES: Martial Law is Not the Answer! (tags)
Statements on the imposition of martial law in Mindanao
Philippines' Bernie Sanders: A Conversation with Walden Bello (tags)
Without a doubt, Sanders has captured the imagination of people, especially the millennials, around the world.
Inequality and Liberal Democracy: A Disturbing Association (tags)
How do we bring fundamental reforms about at a time when organized minorities and disorganized, quiescent majorities appear to be the norm in both the North and the South?
Akbayan takes poll campaign to Filipino-Americans (tags)
LOS ANGELES—Akbayan’s Rep. Walden Bello began a campaign tour of Filipino American communities to raise support for his party and President Benigno Aquino III’s common reform agenda in the coming May elections.
RH victory in Philippine Congress, a historic leap forward for women (tags)
Akbayan Party-list joins the Filipino people in celebrating our historic victory in the passage of the Reproductive Health bill in the second reading of the House of Representatives. Through Representatives Walden Bello and Kaka Bag-ao, Akbayan reiterated the voice of the people when it voted for life, choice, and reproductive health rights. We join the people in enjoying the fruit of more than a decade of struggle—a long and arduous journey towards the enactment of a law that will uphold and safeguard their right to a better future. Finally, after years of perseverance, the people have emerged triumphant.
Philippine Congress called to to pass "vital five" legislative bills (tags)
Akbayan Party-list urged Congress to pass important reform measures it dubbed as the “Vital Five” or the “VV” legislative bills. According to the party-list group, the “VV bills” composed of pending pieces of legislation in Congress namely the Reproductive Health bill, Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill, Anti-political dynasty Bill, the Sin Tax Bill, and the amendments to the Cybercrime Prevention Law, were necessary reform bills.
Philippine Congress asked to suspend interest for ?corrupted debts? in 2012 budget (tags)
MANILA, Philippines ? On the last few days of the budget committee hearings, a debt watchdog has asked the House Committee on Appropriations to follow President Benigno S. Aquino III?s example by suspending interest payments for ?corrupted debts and deals? in the proposed 2012 national government budget.
THE TALES OF TWO FAMILIES; PAKISTAN AND THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
It is interesting to study the tale of two political families in Asia. One in Pakistan. The other is the Philippines. The present president of Pakistan is the husband of martyr president Benazir Bhutto- Asif Ali Zardani while in the Philippines, the upcoming president is the son of the former president, Benigno Simeon Aquino III.
On the Coming Benigno S. Aquino III Presidency of the Philippines (tags)
On the Coming Benigno S. Aquino III Presidency of the Philippines. Senator Benigno S. Aquino III was proclaimed as the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines yesterday, June 9, 2010 by the Philippine Congress. There has been a lot of optimism about the assumption to power by Noynoy Aquino. But still dangers looms on the horizon for President Arroyo is still around in Congress. Within the first 100 days, if Noynoy would fail to fulfill any important promise and the crisis in the country would continue to worsen, the broad masses of the Filipino people would hate the Aquino III regime and Noynoy himself for being a traitor and deceiver of the people.
Worse than a crime – The electoral politics of the NDF and the CPP in the Philippines (tags)
The year 2010 has begun and we already know what’s going to be the most unlikely election coalition of the year. The legal National-Democratic (ND) movement of the Philippines, politically aligned with the underground Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines, has made an alliance with multimillionaire Manuel ‘Manny’ Bamba Villar Jr. and indirectly with Marcos’ admiring son, Ferdinand ’Bongbong’ Marcos jr.
POLITICAL WITCH-HUNT IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
The case of Prof. Sarah Raymundo's firing at the University of the Philippines betokens the sharpening political contradictions and hegemonic crisis occurring in what William Blum calls the oldest longest-held colony of the US, currently ruled by the corrupt and brutal Arroyo regime praised by Barack Obama.
AF3IRM/GABNet/Mariposa Alliance Statement: 16 DAYS OF RAGE; 365 OF ACTIVISM (tags)
Nov 25-Dec 10: AF3IRM/GABNet to participate in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence to affirm that women's' rights are human rights!
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.
SENATOR PIMENTEL CALLS ON OFW’S TO VOTE ON 2010 ELECTIONS; ALLAYS FEARS OF CHACHA ON SONA (tags)
Senate Minority leader and oppositionSenator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. calls on all overseas Filipinos to vote on the May 2010 Presidential elections in the Philippines. Calling the OFW votes as “the decisive factor and the cleansing votes” he appealed to Filipino American voters in the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) Hall at the regular Media Breakfast Club of LA Wednesday meeting, yesterday, July 22. " There are around 14 million Filipinos abroad. If only 6 million of them votes. that can be decisive in any elections. In the United States there are around 2.9 million of you here. Your votes are not tainted, you cannot be bought. Therefore your vites are important." Pimentel told the crowd.
Philippines: Don’t revive the “Monster of Morong, Bataan” (tags)
Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) to Philippine Congress: Don't revive Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
Philippines: Don’t revive the “Monster of Morong, Bataan” (tags)
Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) to Philippine Congress: Don't revive Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
REP. MANDANAS VISITS LOS ANGELES, CONDUCTS DIALOGUE WITH FILAM VETERANS (tags)
Philippine Congressman Herminigildo Mandanas together with Los Angeles Consul General Mary Jo B. Aragon held a dialogue with the Filipino American veterans and community leaders last Friday, January 9 at FASGI, 135 N. Parkview St. Los Angeles. They discussed the Filipino Veterans Support Bill, or SB 3689 that passed the Senate hearings last November 17 remains as the foremost concern of the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV). Heated Discussion There was a heated discussion on the lump sum bill when JFAV leader Arturo P. Garcia brought put the fact that the SB 3689 has a quit claim and offers no recognition to the veterans. He also scored the vagueness of the bill.
PESANTE CONDEMNS JR 19 OF PHILIPPINE CONGRESS (tags)
“Cats with gloves cannot catch mice” The Philippine Peasant Support Network (Pesante)-USA vehemently condemns the anti-peasant Joint Resolution No. 19. Passed by the Philippine Congress before it went to its Christmas season recess. Pesante-USA stands with and wholeheartedly support the walk-out of progressive party list members and their principled opposition to the landlord schemes. ( Below is the full text of the progressive party list statement) After more than twenty years of sham land reform we contemptuously called “BIGAY-BAWI”, the ruling clique of the US-Arroyo regime who are prime despotic landlords in their respective areas, consolidated their hold like the landlords of El Salvador and Colombia and really are counter-revolutionaries at heart.
The global crisis is a crisis of capitalism (tags)
It is time for the workers and the poor in the Philippines to prepare for the worse the moment its government keeps on repeating the mantra that the economic fundamentals remain good and thus there is little to worry about effects of the global recessionary trend. The world found itself in the present mess precisely because of such blind faith in neoliberal fundamentalism.
Very few people know that the US military is directly involved in the fierce fighting going on in the Philippines between the Moro insurgents and the corrupt and brutal Arroyo regime supported by the Bush neocons and the warmongering Pentagon planners. Will you continue to allow US tax dollars to be wasted in this barbaric genocidal war against indigenous peoples? Over a thousand extrajudicial killings and "forced disappearances" under Arroyo's tenure, plus a few hundred Muslims dead as "collateral damage," may be the signs of US "benevolent hegemony" (Robert Kagan) and US "magnanimous imperial power" (Dinesh D'Souza). McKinley's "Benevolent Assimilation" lives on!
Revolutionary Justice for the Filipino Working Class Victims of Big Capitalists! (tags)
The Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions (RCTU) in Southern Mindanao, an underground group of revolutionary unions and an allied organization of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) expresses its strongest indignation of the systematic attack perpetrated by foreign and local comprador-capitalists against the Filipino working class.
PGMA-Bush Summit, A Meeting of Terrorist (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) condemns in the strongest terms possible the President Arroyo of the Philippines and US President Bush summit on June 24 in Washington DC and the coming President Arroyo’s visit to the United States from June 23 -27, 2008.The Arroyo-Bush summit is a meeting of two terrorist. It is a meeting of the most unpopular presidents in their respective countries, a summit between a colonial master and a puppet. Up for discussions are colonial relations, pure and simple. The Filipino people stand nothing to gain from such a meeting of two of the most criticized leaders in the world
BAYAN Philippines & BAYAN USA on Labor Leader Ka Bel (tags)
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan pays its highest tribute to our former chairman, Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran after his untimely passing on May 20, 2008. We give our most heartfelt condolences to the family, comrades, friends and the millions of supporters who are grieving the loss of an outstanding fighter for national and social liberation and a beloved leader of the Filipino working class and people.
Open Letter to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and Canada (tags)
We, the undersigned Canadian-based organizations and individuals, strongly condemn the harassment by armed men of Rep. Satur Ocampo on his return from a Human Rights Mission to Canada. We also condemn the threat of his imminent arrest. We are seriously concerned for his safety and that of the other members of the Mission, Rep. Crispin Beltran and Rep. Luz Ilagan.
Historic Debate on Filvets Bill Up Before Full Senate (tags)
When US Senate session resumes after Dec. 3, it will deliberate for the first time, the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill sponsored by Hawaii Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (Dem.). He is Chairman of the Senate Veterans Committee. Originally Senate Bill 57, the “Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007” will provide for the first time starting May 1, 2008 a flat rate of $3,600 annually disability pension for single Filipino veterans living in the Philippines; $4,500 annually for married veterans; and $2,400 annually for surviving spouses.To be eligible, a veteran “must have income below a certain threshold, have served during a period of war, and have a permanent and total non-service-connected disability.”
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.
Progressive FIlipinos Welcomes US Senate Spending Bill (tags)
Progressive Filipino groups from whose ranks most of the victims of extrajudicial killings have come welcomed the action of the United States Senate appropriations committee prohibiting the use of US military aid against Filipino civilians. The U.S Senate in its version of the Foreign Operations Spending Bill it approved last week, the committee instructed the US Secretary of State to monitor US military assistance to the Philippines so that they won’t be “misused by units of the security forces…against civilians, including civilians who are members of political opposition parties and human rights groups.”
The Philippine Midterm Elections, an indictment vs. Mrs. Arroyo (tags)
Manila-- The circus that is the recent Philippine midterm elections was an indictment of how Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo "won" her presidency in the last 2004 elections and punctuated her government's acute isolation from the Filipino masses. The 12-0 illusion of Arroyo's Team Unity administration coalition delivered for the people more violence and systematic fraud. The regime's fraud machinery in Mindanao (the hocus-pocus site of the 2004 presidential elections in favor of Arroyo) was apparently exposed in how the recent elections were conducted most especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where bribe money, patronage politics were the rules of the game, ably presided by fraud operators and protectors sitting in the highest echelons in Comelec at the national and local levels.
The Philippine Midterm Elections, an indictment vs. Mrs. Arroyo (tags)
The circus that is the recent Philippine midterm elections was an indictment of how Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo "won" her presidency in the last 2004 elections and punctuated her government's acute isolation from the Filipino masses. The 12-0 illusion of Arroyo's Team Unity administration coalition delivered for the people more violence and systematic fraud. The regime's fraud machinery in Mindanao (the hocus-pocus site of the 2004 presidential elections in favor of Arroyo) was apparently exposed in how the recent elections were conducted most especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where bribe money, patronage politics were the rules of the game, ably presided by fraud operators and protectors sitting in the highest echelons in Comelec at the national and local levels
KABATAAN PARTY LIST SUPPORT GROUPS EVENTS (tags)
In nationally-coordinated events in California and New York last April 28, 29 and May 4, over 350 Filipino youth gathered to show unwavering support for KABATAAN Partylist, the leading and only partylist representing the youth sector in the upcoming elections in the Philippines. Using rock and acoustic music, hip hop, poetry, and shadow theater, Filipino youth used their creativity to show how their local issues are connected with the issues of youth in the Philippines addressed by the KABATAAN Partylist.
NATIONAL FILIPINO YOUTH CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT KABATAAN PARTYLIST (tags)
In nationally-coordinated events in California and New York last April 28, 29 and May 4, over 350 Filipino youth gathered to show unwavering support for KABATAAN Partylist, the leading and only partylist representing the youth sector in the upcoming elections in the Philippines. Using rock and acoustic music, hip hop, poetry, and shadow theater, Filipino youth used their creativity to show how their local issues are connected with the issues of youth in the Philippines addressed by the KABATAAN Partylist.
AJLPP Condemns the Passage of the Philippine Anti-Terror Bill (tags)
The Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) vehemently condemned the passage of a the anti-terror bill in the Philippine Congress in a special session. The AJLPP expressed dismay over the ratification that came by way of approval by the House of Representatives of the Senate-amended bill -- called the “Human Security Act of 2007” -- which opponents had warned might be used to repress civil liberties.
Uphold the Militant and Revolutionary Tradition of the FQS, Remember Mendiola, 1970! (tags)
-MAKIBAKA, HUWAG MATAKOT! With these as the battle cry, on January 30 and 31, 1970, during the indignation marches and rallyist, angry students and youth defending themselves again from unprovoked attacks by the military and police as well as water-housing firemen stormed the gates of Malacanang. Using a captured fire engine, the rammed the gates and made it inside the compound of the palace.
Detained Philippine lawmaker files resolution vs. repressive US immigration bills (tags)
Activist Philippine lawmaker Rep. Crispin Beltran recently filed House Resolution 1263 urging the Philippine government to support the call of millions of Filipinos and migrants of other nationalities in the US and actively oppose the passage of the racist and repressive Sensenbrenner-King bill and other similar proposals.
To bury the truth, GMA killed Philippine democracy (tags)
25 February 2006 AKBAYAN Party today denounced anew GMA's declaration of a State of National Emergency, saying that the draconian measures that the government imposed yesterday completely exposed the despotic inclinations of the ruling regime. "Yesterday's events were the last of the jigsaw pieces that revealed in full GMA's intention to rule the country through a dictatorship. What she has done is an insult not only to the millions of Filipinos who risked their lives to peacefully dismantle the Marcos dictatorship, but also to a world that was moved and inspired by the strength of our love for democracy and freedom. The dark days of Martial Law have been resurrected and they will haunt us as long as President GMA is in power and as long as systemic changes and democratic reforms are not in place," AKBAYAN Rep. Mayong Aguja said. "Just so she could evade the truth behind the 'Hello Garci' controversy, the President is willing to destroy the already shaky democratic structures of the country."
Self-educated at the Los Angeles Public Library in the Thirties, Carlos Bulosan, the militant Filipino writer and labor activist, died on September 11, 1956. His death anniversary last month provided the occasion for the Filipino community to celebrate his contribution to the revolutionary struggle of peoples everywhere for justice, dignity, and self-determination. Bulosan was part of the community of progressive Los Angeles-based intellectuals (Carey McWilliams, Sanora Babb, Louis Adamic, Ring Lardner Jr. and others) victimized by McCarthyism and fascist reaction. His example of resistance continues to inspire people of color everywhere.