Philippine military accused of political partisan

A photo released Friday by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan to the regional newspaper the Mindanao Examiner shows a Philippine Army soldier lecturing students in Davao City about leftist party list organization.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / April 9, 2010) – Political activists opposed to President Gloria Arroyo’s rule accused Friday the Philippine military of campaigning against leftists and progressive groups in Mindanao where security forces are battling communist insurgents.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, a party list group linked by the military to the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army rebels, also accused government soldiers of actively campaigning against progressive party list organizations which fielded candidates for the May 10 nationals elections.

It said government soldiers are conducting vilification campaign in Davao City after political activists on Tuesday chanced upon members of the 69th Infantry Battalion campaigning against progressive party list groups at the Philippine College of Technology.

The military also accused Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and other leftist party list organizations of misusing its congressional funds to the point that it cannot even provide even a piece of door for a school in Davao City.

"Dirty propaganda will not succeed for as long as this corrupt government fails in uplifting people’s lives from dire poverty," said John Birondo, a spokesman for the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

"These dirty verbal attacks against us will fail to gain people’s sympathy; we will not tolerate these lies sowed by the military because it is pure deception," he said.

Birondo said soldiers urged students not to join or support progressive groups, particularly Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and GABRIELA, a party list group that advocates for women’s issues.

GABRIELA is the acronym of General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action.

"The military accused progressive party lists of corrupting ‘pork barrel’ funds in Congress, a move in direct violation of the election code which prohibits the Armed Forces of the Philippines from partisan politics and partisan campaigning," Birondo said.

Pork barrel refers to the Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF amounting to P200 million pesos for each senator and P70 million for each congressman.

The PDAF makes possible the implementation, in every congressional district, of small-scale but significant projects which can not be part of large-scale projects of national agencies. These projects are generally in the form of infrastructure, health, education and social aid packages.

Ariel Casilao, a regional coordinator of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Mindanao, said: "The military is desperate in preventing us from pushing reforms in the government; it being the mouthpiece of this corrupt and bankrupt government."

Casilao described the military as "mad dogs," and denied accusations that the progressive party lists have misused pork barrel fund. "The military is so frantic because it failed in their counter-insurgency program, the Oplan Bantay Laya and this is the reason why the military establishment is hell-bent in sowing lies and deception against legitimate people’s organizations and progressive party lists," he said.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan strongly denied it was misusing pork barrel funds.

It said President Arroyo stopped approving medical, education and infrastructure projects from progressive party list groups, including Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, after it pursued impeachment cases against the President in the past in connection to corruption scandals in the government.

"Everybody knows that Malacanang has stopped approving referrals from progressive party list for medical, education, and infrastructure projects since Bayan Muna and the other groups filed for Gloria’s impeachment. What is even worthy is that despite this fact, progressive party list organizations have continued to expand and consolidate its ranks and provide ample services to the vast majority through sheer hard work and principled alliance with other political groups over the last five years," Birondo said.

The Army’s 10th Infantry Division on Friday denied it was campaigning against progressive party list groups, including Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and GABRIELA, but admitted embarking on an information drive exposing alleged links of these organizations to the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army which is actively operating in Davao City and other parts of Mindanao.

"The military is not campaigning against progressive party list organizations or other political groups, but we are just continuing our information drive exposing the links of these militant groups to the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army rebels," said Army Captain Rosa Maria Cristina Manuel. "It is up to the public to decide who to vote for in the coming national elections. We are non-partisan."

She said militant groups are fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army based on documents recovered by security forces from captured rebel camps in Mindanao.

The NPA is fighting the past decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. Government peace talks with the rebels collapsed in 2001 after the communist group accused President Arroyo of reneging on several agreements, among them the release of all political prisoners and to put a stop to political killings in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Leader Faces New Impeachment

SUMMARY OF 2008 IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT AGAINST PRESIDENT GLORIA ARROYO.

The impeachment complaint that will be filed is in accordance with Art. XI section 2 and 3 of the Constitution. It is a verified Complaint, in the name of the Filipino people and for the Filipino people, to impeach and bring to trial Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for her betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption and other high crimes.

The Complainants are:

Jose De Venecia III, Editha Burgos, Erlinda Cadapan, Rolex Suplico, Josefina Lichauco, Harry Roque, Renato Constantino, Jr., Henri Kahn, Francisco Alcuaz, Rez Cortez, Virgilio Eustaquio, Jose Luis Alcuaz, Leah Navarro, Danilo Ramos, Concepcion Empeño, Elmer Labog, Armando Albarillo, Roneo Clamor, and Bebu Bulchand

The complaint’s main causes of actions are:

I. NBN-ZTE

RESPONDENT COMMITTED BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST AND BRIBERY WHEN SHE (i) ABETTED AND/OR TOLERATED THE COMMISSION OF A CRIME IN REGARD TO THE ANOMALOUS “ZTE NATIONAL BROADBAND CONTRACT”, (ii) KNOWINGLY AND WILLFULLY OBSTRUCTED, IMPEDED OR DELAYED THE APPREHENSION OF SUSPECTS AND THE INVESTIGATION OF CRIMINAL CASES ARISING FROM THE SAME, AND (iii) PARTICIPATING AND GIVING SUPPORT TO OR APPROVING THE NBN-ZTE BROADBAND CONTRACT DESPITE HER KNOWLEDGE THAT THE SAME IS TAINTED WITH GRAFT AND CORRUPTION.

II. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

RESPONDENT COMMITTED CULPABLE VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION, BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST AND OTHER HIGH CRIMES BY EXPLICITLY AND IMPLICITLY CONSPIRING, DIRECTING, ABETTING, AND TOLERATING WITH IMPUNITY AS A STATE POLICY, EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS, INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES, TORTURE, MASSACRE, ILLEGAL ARREST AND ARBITRARY DETENTION, FORCED DISLOCATION OF COMMUNITIES AND OTHER GROSS AND SYSTEMATIC VIOLATIONS OF CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AND ENGAGING IN A SYSTEMATIC CAMPAIGN TO COVER-UP OR WHITEWASH THESE CRIMES BY SUPPRESSING AND OBLITERATING THE EVIDENCE, BLAMING THE VICTIMS, TERRORIZING, INTIMIDATING AND PHYSICALLY ATTACKING WITNESSES, THEIR RELATIVES, LAWYERS AND SUPPORTERS, AND HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS.
III. NORTHRAIL

RESPONDENT COMMITTED CULPABLE VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION BY ENTERING INTO THE NORTHRAIL PROJECT WITHOUT THE REQUISITE APPROVAL OF THE MONETARY BOARD AND WITHOUT GIVING PREFERENCE TO FILIPINO LABOR AND INVESTMENT.

RESPONDENT, BY APPROVING THE OVERPRICED NORTHRAIL PROJECT, VIOLATED SECTION 3 (G) OF RA 3019.

IV. THE MT. DIWALWAL PROJECT

RESPONDENT BETRAYED THE PUBLIC TRUST BY SELLING THE COUNTRY’S GOLD RESERVES IN MT. DIWALWAL TO THE ALREADY CONTROVERSIAL ZTE CORPORATION UNDER THE TERMS OF AN AGREEMENT THAT ARE GROSSLY DISADVANTAGEOUS TO THE COUNTRY’S INTERESTS.

V. FERTILIZER SCAM CONSTITUTIVE OF GRAFT AND CORRUPTION
RESPONDENT COMMITTED GRAFT AND CORRUPTION, BY PROFITING FROM THE FERTILIZER SCAM, VIOLATED SECTION 3 (B) OF RA 3019.

VI. BRIBERY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

RESPONDENT COMMITTED BRIBERY WHEN SHE AUTHORIZED THE DISTRIBUTION OF BRIBE MONEY TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN EXCHANGE FOR THE HASTY REFERRAL OF THE PULIDO IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT TO PREVENT THE FILING OF GENUINE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT.

VII. ELECTORAL FRAUD IN 2004 CONSITUTIVE OF BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST AND GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

RESPONDENT BETRAYED PUBLIC TRUST BY TAMPERING WITH THE RESULTS OF THE 2004 ELECTIONS.

RESPONDENT COMMITTED GRAFT AND CORRUPTION, THROUGH HER INVOLVEMENT IN THE “HELLO GARCI” SCANDAL, VIOLATED SECTION 3 (A) OF RA 3019.

FOR THE NBN-ZTE DEAL

There were many irregularities in the NBN ZTE transaction. Among the irregularities was the lack of proper bidding procedures before awarding the contract to ZTE. The acts of the DOTC in awarding the contract to ZTE, without competitive bidding and in blatant violation of the law on procurement, was the act of respondent Arroyo. The President not only failed to implement the law, she, more importantly, violated the law which she was tasked to do.

All the elements of the crime of direct bribery, through the second mode—i.e., where the gift is received in consideration of an act which does not constitute a crime—are present in the transaction, to wit:

a) Respondent is the President of the Republic of the Philippines;
b) Respondent accepted the promise of bribe money from ZTE officials, as Chairman Abalos told the ZTE officials that the President is waiting for the money promised to them;
c) Respondent accepted promise of bribe money so that the ZTE-NBN deal, which is clearly overpriced, will push through;
d) The approval of the ZTE-NBN deal is connected to the performance of her official duties since she was the approving authority to the contract.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Pres. Gloria Arroyo’s culpability and responsibility for the extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other human rights violations, through her state security forces including the AFP and the PNP are clearly established. It is well to stress that the political killings and disappearances are concentrated in Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Ilocos and the Cordillera – places that have been identified in Oplan Bantay Laya as “priority areas” and where “counter-insurgency” military operations are most intense and sustained. Several victims have survived their ordeal and lived to tell the horrors of state terrorism against its very own people.

The evidences in the disappearances of Jonas Burgos, Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño point to the AFP as responsible for the said disappearances. Even the Court of Appeals has declared that the AFP took into custody Sherlyn and Karen and ordered the Philippine Army to surface both students. In the case of the abduction of the Manalo Brothers, the Supreme Court itself has affirmed the responsibility of the AFP in the abduction and torture of Reynaldo and Raymond Manalo.

That the killings and disappearances form part of a policy under Pres. Arroyo’’s counter insurgency program has been confirmed by UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston who declared that “One response has been counter-insurgency operations that result in the extrajudicial execution of leftist activists. In some areas, the leaders of leftist organizations are systematically hunted down by interrogating and torturing those who may know their whereabouts, and they are often killed following a campaign of individual vilification designed to instill fear into the community”

The attacks on communities, various sectors such as the media, church people, and party list groups, and many other heinous human rights violations are not only criminal acts but also acts intended to preserve Pres. Arroyo’s stay in power and an abuse of her powers as president and therefore a ground for her impeachment.

In the case of Pastor Berlin Guerrero, the Court of Appeals quoted the Supreme Court which chastised the Department of Justice for prostituting the office of the prosecutor for the abuse of procedures to harass political opponents of the president. Prof. Alston on the other hand while dismayed at the enthusiasm of the executive in filing cases against dissenters, bewailed the lack of investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators of extra judicial killings and enforced disappearances.

Pres. Arroyo also violated human rights through the implementation other policies such as the Calibrated Preemptive Response, Proclamation 1017 imposing emergency rule in the country, and EO 464.

NORTHRAIL PROJECT

Respondent committed culpable violation of the Constitution by entering into the Northrail project without the requisite approval of the Monetary Board and without giving preference to Filipino labor and investment.

During negotiations and after the contract was signed, allegations of overpricing and questions on the feasibility of relocating 40,000 residents started to hound the project.

According to reports, the North rail reconstruction costs US$15 million per kilometer, more expensive than the ground-breaking 2,000-km Qinghai to Tibet system, which only cost US$3.6 billion, or US$1.8 million per kilometer. A substantial part of the initial down payment allegedly went to kickbacks and payoffs. Since 2004, the Philippine government has reportedly paid out P1.4 billion for the project that has yet to commence, with interest payments amounting to a massive P1 million a day.

It was said that the amount of $125.75 million (P6.5 billion) has already been advanced out of the $503-million funding, and yet the project, scheduled to be completed in May this year, appears to be heading nowhere. The loan was allegedly contracted without the approval of the Monetary Board as required by Section 20, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution.

Under the agreement, the China National Machinery and Equipment Corporation Group (CNMEG), a Chinese corporation, was designated as the prime contractor of the project. This designation was made without providing qualified Filipino contractors and corporations the opportunity to bid for the project.

Moreover, the contract was entered into in violation of Sections 10 and 12 of Article XII of the Constitution which gives preference to Filipino labor and investment.

The contract did not even go through competitive public bidding, which not only prejudiced the rights of qualified Filipino contractors and corporations, but blatantly violated the provisions of the Procurement Reform Act. While admittedly, there are exceptions where competitive public bidding may be dispensed with, these exceptions do not apply in the selection of CNMEG as a contractor.

Furthermore, by approving the overpriced Northrail Project, Pres. Arroyo violated Section 3 (g) of RA 3019.By giving the Northrail project to the Export-Import Bank of China, respondent not only committed culpable violation of the Constitution, but also violated Section 3 (g) of RA 3019, which provides:

(g) Entering, on behalf of the government, into any contract or transaction manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the same, whether or not the public officer profited or will profit thereby.

The said project is manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the government for the following reasons:

a. It is grossly overpriced;
b. It is based on a grossly inflated estimate of the project cost in the amount of US$ 503,000,000, for a 32.2 kilometer length of rail line, or an average of nearly US$ 16 million (P900 million) per kilometre, exclusive of the costs for clearing, relocation, and resettlement of informal dwellers occupying the railroad Right of Way;
c. It provides for an interest rate of three percent (3%) per annum on the amount of the loan, which is much higher than the rate on other loan packages the Republic of the Philippines could have availed of;
d. It provides that the Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the People’s Republic of China, and that any suit, legal action or proceeding arising from the agreement may be brought before the courts of that country, without prejudice to the Export-Import Bank of China commencing any action, at its option, against the Republic of the Philippines or its property in any other jurisdiction. Such one-sided concession unduly favors the Export-Import Bank of China and is extremely onerous to the Republic of the Philippines.
e. Article 5 of the agreement provides that control over the proceeds of the loan is not placed with the Republic of the Philippines but is retained by the Export-Import Bank of China. This prevents the funds from becoming part of the National Treasury in contravention of the Constitution and applicable laws.

MT. DIWALWAL MINING PROJECT

Respondent betrayed the public trust by selling the country’s gold reserve in Mt. Diwalwal to China’s already controversial ZTE corporation under the terms of an agreement that are grossly disadvantageous to the country’s interests.

Respondent herself signed through her agent, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ZTE effectively giving away 90 percent of the country's gold reserve in Mt. Diwalwal, Compostela Valley.

The country stands to lose in the agreement because based on a P200-million study conducted by the Philippine Mining Development Corp., the gold reserve in Mt. Diwalwal is worth at least $1 billion.

The government, under the agreement, is only entitled to 10 percent of the find while ZTE, an entity which virtually has no experience in the mining sector, gets the lion share of 90 percent. For this, respondent is likewise liable for graft and corruption.

Moreover, the respondent, through her agent, Sec. Peter Favila, betrayed the public trust when she agreed to a provision in the five-page MOU requiring that the deal should be kept from the Filipino people.

Electoral Fraud, Fertilizer Scam, Bribery in the Sham Pulido complaint

Other than the above, Pres. Arroyo also committed bribery when she bribed members of Congress to dismiss the genuine impeachment complaints in favor of the sham Pulido complaint. She also committed impeachable offenses for her involvement in the fertilizer scam, and electoral fraud in 2004 by tampering with the election results of the presidential election and by her involvement in the Hello Garci scandal.

PRAYER FOR RELIEF

Complainants ask that the impeachment complaint be immediately referred to the House Justice Committee so that a genuine processing of the complaint is undertaken, and that the House of Representatives approve the same and therewith draft the Articles of Impeachment so that a trial in the Senate may be undertaken to find out whether indeed Pres. Gloria Arroyo committed the impeachable offenses charged and therefore should be removed from office for the said acts.

Prepared by Atty. Neri Javier Colmenares
Bayan Muna General Counsel

(http://lightsandshade.blogspot.com/2008/10/impeachment-complaint-2008.html)

Filipino Artists Gather For DC Concert To Promote Human Rights In Philippines: Report

Washington, DC - Responding to the Philippine Congress's implementation of the Human Security Act (HSA) in July, Filipino groups along the east coast will be converging for a concert in Washington DC on Friday, September 28, one week after the 35th anniversary of Martial Law as declared by former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972.

The concert, organized by the Filipino-American alliance BAYAN USA and featuring Filipino-American hip-hop sensations Blue Scholars and Kiwi Illefonte, aims to bring awareness to the repercussions of the newly-passed and controversial bill, and connect with the overall issue of increased US military spending to places where US troops are present, such as the Philippines.

The concert will also be featured as part of a one-week encampment organized by the Troops Out Now Anti-War coalition, that will culminate in a march to Capitol Hill on Saturday, September 29th. A similar encampment will also be held in Los Angeles on the same dates.

"The HSA is a disaster for domestic security in the Philippines. It will cause the endangerment and the termination of innocent lives," states Valerie Francisco of Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment, or FIRE, a community organizer who recently returned from the Philippines to protest the HSA.

FIRE, along the Anakbayan, the Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, under the banner of BAYAN USA, and local DC groups such as Katarungan will be sponsoring the mini-concert set outdoors and following next-day anti-war march near Capitol Hill.

The Fil-Am groups have also warned that US-based advocates and supporters of the broad Arroyo opposition under the HSA are also subject to the measures of the state with such a vague definition of terrorism.

This comes in light of reports on extra-judicial killings, increase in forced disappearances throughout the country, and a watch-list of names provided by the Bureau of Immigration and Department of Justice jeopardizing travelers from abroad that speak out against Arroyo's domestic policies.

"These days, to oppose the Arroyo regime is the most genuine act of security. To highlight this issue during the Martial Law anniversary is fitting and appropriate, because the Philippines is still under undeclared Martial Law," states Jonna Baldres of Anakbayan.

The groups have also been calling for restrictions on US military aid to the Philippines, in line with its human rights work. September also marks continued Congressional deliberations on US military spending for 2008.

Nearly 50 US solons have signed a petition letter calling for Arroyo to handle the human rights crisis in the Philippines.

In response to a recent US Senate hearing and Congressional deliberations on the fate of US military aid to the Philippine government this past year, the Arroyo regime has resorted to deflecting possible aid reduction by pushing for an all-out war in Mindanao, the southern-most island, claiming Al-Qaeda cells exist, much to wide public disagreement.

Following the public reports of UN Rapporteur Philip Alston, and Amnesty International, the Philippine military has been identified as the key perpetrating group of extra-judicial killings and forced disappearances. In 2001, President George Bush declared the Philippines the Second Front to the War on Terror.

Since then, the Philippines has remained the fourth largest recipient of US military aid in the world and the largest in the Asia-Pacific region.

Filipino Solon Warns U.S. On Jolo Island Combat

U.S. troops in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 15 Aug) – A Filipino lawmaker on Wednesday warned the United States against participating in combat in the southern island of Jolo, where local troops are battling members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group.

Rep. Satur Ocampo said any U.S. participation in the conflict would violate the Philippines Constitution and further inflame the Abu Sayyaf group, blamed for the spate of bombings and kidnappings of foreigners and other rebel groups such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the communist New People’s Army.

“While the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Visiting Forces Agreement insofar as joint military exercises are concerned, it explicitly prohibits U.S. military forces from joining the Armed Forces of the Philippines in combat operations,” Ocampo said.

U.S. troops were frequently seen in the company of Filipino forces hunting down the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo island, about 950 kilometers south of Manila.

Hundreds of U.S. soldiers are stationed in Jolo island and Zamboanga City and other areas in Mindanao and helping Philippine military defeat terrorism.

Major Eugene Batara, a regional Philippine Army spokesman, denied that U.S. troops were involved in combat operation in Jolo island.

“They are prohibited from participating in direct combat operation. Filipino troops are fighting the terrorists,” he said in Zamboanga City.

Nathaniel Santiago, leader of the militant Bayan Muna group, said Manila should take a very critical posture on U.S. meddling in Jolo, especially in view of efforts of the U.S. Congress to compel the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

“The U.S. is caught in a quagmire it created in Iraq and we should not allow the Americans to make a repeat of such a disaster in Mindanao,” he said, citing U.S. media reports that the opposition-controlled House and Senate are pressing the Bush government to bare Iraq withdrawal plans due to continued military casualties and the questions on the alleged reasons for waging war.

More than 5,000 Filipino soldiers are in Jolo and pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants and insurgents from the Moro National Liberation protecting two Jemaah Islamiya bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek, tagged as behind two deadly blasts in the resort island of Bali in Indonesia in 2002.

Officials as many as 40 militants were killed, including a senior MNLF leader, in fierce clashes last week on the island last, but 26 soldiers also died from that fighting. (Mindanao Examiner)

Kidnapping Of Political Activists Continue In The Philippines

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 06 Jun) – A senior member of the militant political group Bayan Muna (People First) was kidnapped in the southern region of Mindanao, police said on Wednesday.

Police said gunmen seized Gilbert Cardeno in Koronadal City in South Cotabato province. The Philippine military tagged Bayan Muna as a leftist organization.

Cardeno is said to be the group’s regional coordinator in Mindanao. Bayan Muna is composed mainly of workers, farmers, professionals and other progressive sectors that champion the cause of “New Politics, the Politics of Change” in the Philippines.

Political activists blamed the military for the missing man. The latest kidnapping of Bayan Muna member is only one of many unresolved cases in the Philippines.

Political groups opposed to President Gloria Arroyo’s rule accused her government as behind the disappearance and murder of more than 850 activists in the country.

The Philippine military denied it was behind the extra-judicial killings of political activists.
Last month, a pastor of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines, Berlin Guerrero, was abducted by gunmen in Binan town in Kaguna province, outside Manila.

But it turned out that government soldiers were behind his abduction on suspicion that Guerrero is a senior leader of the New People's Army and is allegedly facing murder charges.

Guerrero said soldiers tortured him to force confession and denied all allegations against him.

Filipino religious groups condemned the arrest. (With reports from Mark Navales and Juan Magtanggol)

Bayan Muna Congressman, Isinabit Sa Kaso!

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 10 May) – Nakahanda ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) na tulungan ang Philippine National Police (PNP) sa paglalatag ng mga ebidensya hinggil sa diumano'y pagkakanlong ni Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino sa isang hinihinalang rebelde at kriminal.

Nabatid kay Army Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres, Jr. na kinasuhan na ng Philippine National Police sa Leyte si Casino at ang isang Teodoro Dacera ng obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders o ang PD 1892 sa Ormoc City Prosecutor's Office.

Magunitang kasama ni Casino ang isang sinasabing lider ng New People's Army (NPA) na si Vincent Borja nang isilbi ang warrant of arrest laban dito bunsod ng mga diumano’y kaso ng pagpatay, rebelyon at attempted destruction of property.

Iginiit umano ni Casino na mapalaya si Borja dahil isa lamang itong tagasuporta ng kanilang party list group. Binansagan umanong “high profile” ni Casino si Borja.

Dinampot ng magkasanib na puwersa ng 19th Infantry Battalion at Ormoc City Police Office ang naturang suspek sa bahay ni Dacera habang nagsasagawa ng campaign staff meeting kasama si Casino.

Positibo ang militar na aktibong miyembro ng NPA si Borja at ito ay batay na rin sa rekord na hawak ng militar at pulisya.

Sinabi naman ni AFP Chief of Staff General Hermogenes ESperon, Jr. na naturang lamang na itanggi ni Casino na hindi kriminal o rebelde si Borja sapagkat huling-huli ito sa aktong magkasama sila.

Unang nagbanta si Casino na sasampahan ng kaso ang mga arresting teams dahil ilegal umano ang pagkakaaresto kay Borja. Itinanggi ni Casino na rebelde ang naturang campaigner ng militanteng Bayan Muna. (Juley Reyes)

Bayan Muna Magsasampa Ng Kaso Kontra Militar!

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 08 May) – Sasampahan umano ng kaso ni Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino ang militar kaugnay sa pagkaka-aresto ng mga sundalo sa isang suporter nito na pinagbintangan lider ng rebeldeng New People's Army (NPA) sa lalawigan ng Leyte.

Dinampot ng pinagsanib na puwersa ng Philippine Army at Philippine National Police ang isang hinihinalang lider habang nakikipagpulong kay Casino kagabi sa Leyte.

Kasabay nito'y pinag-aaralan na rin ng militar kung anong kasong kriminal ang maaaring maisampa laban sa kongresista dahil sa pagkakahuling kasama ng isang wanted criminal at rebelde.

Nabatid kay Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres, Jr., na dakong alas-8:30 ng gabi nang salakayin ng mga elemento ng 19th Infantry Battalion at Ormoc provincial police office ang kinaroroonan ng suspek na si Vincent "Bebot" Borja, 36, at residente ng Barangay Lao sa Ormoc City.

Isinilbi ng mga awtoridad ang warrant of arrest laban kay Borja dahil sa dalawang kasong pagpatay.

Pinaniniwalaang kabilang si Borja sa grupo ng mga rebeldeng kumikilos at nanabotahe sa lalawigan.

Kasama ng suspek si Casino nang arestuhin ng mga awtoridad sa Barangay Linao.Inimbitahan na rin ng pulisya at militar ang kongresista upang alamin ang kaugnayan nito sa isang rebeldeng miyembro.

Una nang ibinunyag ng Armed Forces of the Philippines ang kaugnayan o sabwatan ng mga komunista sa ilang militanteng kongresista at party list groups tulad ni Rep. Satur Ocampo at Casino.

Kanina ay sinabi ni Casino na narining nito na pinalaya na diumano ang dinampot at dahil sa naganap ay magsasampa ito ng asunto sa Armed Forces at Commission on Elections laban sa mga sundalo. “Hindi naming palalampasin ito at maghahain kami ng reklamo sa AFP at Comelec,” ani Casino.

Itinanggi ni Casino na lider ng NPA ang dinakip na suporter. (Juley Reyes)

More Protest Rallies, Militant Group Vows

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 23 Mar) – A militant party list group on Friday vowed to hold a series of street protests to force the Philippine government to free two detained lawmakers allied with the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines.

The group Bayan Muna said it would intensify the protests across the country against government persecution of Reps. Satur Ocampo and Crispin Beltran. Both politicians have been accused of rebellion and murders.

Members of the group on Friday held a rally in Davao City and had also protested the unabated political killings and harassments of activists opposed to Arroyo’s rule.

It said hundreds of militants and political activists had been summarily executed in the Philippines since Arroyo assumed the presidency in 2001.

Militant party list groups accused the military as behind most of the killings, a charged strongly denied by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Beltran, of the party list group Anakpawis, is under medical care because of his deteriorating health condition, while Ocampo, of Bayan Muna, is fighting a government move to transfer him to Leyte province where he was charged of murdering dozens of rebels suspected of aiding the military almost two decades ago.

"After all the expedite moves to hold the arrest warrant on Satur Ocampo, have him arrested, and attempts to transfer him to Leyte, the respondents are now delaying the oral arguments set by the Supreme Court," Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court reset the hearing on the petition filed by Ocampo to recall the arrest warrant issued against him by Leyte Judge Ephrem Abando on charges of multiple murder. The oral argument, originally set today, was moved to March 30. (With a report from Romy Bwaga)

AFP May Bagong Ebidensya Na Naman Sa Mga Kaliwang Party List Groups!

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 23 Mar) - Muli na namang nakadiskubre ang militar ng mga sinasabing panibagong ebidensya na magpapatunay ng malinaw na ugnayan ng New People's Army (NPA) sa ilang party list groups sa bansa.

Sa nakuhang bag mula sa rebeldeng si Allan Villare na napatay sa engkuwentro sa bayan ng Juban sa Sorsogon noong Marso 20 ay nakapaloob diumano ang mga dokumento ng campaign plan para sa partylist groups na Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Kabataan, Anakpawis at Suara Bangsamoro.

"We have strong evidence that the NPA and these party list groups are connected," diin ni Lieutenant Colonel Benigno Antonio, pinuno ng Army's 2nd Infantry Battalion.

Magugunitang natisod naman ng militar sa Davao del Sur noong nakaraang buwan anng mga campaign posters at calendars ng Bayan Muna matapos ang sagupaan.

Ayon sa buod ng dokumento, ang campaign plan ay binubuo ng tatlong bahagi: una, isinakatuparan ng Pebrero 13 hanggang Marso 13 ang house to house campaign, paglalagay ng mga campaign posters, pagbuo ng alyansa sa mga lokal na opisyal ng gobyerno, pagtukoy ng mga poll watcher, at pagtatayo ng municipal headquarters.

Kasama rito ang pagtukoy ng mga kandidato at tagasuporta ng party list groups na kaalyado ng Malakanyang tulad ng Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (ANAD), Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP), Akbayan, Sanlakas, Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), Akap, at Aksa.

Ikalawa, mula Marso 14 hanggang Abril 14, ang deployment ng propaganda teams sa mga dyip at tricycles, paglulunsad ng party congress municipalities at pagpapadala ng mga delegado para sa provincial conventions ng Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Kabataan, Anakpawis at Suara Bangsamoro.

Ikatlo, mula Abril 14 hanggang May 14, magpapadala ang rebeldeng grupo ng mga delegado para sa miting de avance na sasabayan rin ng mga protesta.

Ang mobile propaganda teams ng NPA ay bubuo ng caravan na maglilibot sa Sorsogon sa isang araw at sa mismong halalan ay agad na iuulat ang resulta ng eleksyon.

TInatayang 15,000 boto buhat sa Bulan, 7,000 sa Gubat at 3,000 sa Prieto Diaz ang minimum votes na makukuha ng mga partylist. Hindi naman agad makunan ng pahayag o reaksyon ang mga nabanggit na party lists. (Juley Reyes)

AFP May Star Witness vs Satur Ocampo

QUEZON CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 20 Mar) – Hawak ngayon ng Armed Forces ang isa umanong testigo na magpapatunay na nasa lalawigan ng Leyte si Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo noong mga panahong isinakatuparan ang summary executions o communist purging sa halos 100 impormante ng militar at miyembro ng komunistang grupo.

Nabatid kanina kay Armed Forces Public Information Office Chief Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro, ang nasabing testigo ay positibong maglalahad na pakalat-kalat lamang si Ocampo at wala sa kulungan nang mangyari ang purging activities ng Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP-NPA).

Una nang iginigiit ni Ocampo na imposible itong madawit sa mga insidente ng pagpaslang dahil nakakulong.

"One witness also stated that he saw Rep. Satur Ocampo in Leyte in 1985," ani Bacarro sa Mindanao Examiner.

Sinabi ni Bacarro na nakatakas si Ocampo sa kanyang security escort habang bumuboto sa National Press Club sa Maynila noong 1985 at saka muling naaresto noong 1986 dahil sa kasong kidnapping at pagpatay noong 1987.

"So it was within the period from 1985, when he escaped, until such time that he was arrested in 1987, he was free to go around. It was also during that period that the mass murder in Inopacan, Leyte started," dagdag nito.

Gayunman, tumangggi si Bacarro na iditalye ng buo ang pagkakakilanlan ng testigo ngunit sapat na umano ang kredibilidad nito para idiin ang mambabatas.

Ipinunto pa ng opisyal na noong mga panahong nagtatago si Ocampo ay may pagkakataong nagawa nitong makisangkot sa pag-uutos ng purging activities sa mga komunista.

"Based on our reading, he had something to do with giving orders, giving orders to members of the NPA to conduct this mass murder," ayon kay Bacarro.

2 BIKTIMA NG EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS, NABUHAY!

Inilutang rin kanina ng Philippine National Police (PNP) ang dalawa pang sinasabing biktima ng extrajudicial killings batay sa listahan ng grupong Karapatan.

Sina Danilo Fajardo y Flores, 43 anyos, isang CAFGU member ng Barangay Tibagan, at Hilario "Larry" Faraon, isang magsasaka sa Barangay Buliraan, pawang mga taga-San Miguel, Bulacan, ay nagsumite ng sinumpaang salaysay upang pasinungalingan ang pag-aangkin ng Karapatan na sila ay patay at kondenahin ang paghahanay sa kanilang bilang biktima ng summary execution.

Ika-650 at 652, sina Fajardo at Paraon sa listahan ng may 836 umano'y biktima ng political killings na isinumite ng Karapatan.

Ayon kay PNP Task Force USIG commander, Chief Superintendent Geary L Barias, na ang paglutang nina Fajardo at Paraon ay nagbunsod ngayon ng limang pangalan na maling inihanay ng Karapatan sa listahan nito.

"In the case of the five names erroneously listed by Karapatan, it is a very remote possibility that they are just namesakes because the addresses and other descriptions were specifically indicated," ani Barias.

Sa opisyal na listahan ng Task Force Usig, 115 ang beripikadong mga biktima ng political killings.

"Nonetheless, we are giving due attention to all the cases reported to us for investigation regardless of the motive and persons involved," dagdag ng opisyal.

KINONDENA

Isang nationwide condemnation rally naman ang isasagawa ng Bayan Muna at mga kaalyado nito ngayon Miyerkoles dahil sa umano’y patuloy na panggigipit ng pamahalaan sa mga party list groups na bumabatikos sa Pangulong Arroyo.

“We are going to bring this battle in the streets and we shall start counting from this day on Gloria Arroyo’s very near downfall. We have the truth and the Filipino people on our side and they shall make justice possible for Satur Ocampo and the thousand victims of Gloria Arroyo’s fascism.”

“The Arroyo regime is mistaken in believing that their noxious plans will cripple us. All the more that we gain our credibility and strength each time that they attack us," Virador added. ani Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador sa ipinadalang statement sa pahayagang Mindanao Examiner.

Sinurado rin ng Bayan Muna na magsasampa ito ng kaso sa ginawang paglabag ng karapatan ni Ocampo at sa mga alegasyon ng pamahalaan.

"The charges that the militaries have filed against ‘Ka Satur’ will boomerang to them. We have witnesses that will testify against the militaries who have planted the said mass grave of the murdered NPA elements," wika pa ni Virador. (Ulat nina Juley Reyes sa Maynila, Romy Bwaga at Mark Navales sa Mindanao)

Bayan Muna, Nangunguna Sa Suvey; AFP Hindi Natinag!

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 19 Mar) – Ayaw tanggapin ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) na kabiguan sa kanilang pangangampanya laban sa mga party list groups na may kaugnayan sa komunistang grupo ang pangunguna ng Bayan Muna sa survey.

Katwiran ni AFP National Capital Region Command Chief Major General Mohammad Dolorfino, unang-una ay hindi nakikialam ang militar sa pulitika kaakibat ng muling pagpapasinungaling na ikinakampanya nito ang pagboykot sa ilang partylist groups.

May sariling desisyon pa rin naman aniya ang mga mamayan na masasalamin sa resulta ng halalan sa Mayo.

Sa pinakahuling survey ng Pulse Asia Inc., lumilitaw na maaaring makuha ng Bayan Muna ang tatlong upuan sa Kongreso dahil sa pananatili bilang nangungunang party list.

Ikinagalak naman ito ng Bayan Muna at ibang mga kaalyadong party list groups dahil patunay umano ito ng kanilang tapat na panunungkulan sa bayan.

Sapat na umano ang voting preference ng Bayan Muna na 11.9% upang makakuha ng tatlong nominasyon sa Kamara.

Tinatayang 1,800 respondents sa buong bansa ang kinuhaan ng survey mula Pebrero 28 hanggang Marso 5 ng kasalukuyang taon.

Bukod sa Bayan Muna, tatlong partylist seats rin ang posibleng makuha ng Anakpawis (8.0 percent) Akbayan Citizen's Action Party (7.0 percent), at Gabriela Women's Party (6.4 percent).Tig-isang seat naman sa Aangat Tayo (3.6 percent), Angat Antas Kabuhayan Pilipino Movement (2.8 percent), Angat Ating Kabuhayan (2.7 percent), Alyansa ng Sambayanan para sa Pagbabago (2.4 percent), Kabataan (2.3 percent), Ahon Pinoy (2.2 percent) at Citizen's Battle Against Corruption (2.2 percent). (Juley Reyes)

After U.N. And Melo Reports, The Political Killings Still Continue In Philippines...

NORTH COTABATO (Mindanao Examiner / 14 Mar) – Family and relatives of a slain militant farmer in North Cotabato province are demanding justice as militant groups and political activists condemned the killing.

Carlito Getrosa, 49, a member of Bayan Muna in Pigcawayan town here, was shot in the head by three masked motorcycle gunmen in front of his terrified family at the weekend.

His group said Gertrosa was the 875th victim of political killings since President Gloria Arroyo assumed the presidency in 2001.

"The recent killing bears the usual pattern and same purpose for which all the cases of political killings in the country are done. The crimes are getting intolerable and unforgivable that we condemn in highest terms Gloria Arroyo for staying numb and inefficient," Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador said.

Virador said the extra-judicial killings in the Philippines continue unabated despite the investigations of the United Nations and the independent Melo Commission. Both investigations point to soldiers as allegedly responsible to most of the murders, an accusation strongly denied by the Philippine military.

The United States Senate is currently investigating the extra-judicial killings in the Philippines. Summary executions are also rampant in the southern cities of Zamboanga, Davao, Digos and Cebu in the central Philippines.

“While the culprits remain vindicated and the killings continue with impunity, the families of the victims are blatantly denied of the justice they lawfully deserve.”

"The Arroyo regime is seemed unmoved by the recommendations of the (UN investigator Philip) Alston and Melo reports that no concrete steps are being taken to truthfully investigate the alleged participation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to the killings," Virador said.

He said the attacks against the leaders and members of Bayan Muna and other progressive party list groups opposed to Arroyo’s rule are all meant to discredit them in the mid-year elections.

Bayan Muna and other allied party list groups have topped recent independent surveys in the Philippines.

The military branded the militant groups as front of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army rebels. It accused Bayan Muna and other groups of channeling funds to the rebels in support of their armed struggle to topple the democratic government and install a Marxist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Bayan Muna Asks For More Time To Resolve Cases Of Extra-Judical Killings In RP

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 13 Mar) – The militant Bayan Muna party list group on Tuesday doubted special courts formed to handle extra-judicial killings in the Philippines would result to fair and credible rulings.

The Supreme Court had ordered all these special regional trial courts to resolve the cases in 90 days.

Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador said the cases of summary killings in the country are not ordinary hat could be resolved in a matter of 90 days.

“With due respect to our RTC judges, their capacity and honesty are not in question in this resolve to create the most effective body that will look into the cases. What is clear to have been undermined in this resolution is the fact that the cases do not only involve the families of the victims and the witnesses to the killings.”

"The SC’s order will only disregard the recommendations of the UN and Melo reports. Worst, we see this resolution as a way to hasten the exoneration of the crimes’ real culprits," Virador said.

Virador was referring to the investigations on extra-judicial killings conducted in the Philippines by U.N. representative Philip Alston and the independent Melo Commission which linked soldiers in most of the murder of political activists.

More than 900 activists had been murdered in the Philippines since President Gloria Arroyo rose to power in 2001. (Mindanao Examiner)

Militant Party List Groups Place Under Suveillance

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 10 Mar) – A militant party list group, Kilusang Mayo Uno, accused Philippine authorities of spying and said government agents were caught taking photographs of its office in Quezon City.

The group said one of its members was chased by soldiers Thursday in Taguig district.

Policemen and soldiers were hunting down Bayan Muna party list Rep. Satur Ocampo, who has been accused of killing scores of New People’s Army rebels suspected as government spies more than two decades ago.

Aside from Ocampo, authorities also filed murder charges against 59 others, including Jose Maria Sison, founder of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines, who is now living in exile in The Netherlands.

A court in Leyte province in central Philippines ordered Ocampo’s arrest this week, but the militant lawmaker has gone into hiding. He denied all accusations against him.

"After the release of the arrest order against Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and 59 other individuals, we felt heightened surveillance on our national office located at Project 3, Quezon City. It's like the government 'open season' vs. progressives and government critics," Lito Ustarez, KMU's executive vice president.

"We will not be surprised if we discover that the KMU National office is under surveillance 24/7. Yesterday at around 11 a.m, a suspicious looking man boarding a white Tamaraw FX van parked right outside our office and took pictures of our office building facade and entrance.”

“We also noticed several strangers roaming outside our office and standing at nearby stores and passenger jeep terminals. We are not new to these kinds of harassment initiated by government agents. We are ready and alert all the time. In fact, we already outlined counter monitoring plans," he said.

Ustarez said other party list groups and peace missions allied with KMU were also harassed by soldiers around Manila and Quezon City."Even KADAMAY members and leaders in urban poor communities in Commonwealth and Payatas in Quezon City are being harassed by armed military under the guise of civil military operations.”

“In Dona Nicasia Subdivision in Commonwealth, KADAMAY members are being monitored. Active KADAMAY members are threatened by the military to stop joiningrallies organized by KMU and Anakpawis," he said.

Police and military authorities denied the allegations, but tagged the KMU and other groups, including Anakpawis and Bayan Muna, as fronts of CPP and the NPA.

Bayan Muna ranked No.1 in the latest Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia surveys along with other progressive party list groups.

“The results of the surveys only prove that the Filipino people remain critical in dealing with the country’s most crucial issues. Dirty campaign tricks no longer work within a society where people are gaining higher consciousness,” Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Bomba, Bala; Posters, Kalendaryo Ng Bayan Nasamsam Sa Lugar Ng NPA

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 05 Mar) IBAT-IBANG poster at kalendaryo ng Bayan Muna party list group ang nasamsam ng militar kasunod ng pakikipag-engkuwentro sa mga hinihinalang miyembro ng New People's Army (NPA) sa Toril, Davao City.

Nabatid ngayong araw kay kay Army spokesman Major Ernesto Torres, Jr. na nakasagupa ng mga elemento ng 73rd Infantry Battalion ang mga rebelde sa ilalim ng isang kumander Bobby sa bisinidad ng Barangay Eden sa naturang lalawigan.

Bukod sa mga campaign materials ng Bayan Muna, nakuha rin ng mga sundalo sa lugar ng insidente ang 52 rounds ng bala para sa M60, dalawang improvised landmines at mga subersibong dokumento.

Kasunod nito, hinamon ng opisyal ang liderato ng gerilyang grupo na patunayang wala itong kaunayan sa sinumang politiko.

"Following the report, we challenge the NPA leadership to prove that they are in no way associated with any political group who is running for elections in May," ani Torres sa Mindanao Examiner.

Mahigit sa 100 piraso ng kalendaryo na may larawan nina Reps. Satur Ocampo, Joel Virador at Teddy Casino at mga poster na humihikayat ng pagboto ang nakuha ng militar buhat sa mga rebelde.

Dalawang sundalo rin ang napatay kasunod ng sagupaan na nakilalang sina Staff Sergeant Conrado Nequiaz at Cafgu member at dating rebelde na si Gary Lopez.

Tatlo naman sa panig ng komunistang grupo ang napaslang bagamat nabigong marekober ng tropa ng pamahalaan ang mga labi nito. (Juley Reyes)

Militants Hold Rally, Demand For Release of Ailing Solon

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 26 Feb) – The militant Kilusang Mayo Uno held a rally Monday outside the Philippine Heart Center in Manila to protest the continued detention of Rep. Crispin Beltran, who is facing rebellion charges.

Beltran, who repeatedly denied accusations against him, is under medication at the Philippine Heart Center. It was his first year of detention Monday, which coincided with the 21st anniversary of the People Power revolution.

Beltran’s supporters in the Philippines and progressive groups allied with KMU in Germany, Australia, Japan and the United States also held a similar rally to protest the politician’s illegal detention. KMU and another party list group, Anakpawis joined the “Free Ka Bel Movement” to demand Beltran’s release. Ka Bel is Beltran’s nickname.

"We will not abandon the fight for Ka Bel's release. Not even the malicious tagging of the AFP against our organization will stop us from campaigning for Ka Bel's release.”

“The campaign for his release is among our top priorities right now," KMU secretary general and Anakpawis Party List nominee, Joel Maglunsod, said in a statement.

Maglunsod visited the ailing politician early this week and they have discussed ways on how the solon can campaign for the Anakpawis party list despite his detention.

"Anakpawis Party List have filed petition for Ka Bel to campaign outside the PHC. We are expecting that Ka Bel can join as Anakpawis nominees officially file for candidacy at the Commission on Elections early next month."

"As of now, we are exhausting all legal means to free Ka Bel. But the government's stance on his case shows that Arroyo is very much afraid of Ka Bel and his capacity as a legislator and leader of the progressive people's movement," Maglunsod said.

In Davao City, the militant Bayan Muna party list, also criticized Arroyo and likened her to former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Arroyo was catapulted to power in 2001 after a people power-backed bloodless revolution toppled President Joseph Estrada, accused of pocketing illegal gambling money.

Arroyo said she would not run anymore, but broke her promise and in 2004 ran against Fermando Poe Jr., and won another 6-year term in a poll tainted with accusations of massive cheating and vote-buying. She said she won fair and square and denied allegations of cheating.

"She is delusional, ambitious and insolent. Never would the people tire from braving the streets of EDSA so long as Mrs. Arroyo stays in power and continues to employ Marcosian strategies in incessantly suppressing the people's cry for justice and genuine freedom," Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Militant Group Urges RP Media To Reject ATB

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 24 Feb) – Party list Bayan Muna urged the Philippine media on Saturday to support its call for the public to reject the government’s implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Bill.

“The media is in the most apt position to distrust, negate and stop the full implementation of a law that will further quell freedom of expression, kill more journalists, and deny civil liberties," it said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

The militant group previously condemned the killings of journalists and political activist in the country. More than 800 had been killed since President Gloria Arroyo assumed the presidency in 2001.

"The members of the press are among the common victims of state repression and massive human rights violations in the country. When we, the members of progressive organizations are continuously hunted by military intelligence and gradually butchered like animals, the media is subjected to the same abuse of power for their commitment to educate the people of the true situation of the country," said Bayan Muna Party list Rep. Joel Virador.

Bayan Muna reiterates the dangers that the anti-terror bill poses to the media as clearly contained under Section 5 (accomplice) or Section 6 (accessory) of the said bill. “As stated, the bill punishes persons "who, having knowledge of the …conspiracy to commit terrorism and without having participated therein... profits from it" or conceals its conspirators,” it said.

Virador said with the apparent objective of the bill – to silence critics of the Arroyo government – it becomes ironic that proponents of the said bill declared that the press is exempted from its provisions.

"The media gets its story from the people without any prejudice to their political leanings. Any dissent that represents the people's legitimate concern and any situation that reflects social realities is any journalist's responsibility to expose and to ultimately catalyze meaningful changes from it," Virador said.(Mindanao Examiner)

Militant Groups Dare Gov't To Prosecute Those Linked To Political Killings In RP

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 23 Feb) - The militant party list group, Bayan Muna, on Friday challenged the Arroyo government to prosecute a retired army commander, Jovito Palparan, linked by an independent commission to the political killings in the Philippines.

"The Melo report is right in pointing Palparan's culpability in the killings of activists, journalists and innocent civilians. The report reaffirms earlier investigations that have long been proving Palparan's hand to all the killings that were perpetrated under his jurisdiction," Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

The government put up the Melo Commission to investigate the killings. Militant groups said more than 800 political activists had been killed since President Gloria Arroyo assumed the presidency in 2001.

But Palparan, one of the most decorated army general during his time, has repeatedly denied the accusations and pointed to the New People’s Army rebels as behind most of the killings.
Palparan said there were no evidence to link soldiers to the murder of political activists.

“We maintain that the Melo Commission holds no power in decisively resolving the problem on political killings in the country. More so, the report is no better than a vindicating statement for the AFP's high-ranking officials and its commander-in-chief Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. We are not even inclined to believe that said report will practically hold the AFP and the Arroyo regime accountable," Virador said.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Philip Alston who also investigated the killings also blamed the army for most of the murders.

Another party list group, Anakpawis, also condemned the killings and branded the Arroyo government as worst than former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

“The current government of Mrs. Gloria Arroyo has surpassed Marcos' record of fascism and oppression,” said Editha Duterte, the group’s spokesperson in the southern Philippines.

“There are more than 800 victims of political killings since Arroyo assumed power in 2001. Until now, no perpetrators belonging to the military, police, and paramilitary groups, were punished,” she said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Gov't Overreacting On UN Report– Bayan Muna

Bayan Muna expressed its appreciation Thursday to Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Special Executions, for fairly listening to all sides and challenged the Arroyo administration to just admit its militarist policies instead of overreacting, and displaying shameful defensive statements.

Bayan Muna said the Arroyo government's defensive statements were provoked by UN Rapporteur's initial report that somehow proves Malacanang and the Armed Forces of the Philippine's (AFP) culpability in the killings of activists and innocent civilians.

Bayan Muna said today that government officials should instead acknowledge the fact the extrajudicial killings were happening due to its militarist policies as a result of its desperation to eliminate critics of the government.

In Alston's initial report he said that he is convinced that military is behind killings but just in state of denial.

Bayan Muna's belief that the government is not really sincere in solving the killings is confirmed by government agencies statements against Alston, when it was Arroyo herself that sought the help of international bodies to conduct independent investigations.

"Alston is right in his observation that the government don't seem to truly acknowledge the need to respond seriously, effectively and authentically the political killings in the country and has instead threw harsh statements against the UN official," Bayan Muna said in a press statement.

Bayan Muna also appreciated Alston for observing the concerted efforts by government agencies in 'circumventing' the political space allowed leftists in entering the democratic system.

Alston's initial report also confirms further that the Arroyo government is somehow resolute in physically eliminating the progressives where he said that in some instances, such intimidation efforts had escalated into judicial execution.

Bayan Muna also said that it is unfair to Alston to be accused by the government of siding with the left because he already gave all parties the chance to provide evidences and respective statements. Bayan Muna said 'the truth always prevails.'

Gunmen Kill Peasant Leader In South RP

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 09 Feb) – Unidentified gunmen shot dead a peasant leader in an attack in the southern Philippine town of Salay, police and military said.

Police said the gunmen barged into the house of Dalmacio Gandinao on Thursday and shot him in front of his horrified family. The assailants escaped after the attack.

Gandinao was eating dinner with his wife and children when the gunmen broke into their home. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. But followers of the 39-year old leader of the militant group called Bayan Muna blamed soldiers for the murder.

The military said it is also investigating the killing, which coincided with the passage this week of the anti-terror bill in the committees of Congress and Senate. Militant groups said the anti-terror bill would be used by the government to silence political activists.

Police said the man was shot several times in the body. A television news video on Friday showed policemen inspecting what appeared a bullet wound at the back of Gandinao.

More than 200 people, mostly political activists, had died in similar attacks last year and Gandinao was 11th to have been murdered since January. (Mindanao Examiner)