Toll Rising in Philippines Massacre

November  26, 2009

By Carlos H. Conde

MANILA — The death toll in Monday’s election violence rose to 57 on Wednesday, the Philippine authorities said, as 11 more bodies were recovered.

The regional police commander in Maguindanao Province, Josefino Cataluna, said the bodies were dug out from a shallow pit near a grassy hilltop where police officers and troops had found 46 others after Monday’s attack, The Associated Press reported. He said the victims included the family of a gubernatorial candidate and 18 Filipino journalists who accompanied his relatives in filing his election papers.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the contiguous provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat and in the city of Cotabato on the southern island of Mindanao. The measure gives the police and army the authority to apprehend and detain those who carried out the slaughter.

The southern Philippines has been plagued for years by secessionist and Islamist insurgencies. The United States sends $1.6 billion annually in military and economic aid to the Philippines, with much of it aimed at a shadowy Islamist group, Abu Sayyaf, which has ties to Al Qaeda.

The authorities said that this week’s election violence had nothing to do with those groups, but that it was rooted in rivalries among local clans that the government had empowered as a way of combating the insurgents. One clan, the Ampatuans, is considered the closest political ally of Mrs. Arroyo in that part of the southern Philippines.

Statement on the Maguindanao massacre

Press Statement

 November 23, 2009

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) condemns in the strongest terms the recent election-related violence in Maguindanao province which claimed the lives of 36 people, including members of the Mangundadatu family, their supporters and staff, 2 lawyers and several journalists. The abduction and killings were so brazen that it has shocked everyone, even those in Malacanang. The massacre was indiscriminate and was carried out with utter disregard for the law by apparently powerful and influential forces. We condemn in particular the killing of women, lawyers and journalists.

A swift and impartial probe must now be conducted and the perpetrators of this heinous crime must be brought to justice. The full force of the law must be made to bear on the killers.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo must not let her political association with the Ampatuan family stand in the way of a speedy and impartial investigation into the incident. The national government must step in and enforce the law since the local police is not likely capable of conducting an impartial probe or may be vulnerable to pressure by the powerful political families in the province.

We support the call for the disarmament and dismantling of private militias in the area which have long existed but have been seemingly tolerated by the government. The national government can no longer turn a blind eye to the long-standing problem of warlordism and violence in the province.

Those public officials being linked to the killings must now be relieved or must take a leave of absence in order to give way to an impartial probe. The Philippine National Police leadership in the province should also be relieved.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner was quoted as saying the 100 men who staged the abduction were allegedly led by Mayor Datu Unsay Ampatuan and one Police Senior Inspector Dicay of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Shariff Aguak. This serious allegation involving local government and police officials should also be looked into.

Hillary won’t raise Visiting Forces Agreement review during visit

Hillary won’t raise Visiting Forces Agreement review during visit 
By Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star) Updated November 12, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – The RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) will not be raised by the United States during the meeting of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Philippine officials, but the issue of human rights is expected to be discussed.

“From our side, we don’t actually intend to discuss any specific agreement we have with the Philippines, whether it’s the VFA, trade agreement, any of our other mutual defense cooperation,” US Ambassador Kristie Kenney told radio stationdzBB.

“Everyone has his own issue that they hope will come up in some way, shape or form and so I know there are people who want details of the VFA discussed,” Kenney said.

Militant groups calling for a review or scrapping of the VFA said the visit of Clinton to Manila for consultation with Philippine officials is an opportunity to deliver the message to US government to revisit the agreement.

“I’ll not speak to what message the Filipino people, the Philippine public, the Philippine Congress might offer to the Secretary of State. What is on her mind and what she hears from people here may be totally different,” Kenney added.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said she believed Clinton will visit Manila because of concerns over calls to scrap the VFA and seek assurance that the Philippines will stick to the accord.

Clinton’s visit takes place as the Philippines pins its hope on the State Department to delete the conditions Washington set on its military aid to the country.

The $2-million military aid to the Philippines in 2009 was withheld allegedly because of human rights abuses previously raised by groups and churches in the US.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said the Obama administration recently requested upon submission of its 2010 budget request the deletion of conditions on the US$2 million security assistance in the 2009 appropriations act in recognition of significant progress made by the Philippines in addressing human rights concerns.

Obama asks US Congress to remove conditions on military aid

Obama asks US Congress to remove conditions on military aid

(The Philippine Star) Updated November 10, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – The Obama administration has asked the US House of Representatives to remove the conditions on the $2-million military aid for the Philippines in the proposed US appropriations act for next year, the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

The US Congress has yet to adopt a final version of the bill, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said.

Romulo confirmed Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro’s statement that US Sen. Daniel Inouye, Senate appropriations committee chairman, has committed to increase defense and security assistance for the Philippines.

“The Philippine government had been recognized by both the Obama administration and the US Congress for its efforts in addressing human rights issues,” he said.

“We welcome US engagement  with our country because we share the same values of democracy, freedom and rule of law.”

Romulo said the US Congress has pushed for higher US military assistance to the Philippines next year compared to previous years.

“Both houses of the US Congress have recommended close to double the amount requested by the Obama administration for foreign military assistance,” he said.

Romulo said overall, the Obama administration has proposed $667 million in assistance for the Philippines for next year to include defense, security and economic assistance; poverty alleviation under the Millennium Challenge Account; and veterans’ benefits.

Filipino-American Women Travel to the Philippines to Participate in Typhoon Relief Missions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reference: Valerie Francisco, Vice Chair, GABRIELA USA, gabrielawomen@gmail.com
Photos and video available for media distribution

 

 

Filipino-American Women Travel to the Philippines to Participate in Typhoon Relief Missions and GABRIELA’s 25th Anniversary Activities
GABRIELA USA Raised $8,000 and Helped Distribute 2,000 Bags of Food

 

Quezon City, PHIILIPPINES– After successful grassroots fund raising in the US for Ondoy victims, Filipino-American women from GABRIELA USA, an overseas chapter of GABRIELA Philippines with member organizations across the United States, arrived in the Philippines in mid-October to participate in relief missions in devastated areas of Dagupan City, Pangasinan, and Tatalon, Quezon City. In a caravan of volunteers from the Gabriela Women’s Partylist, including Congresswoman Liza Maza, they were able to deliver over 2,000 bags of food to the lines of hundreds of typhoon victims in 4 different barangays. In Dagupan City, Typhoon Pepeng displaced over 155,071 people and submerged over 60% of the residences.

“Although the water has subsided, you could see the effects of Typhoon Pepeng in the people. Hundreds of people waiting in line in 100 degree heat for bare essentials to survive: a kilogram of rice, three sardine cans, and two packs of noodles. These conditions were not only the cause of a typhoon, but an administration that is incompetent in responding to the people’s basic needs of food, shelter, and proper health care,” said Raquel Redondiez, chair of GABRIELA USA, who participated in giving out relief goods.

Continuing the legacy of 25 years of  service and advocacy for women and children’s concerns,  GABRIELA’s  response to the needs of typhoon victims was swift and painstaking.  As they provided food and assistance to affected communities, they also encouraged women to hold the government accountable for their lack of preparedness and response.

“Seeing the work of  GABRIELA to provide relief and rehabilitation directly to affected communities has given me hope that we can rebuild this nation. And we are not going to only be here after a typhoon hit, but organizations like GABRIELA are in communities day in and day out working to build a more sustainable society,” added Raquel Redondiez.

COMMUNITY TEACH-IN::Hacienda Luisita: Farmers, Land and the Philippines – Connecting to Home

Please join us in remembering….

HACIENDA LUISITA

Farmers, Land and the Philippines -Connecting to Home

Community Teach-In & 5 Year Commemoration 

Monday November 16, 2009
6:00pm-8:00pm
Filipino Community Center
5740 MLK Way Seattle

 

Free Event
Childcare available upon request

For more information please contact pinayinfo@gmail.com

Seattle, WA – On November 16, 2009 members of BAYAN USA and GABRIELA USA will host a Community Teach-In in commemoration of the 5 year anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita massacre.  Land is an essential part of life for most Filipinos living in the countryside.  More than 75% of Filipinos are landless farmers, living and working on farmland they do not own, keeping the Philippines in a semi-feudal state.  Hacienda Luisita, a major sugar processing zone, is located in the province of Tarlac, and  landlord control over the vast track of land has been in the hands of the Cojuangco family for decades. 

Thousands of Hacienda Luisita farm and mill workers went on strike on November 16, 2004, just days after halting production in the sugar mills to protest cuts in workdays depriving them of their main source of income.  Menial pay amounting to as little as P9.50 a week was all they had to sustain themselves and their families. The unarmed striking farm workers were met with bullets by the Philippine military and police, injuring hundreds and killing 14.  

As the ongoing crisis of landlessness continues, the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita will not forget the martyrs and all those who continue to struggle for land to call their own.  Please join us in a community gathering to learn more what happened on that fateful day and to understand the importance of land for the livelihood of the Filipino people.  The event will take place on Monday November 16 at the Filipino Community Center from 6-8pm.  Childcare will be available upon request and light refreshments will be provided.

Filipino-American Alliance Conducts Relief Work in Typhoon-Ravaged Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rhonda Ramiro, BAYAN-USA Secretary General, secgen@bayanusa.org

Photos and video available for media distribution

Members Deliver $15K, Medicine and 2,000 Bags of Food to Typhoon Victims

DAGUPAN CITY, PHIILIPPINES– Filipino-Americans under the banner of BAYAN-USA, a US-wide alliance of 14 Filipino organizations, have been actively responding to the needs of the victims of typhoons Ketsana (Ondoy) and Parma (Pepeng) that slammed through the Philippines in the past few weeks killing hundreds and devastating thousands. In addition to conducting on-the-ground emergency relief operations in the Philippines, the alliance reached its projected goal of $15,000 for BALSA (Bayanihan Alay Para Sa Sambayanan), a broad, multi-sectoral disaster relief organization affiliated with its mother alliance, BAYAN Philippines, in addition to gathering dozens of boxes across the US filled with in-kind donations of clothes, food, and medicine. 

This week, members of BAYAN-USA traveled to the Philippines to deliver their monetary donations and participate in relief operations. In Dagupan City, Pangasinan, BAYAN-USA joined Congresswoman and Senatorial Candidate Liza Maza of the Gabriela Women’s Party and MAKABAYAN Coalition for one day in handing out over 2,000 sacks of food to long lines of families who had been devastated by the typhoon’s destructive force, but met with the inadequate response of the Philippine government in providing relief. Pangansinan, one of the most impacted provinces in the nation, was 80% submerged due to the man-made disaster of the San Roque Dam opening that unleashed more than 8 million cubic meters of water.

“We have seen with our own eyes how the Philippine government has neglected the needs of the typhoon victims at a time of tremendous need for basic necessities like medicine, food, and shelter,” commented Bernadette Ellorin, chair of BAYAN-USA and one of the members of the relief team. “It has been the responsibility of people’s organizations, like BAYAN-USA, to provide the emergency response needed for our families and loved ones back home who are suffering and will continue to suffer from the Arroyo government’s greedy, disaster-creating policies.”

In relaying its monetary and in-kind donations, BAYAN-USA expressed distrust over the Arroyo government’s recent directive for all donations from abroad to be coursed only through accredited organizations with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or face taxation and other types of penalties and fees.

Furthermore, Philippine Consular offices in the U.S. have imposed restrictions on courier services from shipping relief goods collected by organizations whose efforts are not affiliated with the Philippine government. Courier services face high penalty fees should they choose to ship goods from people’s organizations collecting donations such as BAYAN-USA. 

GOVT HELD ACCOUNTABLE: Ondoy Victims Storm HUDCC

News Release 

October 12, 2009

Reference: Shiela Ferrer, National Council Member (0926-6446402)

“More than storm Ondoy, what placed the poor at risk is the Arroyo government’s ineffective housing programs and services, and worsened by its inept disaster response,” stated Shiela Ferrer, GABRIELA National Council member.

Led by the militant women’s group GABRIELA, women and their families who were victims of the freak flood triggered by Ondoy staged a protest action in front of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) to demand the government’s accountability over its failure to address the issues of housing and calamity.

According to GABRIELA, the present situation is being used to further displace communities. The group strongly condemned the plans to demolish urban poor communities located in what the government calls “danger zones” such as those under the bridge of San Mateo and along the Marikina Floodway, without clear and definite plans of genuine relocation. They also criticized the palliative solutions of the government such as the “balik-probinsya”.

“If the victims are relocated to an area, just so the people in government could show they are not sleeping on their job, but without livelihood and social services, it is no different from a calamity hitting the victims again,” said Ferrer.

YouTube Star “HappySlip” in first Seattle Show to raise funds for Filipino Youth Programs

October 14, 2009 – Seattle, WA. Christine Gambito, better known as “HappySlip” will be performing her one woman comedy show “HappySlip LIVE” for the first time in Seattle on October 30th at University of Washington Kane Hall. Gambito is an internationally recognized Filipino-American YouTube personality, actress, and comedian and Philippine Tourism ambassador. She maintains one of the most-subscribed-to channels on YouTube and named second Best Comedy at the 2006 YouTube video awards. Massive Monkees, recently back from MTVs America’s Best Dance Crew will also give a performance. Proceeds will go towards Seattle youth programs at the Filipino Community Center and the Northwest Filipino American Student Alliance.  Cash donations and medical supplies will be accepted for typhoon relief operations in the Philippines.

This fundraiser is a large step in expanding Filipino youth programming.  This expansion of services include: workforce readiness programs, life skills training, cultural enrichment programs, college exploration and mentorship, leadership training, case management services, gang prevention and family support services to be housed in the newly renovated Filipino Community Center.  The youth program seeks to be a safe and inclusive environment supporting holistic academic, personal, and cultural growth. 

“The Filipino youth programs helped me and supported me through my academics,” said Jhenalyn Rapanan.  “Teachers like Mr. Rigor and my tutors helped me pass my WASL and get me into the University of Washington. Now they are supporting me in every decision that I make and leading me in the right direction. [It] is really good for high school students especially those who have big dreams like I do.”

Tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door.   Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 7:30pm.  For more information or to purchase tickets please go to http://fcsyouth.wordpress.com.

Oct 23rd: Sinilangan, Pinay sa Seattle’s 3rd Anniversary Show!

Reference: 
Claudia Alexandra Paras, Chair
Pinay sa Seattle
206-859-7525, pinayinfo@gmail.com

Pinay sa Seattle Celebrates 3 Years of Service to the Community

Seattle, WA. On October 23, 2009 at 6:00pm, Pinay sa Seattle will be having a showcase celebrating its third anniversary. It will be held at the Filipino Community Center at 5740 Martin Luther King Jr Way South. The show will be followed by a light meal and community discussion on today’s issues facing Filipino women and girls. 

Since 2006, when Pinay sa Seattle was founded, its vision was to advocate politically for the needs of Filipina women and girls locally and internationally. In the last three years, the organization has worked on a number of campaigns including universal health care, justice for military rape victims in the Philippines, an end to U.S. troops in the Philippines, immigrant rights and LGBTQ equality. This year, Pinay sa Seattle participated in the founding assembly of GABRIELA-USA, the first overseas chapter of GABRIELA Philippines. 

At the end of October, GABRIELA Philippines will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary and delegates from GABRIELA-USA will participate in the organization’s congress. The gathering will include representatives from the over 200 women’s organization in the Philippines allied with GABRIELA. 

Here in Seattle, Pinay’s anniversary show, Sinilangan (a Tagalog word meaning origin or cradle) will help raise funds for the celebration abroad. Sinilangan will feature local Filipina artists raising their voices for progressive change. These include Rogue Pinay from the hip hop duo First Quarter Storm, actress and storyteller Nancy Calos-Nakano, theater-extraordinaire Maria Batayola, spoken word artist Ela Barton, poet Kathrina Estoque, the Pinay Choir and more. Tickets are now available athttp://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/80979.

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