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Eighteen delegates, including seven young adults, traveled
to three regions of the country June 24-July 7. The California-Nevada Conference has sent more than $12,000 to the Philippines
to support families of victims of human rights violations. 'I am them too!' Laddie Perez-Galang, a member of South Hayward (Calif.)
United Methodist Church, led the group that went to Nueva Ecija. The group
met with two brothers in Pantabanga whose parents, United Methodist lay leaders, were tortured and forced to commit suicide.
Victims speak out Edith Burgos told the group her son, Jonas, was abducted
and has been missing for more than a year. Jonas was an organizer among the poor farmers and fishers. The Rev. Melchor Abesamis,
a student at Union Theological Seminary, was abducted, tortured and imprisoned for a litany of offenses. He was released and
shared his story with the delegation for the first time in public.
The group also visited a United Church of Christ pastor,
the Rev. Berlin Guerrero, in the Cavite prison where he has been under arrest on charges of murder since May 27, 2007. He
was abducted in front of his wife and three children and has been subjected to torture. Guerrero has maintained his innocence
and said he has been a target of the state. *Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer
based in Nashville, Tenn.
A UMNS Report
http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2433457&ct=5722745 ________________________________________________________________________________________
State of Philippine media like state of nation--journalists MANILA,
Philippines -- “The state of the media is the state of the nation,” an official of a media group said Wednesday. When
asked to assess the situation of the country's journalists, Joe Pavia, executive director of the Philippine Press Institute
(PPI), gave this reply, two days after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gave her own assessment on the country's situation
last Monday. Other
journalists agreed. During
a forum titled PRESSing times organized by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), various media professionals
and leaders said Philippines media was not faring very well. Isagani
Yambot, publisher of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net), pointed out some of the problems plaguing
media today. First,
Yambot said, was the problem of harassments and killings of journalists. Based on PDI research, Yambot said that in 2007,
the Philippines ranked only second as the most dangerous place for journalists, with 13 incidents of journalist killings.
Iraq ranked first with 24 cases of journalist killings. What
was disturbing, Yambot said, was that those arrested or killed were just gunmen and not the masterminds behind the killings. “They
were not even the masterminds but only the assassins or the gunmen. This shows the culture of impunity or disregard for the
killings of journalists has emboldened the killers,” Yambot said in Filipino. Yambot
also cited the journalist's lack of access to information, saying the country is “partly free” when it comes to
media freedom. Another
main problem journalists here were experiencing was economical, such as low salary rates, increasing prices of oil, newsprint,
and even the falling peso-dollar exchange rate. These problems affect the income of journalists and media organizations alike,
Yambot said. “The
continuous rise in the price of newsprint, along with the rise in the price of oil and lower exchange rate of the peso to
the dollar … That’s why there are papers that have raised their cover price,” Yambot said. Finally,
Yambot said, journalists often have difficulty in grammar. “May
mga nag-iisip sa Tagalog at nagsusulat sa Ingles [There are those who think in Tagalog and write in English],” he said. Pavia
said these problems were not only felt locally but also globally as well. “These
are global trends in the problem of media,” he said. That
is why journalists have to constantly review their craft and develop their skills, Pavia said. Complicating
things is the introduction of online media, which Yambot said, has posed a challenge to journalists to practice “convergence.” “Hindi
pwedeng humiwalay ang lumang media at bagong media [Old media cannot separate from new media],” he said. Meanwhile,
Joe Torres, chairman of the NUJP, said online journalism has tranformed “jologs” journalism to multimedia journalism,
making it a challenge for journalists to transform their content and to learn technology. “Habang
lumalago ngayon ang technology, nandyan ang challenge [While technology is growing, there is the challenge] to be fair, accurate,
and balanced, as journalists,” Torres added. First
posted 14:31:21 (Mla time) July 30, 2008 _______________________________________________________________________________________ SC tells appeals court to hear pastor’s plea MANILA,
Philippines -- The Supreme Court has directed the Court of Appeals to hear the petition of a detained Protestant pastor who
had alleged that he was tortured by police and charged with murder without basis. Pastor
Berlin Guerrero of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, joined by former senator Jovito Salonga, among others,
had sought the high court’s help to secure his release and stop court proceedings on what he claimed was a baseless
murder charge. The
high tribunal said the allegations raised in the pleading contained issues of facts that it could not take cognizance of because
it was not “a trier of facts.” But
instead of dismissing Guerrero’s plea, the high court said it should be brought to the appellate court, considering
the gravity of his allegations. “In
view of the seriousness of the allegations of the violations of the liberty and dignity of a citizen who is said to be under
detention, and in order that this case be acted upon with dispatch, the court, instead of dismissing this petition outright,
hereby resolves to remand the case to the Court of Appeals,” it said in an en banc resolution released last month. Guerrero
was allegedly abducted on May 27, 2007 and tortured by men in civilian clothes. Later, he was informed by police that he had
been arrested for the murder of a certain Noli Yatco. He
petitioned the Bacoor, Cavite regional trial court to have the charge against him dismissed, but his motion was denied, prompting
him to run to the high court for help. In
the petition filed with the Supreme Court, Guerrero, with Salonga as well as other church groups and a Catholic Bishop, said
there was no probable cause to try the accused for Yatco’s death. The
petition said Guerrero was never informed of the charges against him and that the witness who had implicated him never appeared
before the judge who had conducted the preliminary investigation. It
also said the RTC disregarded the facts. It pointed out that during the preliminary investigation, the judge had stated that
without the testimony and examination of the eyewitness, whom she acknowledged of failing to examine, there would be nothing
to link the pastor to the alleged murder. But
the judge still allowed the murder charge to be filed, the petition said. First posted 23:10:49 (Mla time) July 08, 2008 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ PNP top violator of human rights in RP--CHR chief MANILA,
Philippines-- Commission on Human Rights (CHR) head Leila de Lima chided the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday for
still being the number one human rights violator in the country. In
a speech during Monday's flag-raising ceremonies at police national headquarters in Camp Crame, De Lima enumerated the various
cases of human rights violations allegedly committed by police such as the Kuratong Baleleng rubout case, the Ortigas rubout of alleged car thieves and the alleged rubout of suspects in the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. robbery in Cabuyao,
Laguna. De
Lima also criticized police for making media presentations of suspects who are usually wearing orange t-shirts with the word
"detainee" printed on them, even if the suspects should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. De
Lima also warned the police the CHR would continue investigating cases of human rights violations and would file the appropriate
cases against police officers involved. "They
(PNP) are still leading (the list of human rights violators)," De Lima told reporters after her speech. National
Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Director Geary Barias told reporters that De Lima's assessment of the PNP "is
to be expected." "When
you implement the law, there will be those who are hurt when they are at the receiving end when you impose the law," Barias
said. He
said that when complaints were filed against policemen, these were immediately counted as human rights cases. "But these are
not outright human rights violations. They are meant to harass our law enforcers," Barias said in defense of the PNP. Barias
said they have been implementing moves to integrate human rights in the training of police recruits. "We have a series of
seminars as part of the recruitment where we pound this into the recruits." First posted 15:40:47 (Mla time) July 14, 2008 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ MANILA,
Philippines -- While the incidence of extrajudicial killings may have decreased in the second quarter of this year, the human
rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights) maintains that the country still does not enjoy
a “vibrant democracy.” The
right group released its second quarter Karapatan Monitor on Monday, which acknowledged that extrajudicial killings and enforced
disappearances committed against activists have decreased from April to June. But
the group said the government is no “human rights advocate.” “Karapatan
condemns the continuation of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, illegal detention, torture, hamletting, forced
evacuation and other human rights violations against men, women and children,” the group said. From
April to June, Karapatan monitored seven cases of extrajudicial killings, 11 frustrated killings and two abductions. But
Karapatan gave credit for this to “UN special rapporteurs, representatives of international NGOs [nongovernmental organizations],
foreign lawmakers…and to Chief Justice Reynato Puno who supported us in our defense of human rights in the Philippines.” The
human rights violations reported by Karapatan include the alleged abduction and “psychological torture” committed
against Rose Ann Gumanoy, the daughter of slain peasant leader Eduardo Gumanoy. Rose
Ann was presented to the media last July 10 and denied allegations she and her sister Fatima were kidnapped by military men.
But Rose Ann’s mother maintained her daughter was kidnapped. Last
May 15, peasant leader Celso Pojas, 45, was gunned down by unidentified men in Davao City allegedly by “military death
squads as part of the government’s counter-insurgency program, Oplan Bantay Laya [Freedom Watch] I and II,” Karapatan
said. On
the same day, Randy Malayao, 39, was abducted by unidentified men. Malayao, who was former vice president of the College Editors
Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), was also a consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in Cagayan Valley. First posted 18:38:15 (Mla time) July 21, 2008
More
journalists ask SC to stop gov’t ‘prior restraint’ MANILA, Philippine Daily Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot, editor-in-chief, Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, reporter Volt Contreras,
and columnist Solita "Winnie" Monsod, were among the journalists who filed a motion to intervene asking that they be included
as petitioners in a pending case before the high court in connection with the mass arrest of journalists who covered the occupation
of the Manila Peninsula Hotel by renegade soldiers last year. The original petitioners in the pending case, among them a number of the arrested journalists, said government officials
have continued to issue threats against them, citing the statement of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez that in similar situations,
media practitioners would be held criminally liable if they to "disobey lawful orders from duly authorized government officials." Those who filed the motion to intervene also asked the high court to order government to stop branding journalists
as protectors or co-conspirators of rebels. The other petitioners are Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) president Ramon Tuazon, AIJC senior
adviser Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid, AIJC editor Nimfa D. Camua and BizNews Asia president Tony Lopez and more than 16 Baguio
City-based journalists. Aside from Gonzalez, the respondents in the case are Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines' chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Avelino Razon Jr., National Capitol Region Police Office Director Geary Barias, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Chief Superintendent Asher Dolina. First posted 17:36:45
(Mla time) May 07, 2008 Kidnapped Albay militant released prior to ‘amparo’
Vic Mirafuentes, spokesperson of human
rights group Karapatan in Albay, said Thursday that
After his release,
The victim’s wife, Rogelyn Samar,
30, had earlier tagged the military as responsible for the abduction, quoting eyewitnesses in the neighborhood, prior to her
husband’s release.
Rogelyn told the Inquirer earlier that
the family would file a writ of amparo if her husband was not surfaced in two days.
Mirafuentes said the presence of witnesses,
the support of militant groups for the victim’s family, and media coverage could have been important factors in
He was abducted by eight to nine armed
men while tending his retail store in Barangay Layon,
Rogelyn said that, according to witnesses,
two men with closely cropped hair were seen buying soft drinks from her husband.
She said the same men grabbed
She added that when her husband lost
consciousness, he was handcuffed and carried to an L-300 white Mitsubishi van that fled while being followed by two motorcycles.
First posted 05:04:22 (Mla time) April
18, 2008 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Cheers greet RP report to human rights council but …
“It
was very encouraging. I didn’t expect it. Pambihira (Unusual). I was told that presenters are not usually accorded that
privilege,” Ermita told the Inquirer on Saturday in a long-distance phone call. “They all praised our report.”
But in
a statement, Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said he “nearly fell” off his seat after hearing Ermita deliver a
report that he described as a self-serving, selective and “totally one-sided depiction” of the human rights situation
back home.
Casiño,
who is taking part in the UNHRC’s Universal Periodic Review as an observer, said that after Ermita read out the report,
16 member-countries expressed concern over the rights situation in the
Earlier,
a report e-mailed to Malacañang by Undersecretary Edwin Enrile, a member of the high-ranking delegation led by Ermita, described
the Philippine human rights presentation as “quite successful,” as gauged from the applause. Enrile
said the
Flabbergasted As a
whole, the report was designed to portray the Arroyo administration as a “vanguard defender” of human rights and
good governance in the country, Casiño said.
“I
was particularly flabbergasted to hear Secretary Ermita boast of the government’s superlative gains in fighting graft
and corruption in the
First-ever review The UNHRC
is meeting for the first-ever Universal Periodic Review, a mechanism devised by the council based on objective and reliable
information to monitor the 192 UN member-states’ fulfillment of their human rights obligations and commitments.
The
Ermita’s
18-minute “opening presentation” followed by reports from other Philippine officials before an audience of about
300 composed of representatives of UNHRC member-countries, observers and participants was followed by a question-and-answer
portion in which 44 countries had a chance to ask questions. The whole process took three hours.
Ermita
said officials from the 11 Philippine agencies who flew with him to
He said
the issue of human rights was “a wide-ranging subject.” On the
killings, Ermita said questions were asked on the Philippine government’s progress in following the recommendations
by the Melo Commission and UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston.
The UNHRC
member-countries were also curious about the writs of amparo and habeas data issued by the Supreme Court.
“They
wanted to know how fast and what measures we have undertaken to stop extrajudicial killings,” Ermita said.
He said
the council members were “very appreciative of our report that since November 2007, there has been an 83-percent drop
in the killings.”
Achievements Enrile
said that in its presentation, the Philippine delegation highlighted the country’s achievements in human rights and
the reforms and measures it continued to pursue.
He said
it also acknowledged the challenges that the Philippines was facing, including the extrajudicial killings that had been largely
blamed on the military—an accusation denied by both the Armed Forces and Malacañang. “And
we welcomed the recommendations and all forms of cooperation from the international community,” Enrile said.
Ermita
said that while “critical questions” were asked, “more than 90 percent of the [UNHRC] members said they
are very appreciative of our report, and the fact that the Philippine government has welcomed Alston and given enough cooperation
in the conduct of investigations.”
“They
appreciated the forthrightness of the
They
were also “impressed” that the
Grilling But in
a statement, human rights lawyer Edre Olalia said delegates from 17 countries grilled Ermita on the extrajudicial killings
and forced disappearances of militant activists, rights of women, children, migrants and indigenous peoples, corruption, and
the Philippine government’s failure to ratify instruments against torture and disappearances.
Olalia,
a member of the UPR Watch delegation and the president of the International Association of People’s Lawyers, said the
delegates were from
“Stripped
of the usual diplomatic courtesies, this sizable number sends a strong message that the Philippine human rights record is
both under the microscope and within the radar of the international community,” he said.
Olalia
said questions were also raised on the “absence of convictions of perpetrators” in 901 political killings since
2001.
He said
the Canadian representative indicated that his country “remains concerned [about the] few convictions.”
The British,
on the other hand, “said that the Philippine government’s implementation of international rights instruments was
‘delayed and problematic,’ and that their government sees ‘no impact’ from measures against corruption,”
he said.
Razzle-dazzle Olalia
said many Filipinos who witnessed Ermita’s presentation were “appalled by the ebullient presentation of barefaced
lies, spins, and out-of-this world razzle-dazzle ... ”
“Ermita
and his delegation gave unsatisfactory and even formulaic answers to questions they chose to answer and totally ignored the
rest, like those regarding concrete steps on the recommendations of UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston,” he said.
Casiño
said what was even more incredible was the Philippine government’s claim that it was implementing anticorruption measures,
including strengthening the Ombudsman’s investigation and prosecution powers, holding continuous trials in antigraft
courts, and installing electronic case management and information systems.
Fresh cases “I
almost fell from my seat listening to him (Ermita) expound on government efforts to strengthen the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan,
the success of its electronic procurement system, and effectivity of its lifestyle checks,” Casiño said.
“Fortunately,
not all countries took this line, hook and sinker,” the lawmaker said. Casiño had
earlier vowed to lobby the UN to strip the By
Michael Lim Ubac, TJ Burgonio Posted date: April 13, 2008 __________________________________________________________________________________________________
RP urged to tell truth on rights situation before UN review MANILA,
Philippines -- Stop the lies, tell the world the truth about the human rights situation in the country, Bayan Muna Representative
Teodoro Casiño told the government on Monday ahead of the United Nations Council’s (UNC) first Universal Periodic Review
(UPR) in Geneva this Friday.
Casiño,
who will leave the country on Tuesday to join the
The UPR
is a new mechanism by the UNC to ensure the fulfillment by each state member’s human rights obligations and commitments.
“Paano
magiging effective yung UPR ng UN kung ang Pilipinas mismo ay magsa-submit ng isang report na hindi nagsasabi ng tunay na
kalagayan [How will the UPR of the UN be effective if the
“Ang
panawagan namin sa gobyerno ng Pilipinas,
Casiño
further said, “If the Arroyo government can get away with its lies and its cover-up in the Senate or in the House of
Representatives, hindi nila magagawa yan sa UN at sa [they cannot do that in the UN and before the] international community.
Nakakahiya naman [It will be embarrassing].”
The lawmaker
branded as an “outright lie” the Philippine National Report (PNR) on the country’s human rights condition,
especially its claim that the report was created through a series of consultations with various groups.
He also
criticized the PNR for its failure to include the findings and recommendations of UN special rapporteur Philip Alston about
the alleged involvement of the military to most of the extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in the
Casiño,
who will sit as observer in the UPR, said he would also press for the removal of the Philippine membership in the UNC or “other
less drastic ways” of sanctioning the country for “its failure to live up to its international human rights commitments.”
“Yung
sanctions na yan [Those sanctions have], maraming [many] forms. One form could be probably the revocation of the Philippine
membership in the UNC or other less drastic ways of sanctioning the
“Pangalawa,
i-compel ng UN na ipatupad ng Pilipinas ang lahat ng recommendations ni [Second, the UN should compel the
By joining
the
By Maila Ager ________________________________________________________________________________________ Families of desaparecidos pin hopes of
justice on UN 'Token
moves' of gov't part of 'cover-up'--
At
a forum in Quezon City, Edita Burgos, mother of missing activist Jonas Burgos, said "token moves" by the government -- such
as the creation of Task Force Usig, the special police unit tasked to investigate extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances,
and investigations by the Commission on Human Rights -- are all part of a "cover-up" by the Arroyo government.
Although
she agreed with the observation of the European Union that the incidence of human rights violations in the country has gone
down,
"In
short, the token moves of the government have not really helped. In fact, they are part of a cover-up, and I say this because
it's true to the case of Jonas and I think it's also true to the case of the others here," she said.
The
young
"It
will be one year in April 28, I have not found my Jonas. We've exhausted all the means available to us in this democratic
country. And so what is left to us? To look for relief from outside the
"Now
why do we go to the UN? Because we hope that eventually, we would find justice. We know that after sometime, our chances of
recovering our loved ones alive gets slimmer and slimmer," she said.
Burgos
also hoped the UN would be able to help the victims' families pressure the government into not only returning their loved
ones but also get those responsible for their abductions, torture and captivity, "to pay for what they have done, to right
the wrong that they have done."
"That's
why we keep on talking. To give them [perpetrators] a chance to follow their conscience and come clean, return our loved ones
back to us, or we will not go away. We will say we will be a sore in your sight," she added. "Yes.
We demand the truth. We want truth to come out. That's the only way we can find our loved ones," she said.
By Maila Ager _______________________________________________________________________________________ Remove RP from
UN rights body--activists
Bayan
Muna (People First) party list Representative Teodoro Casiño and the Reverend Rex Reyes, general-secretary of the National
Council of Churches of the Philippines (NCCP), made the call Tuesday ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the country's
human rights record by the UNHCR on April 18. The
The
resolution provides for "a universal periodic review, based on objective and reliable information, of the fulfillment by each
state of its human rights obligations and commitments in a manner which ensures universality of coverage and equal treatment
with respect to all states."
The
so-called Troika of Rapporteurs will facilitate the review of the human rights situation in the Philippines based on three
documents that would be required of each state: a nation report or national information prepared by the state under review;
a compilation done by the Office of the Higher Commission on Human Rights (OCHR); and a summary prepared by the OCHR of reliable
information submitted by other stakeholders, including non-government organizations and national human rights institutions.
After
the review, the Troika will then submit a report to the Human Rights Council plenary.
Casiño
called the UPR a "logical next step to muster broader international support after the government's failure to stop the killings
in many parts of the country."
In
early 2008 alone, the human rights group Karapatan (
"We
need to engage in the UPR process in order to tell the world the truth about the human rights situation under the Arroyo regime
and to make the Arroyo regime accountable to its international human rights obligations," Casiño said at a forum in
"In
this way, we hope to sustain and even increase local and, especially, international pressure on the Philippine government
to put a stop to the human rights atrocities and the impunity by which these are committed," he said. The
leftist solon expressed hopes that, after reviewing the country's human rights record, the UNCHR would reprimand and, if possible,
sanction the
"It
would be a start, for example, if the Philippine membership in the UNCHR would be revoked," he said.
The
UNCHR, Casiño said, must also ask the implement
the recommendations of UN special rapporteur Philip Alston on the killings and disappearances.
Speaking
at the same forum as Casiño, Reyes also said the country no longer deserves to sit in the UNCHR because of its human rights
record.
"The
Philippine government does not deserve to sit in the UNHRC," he said. Referring
to an earlier finding by the Permanent People's Tribunal Second Session on the Philippines, Reyes said it is unacceptable
for the Philippines to be a member of the UNHRC "because it undermines the credibility of the UN in this field; is an intolerable
offense to the victims; and is a denial of the many well-documented denunciations of the dramatic violations of human rights
in the Philippines."
"It
is a source of inordinate embarrassment that the Philippine government is churning all these lies and hypocrisy masquerading
through an idyllic, rosy image of the country's rights record before the international community of nations," Reyes pointed
out.
Former vice president Teofosito Guingona, Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiquez, Bishop Julio Labayen, and families of human rights victims were also present at the forum. By Maila Ager Abducted Couple Transferred to A couple abducted by soldiers and alleged as communist leaders in Leyte province have been
transferred to the Leyte Provincial Jail after being surfaced around 3 p.m., March 24 in the PNP's Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba
City, Laguna. read more After four days of disappearance, Jaime Doria Soldedad, 58, and Clarita Luego-Soledad, 50,
were surfaced to their family around 3 p.m. yesterday, March 24. The couple, who were alleged by the Army as leaders of the
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in Leyte province, were abducted by government intelligence agents on March 20 in
Bacoor, They were transferred to the Leyte Provincial Jail in Palo town today, March 25. Upon their transfer, Luego-Soledad was subsequently released as the police found out she had
no case in the province. However, Jaime Soledad remains in jail as he is being implicated in the multiple murder case
filed against CPP and New People's Army (NPA) leaders for the alleged purge of hundreds of civilians believed to be military
intelligence agents who penetrated the ranks of the CPP-NPA in the 1980s. In August 2006, Army Chief Hermogenes Esperon presented
to the media an alleged mass grave in the town of He is facing multiple murder charges in relation to the Inopacan "mass grave." The couple was presented to the media on March 22. Newspaper reports said the couple was in
the custody of Region IV police intelligence Chief Supt. Ricardo Ilagan Padilla in Camp Vicente Lim in Survivor Luego-Soledad's cousin, Vilma Madrazo, reported the incident to Karapatan on March 22. Madrazo
said she was abducted together with the couple but was immediately released when their abductors realized that her name was
not in the list of those charged in connection to the Inopacan case. In an interview, Madrazo said she was about to meet the couple in front of the 7-11 convenience
store along Daang Hari in Molino 3 subdivision, Bacoor, Cavite at 4:30 p.m. on March 20, when around 10 unidentified men accosted
them and hurled them separately inside a silver Adventure-type van, a white car, and another brown vehicle. Madrazo said she was released somewhere in Alabang, Bayan Muna (People First) Rep. Satur Ocampo and Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) leader Randall
Echanis have been arrested in separate occasions for the same case. Ocampo was released after the Supreme Court granted him
bail while Echanis is still detained in the provincial jail in Palo, BY DABET
CASTAÑEDA _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Methodist pastor nabbed in CAMP VICENTE LIM, LAGUNA – A former militant leader who is now a pastor of the United Methodist Church (UMC)
in Mamburao town in Occidental Mindoro was arrested Sunday night on murder charges, police said. Charged with four counts of murder and theft, Rev. Melchor Abesamis is now detained at the provincial jail in Palmera said Abesamis was the secretary general of the united front bureau in Southern Tagalog of the Communist Party
of the Abesamis was implicated in the ambuscade allegedly staged by New People’s Army rebels on May 10, 2007, in Sitio
Zigsag, Barangay Batasan, “We are alarmed with incidents like (these in which) officials of human rights groups are either arrested or
killed. Pastor Melchor is still fortunate because he was arrested and was not abandoned by his parishioners,” said Candace
Ruedas, UMC district superintendent, in an e-mail to the Inquirer. Cuario said what happened to Abesamis was similar to other cases of abduction and detention of church people who had
worked with militant groups. “The government is again creating trumped-up charges against present and former militant
leaders to cause fear among people and prevent them from joining progressive organizations,” she said.
Palmera said, however, that police had a warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Jose Jacinto Jr. in Occidental
Mindoro. There were 23 other names on the warrant, the Inquirer learned. Abesamis had headed Karapatan in Occidental Mindoro before he became a pastor. By Niña Catherine Calleja, Madonna Virola ________________________________________________________________________________________ House panel OKs resolution on comfort women MANILA, Philippines -- A resolution has been passed by a committee at the House of Representatives urging the Philippine government to ask Japan to formally acknowledge, “apologize and accept” its responsibility over the sexual slavery of young women, also known as “comfort women,” during World War II. The committee on foreign affairs, chaired by Cebu Representative Antonio Cuenco, unanimously passed on Tuesday House Resolution 124 filed by Gabriela Women’s Partylist Representatives Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan; Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño; Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran; and Parañaque Representative Eduardo Zialcita, an administration ally. The approval came despite the warning issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs against the compensation provision in the measure. Marcial Louis Alferez, acting director
of DFA’s Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the specific call for compensation and claims contained in the resolution was
a “reversal of the long-standing Philippine position on war claims and the prevailing understanding between the governments
of the “All claims related to the
war are understood to have been covered by the bilateral reparations agreement of 1996 and the “In all high level meetings
between Alferez clarified that the department would not be an obstacle for claims made on individual or private capacity as well as to the chamber’s move to articulate its support for the comfort women. “We are prepared, nonetheless, to explore ways to best assist in this endeavor of the House and of the lolas [grandmothers],” the official said. Representatives of the Department of Justice and the Department of Social Welfare and Development also expressed support for the immediate approval of the measure. Harry Roque, legal counsel for the
group “Malaya, Lola [Free, Grandmother],” insisted, however, that the compensation call in the resolution was
not a violation of the “Already, the resolution that we are discussing today specified at least breaches two human rights norms committed by Japan as a result of the comfort women situation and that’s a breach of an international law against trafficking of women and secondly, a breach of an obligation against slavery,” Roque explained. Upon Maza’s motion, the committee proceeded with the approval of the resolution. Cuenco said his committee would immediately make a report on the resolution so that the House could approve it at the plenary before Congress goes on recess on Wednesday.
Jonas Burgos ma appeals to US-based Pinoys
The mother of abducted activist Jonas Burgos is now
appealing to Filipinos in the United States in the hope of finding her son, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau reported Thursday.
Army official changes tune on Sulu killings
report In a hastily conducted press conference here, Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, chief of the Western
Mindanao Command, said the report only covered the initial investigation and that the military had never cleared those involved. The eight victims, one of them a vacationing soldier, were rounded up by the soldiers and
deliberately killed, according to residents. In its report, the military’s Inspector General (IG) said the operation conducted by
the Navy’s special forces and the US-trained Light Reaction Co. in Barangay Ipil in Maimbung was legitimate. “[The] ensuing gunbattle was a legitimate encounter between the enemies of the state
and the government troops,” the IG said. Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan said the findings had acquitted the soldiers involved in the massacre. “The reports coming out were inaccurate,” Allaga said, stressing they never cleared
the soldiers. The report triggered outrage among officials and human rights groups. A Moro human rights group based in Tan said the big number of civilian casualties during the raid was unacceptable. But Allaga said the soldiers took so much care when they conducted the operation against the
Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in the area. “The military operation was selective and deliberate and our troops were highly trained
and properly equipped. There could have been more civilian casualties had [the] troops failed to follow the rules of engagement
during the encounter,” he said. Allaga also said two of the supposed civilians killed were actually Abu Sayyaf members Abu
Baying and Abu Dyango. Baying was Ipil village councilor Eldisin Lahim. Octavio Dinampo of the Tulong Lupah Sug said he had received reports that the military was
trying to bribe the families of some of the victims to corroborate its claim about the encounter. Julie Alipala, Inquirer
Labor
groups stage anti-Arroyo march in MANILA, Philippines -- Various labor groups converged at the Ninoy Aquino Monument in Paseo
de Roxas, Makati City 12 noon Wednesday to call for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and to denounce unfair
labor practices in different companies. Labor leaders estimated that about 200 members from the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Nestle Yarn Venture is a textile company owned by Donald Dee, who is also president of the Philippine
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). Nestle workers who have been laid off complained that they have not received their retirement
pay or their separation pay. Meanwhile, workers from Yarn Venture expressed disgust over their termination that followed
the sudden closure of the company in Laguna, without any separation pay. Makati Police said the protesters had no permit to rally but nonetheless allowed them to stay until after lunch. First posted 13:07:13 (Mla
time) March 05, 2008 ______________________________________________________________________________ US troop presence nightmare for hospital chief
But Dr. Silak
Lakkian clarified she was not anti-American. “The people
could speak pretty well that I am not anti-American. In fact I like most of them, although like cholesterol, there is bad
cholesterol and there’s good cholesterol,” she said. Lakkian said
she based her call on her experience following the Nov. 30 order from US troops to close the Panamao hospital at night. She said much
as she wanted to open the hospital at night, they feared for their lives because US troops, led by a Master Sgt. Ron Berg,
threatened to shoot them. Lakkian said
the closure order did not only violate medical rules but also deprived residents of their right to medication. She said what
really made her firm up support for calls for the review of VFA was the death of an infant during the time the closure order
was in place. “In fact
a baby suffering from fever and (diarrhea) was brought to the hospital at night and we cannot attend (to the case) because
of the said order, the hospital was closed, we were informed the infant expired,” Lakkian said. Lakkian admitted
it took her some time to come out in the open because she was nurturing some sort of a “trauma.” As hospital director,
Lakkian said she felt bad about the infant’s death and the failure of patients to receive treatment. The hospital
was only re-opened after the “will be shot at” controversy came to the attention of government officials through
the Inquirer. “Personally,
I don’t trust them anymore. It’s as if we have no rights, like we were animals that could be shot anytime,”
she said. In Midsayap,
North Cotabato, despite the anti-Balikatan protests mounted by militants, American soldiers—joined by their Filipino
counterparts—began construction of a grade-school building as the humanitarian aspect of the joint exercises started
on Feb. 18. Ian Doyle of
the US army engineering team said they were using “American Standard” in constructing the small building in Kadingilan
village. Philippine Daily
Inquirer Julie S. Alipala with a report from Dennis Santos, Inquirer Mindanao 17 Mindanao solons urge suspension of Lanao Balikatan MANILA, Philippines
-- Seventeen representatives from Mindanao have filed a resolution urging the United States and Philippine governments to
suspend the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) joint military exercises in Marawi City and other areas in Lanao del Sur.
First posted
15:52:48 (Mla time) February 18,
2008
Return to sender: Edita’s love letter to ‘Jay’ MANILA, Philippines -- A few days before Christmas last year, Edita
Burgos, the mother of missing activist Jonas Burgos, found an old letter while tidying up her son’s bedroom. The unexpected find sent Edita back in time, summoning emotions that
resonated with the anguish that have filled her days since her 37-year-old son disappeared 10 months ago. Back in her hands was a letter she wrote Jonas in December 1997 conveying
her “helplessness” and “anxieties” about her son’s decision to leave his full-time job managing
the family farm in Bulacan so he could “live” with the Igorot tribesmen of the Cordilleras. “Knowing him, he might not come back. He was not only going
to live with them, but live like them,” recalled Edita, 64, in an interview with the Inquirer on Friday. Jonas, or “Jay” to the family, took up agriculture at
Benguet State University in the early 1990s. At the time, he often communed with the Igorots. He found them to be a “very
sincere people,” and considered their way of life “simple.” He even ate their food and learned their dances,
Edita said. She initially described Jonas’ purpose for leaving as “research,”
but later said her son was out “to discern the kind of life he really liked.” Her husband, journalist and press freedom advocate Joe Burgos (now
deceased), was “proud of his son’s decision,” but Edita wrote Jonas the letter because “I was afraid
that he will be away from us for good. “Whenever I cannot tell things straight to my children, I say
it through love letters,” said Edita, herself a retired educator and journalist. In her letter, the mother of five sensed an impending loss and a growing
distance between the family and her “unique” middle child, one who was “eager to live life to the fullest,
impatient with the strings that kept [him] bound to heart and hearth.” Toward the end of that December, Jonas did leave. He spent about four
years with the Igorots and rarely saw his family in Quezon City. “That’s the part of his life his friends don’t
know much about,” his mother said. On April 28, 2007, Jonas, then active in training a farmers group
affiliated with the leftist Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in Bulacan, was seized along with his two companions by unidentified
men from a Quezon City mall. Edita has since accused the military, particularly the Army’s
56th Infantry Battalion based in Bulacan, to be behind the abduction, and the high command to be party to a cover-up. The
Armed Forces denied this, but three months after the incident it tagged Jonas as a member of the communist New People’s
Army. ‘I love you’ The letter turned up two months ago and days after Edita had filed
at the Court of Appeals a petition for the issuance of a writ of amparo, a legal instrument recently devised by the Supreme
Court to further compel the cooperation of the military and police in the investigation of extrajudicial killings and disappearances. “I have mood swings, you know, given the state I’m in.
[I found the letter] the day I was praying for [the writ of amparo] to be effective, at the same time [I got] this feedback
that it was unlikely to be of any help,” she said. Such were the times “when you feel nothing could help you except
divine intervention,” she said. But on top of these doubts about the justice system, there was a deeper,
more personal question unsettling her that day: “I was feeling so low, wondering if I ever said ‘I love you’
to Jay in clear and unconditional terms. Nasabi ka nga ba sa kanya na mahal ko siya (Was I able to tell him I love him)? “I already forgot about that letter. But I guess [finding it
again] was a special grace in answer to my thoughts,” she said. “I didn’t just ‘tell’ Jay that
I love him—I even put it in writing.” Read and reread She added: “Rereading this helped me regain my belief that Jay
knows he is loved.” Edita said she found the letter “inserted in a prayer book”
that Jonas had always kept within reach during trips. It was among other personal items—a rosary, a set of shirts and
hankies—that Jonas had stuffed in one of his old traveling bags. Edita recalled handing the letter to Jonas just before she and Joe
left for an overseas trip that December. It was handwritten on a single, extra-thin sheet of paper, usually called “onion
skin.” She found the paper already brownish with age and folded about five
times so it could fit snuggly in one’s wallet or even in a matchbox. And it looked as though it had been reopened several times, Edita
said. Not giving up The letter, along with the prayer book that helped protect it from
the elements, now graces her altar. Edita said she had decided to make the letter public with a simple
purpose in mind: “Many have asked how long I would keep looking for my son, how I could sustain this, to think that
I’m all but out of resources and I’m growing old. “But I guess it’s the mystery of love that makes you willing
to do everything as long as you live, that tells you that you cannot give up,” she said. Having the letter published, she said, “might help other mothers
[and] show the world that there is a bond that cannot be shattered by anything in the world—and that is love.” * * * Following is the full text of the letter: My dearest Jay, I feel this restlessness in you and I am afraid you would be gone
before we are back. If this happens, I cannot let you go without letting you know all the unspoken words that are haunting
me. I shall not dwell on my fears ... the dangers to your soul, the apprehensions
of a mother ... the anxieties for a loved one. You already know these for I have told you so at our family council. The mother in me feels this complete helplessness ... one I have never
felt before ... not even when your ate told us she was getting married, nor when your kuya had his own share of problems.
I knew somehow I would always be able to reach out and offer my hand if they needed me. But in your case, I feel that if a
time comes when somehow there would be a need for a helping hand, I would not be near enough to let that hand be mine. You were always the unique son ... eager to live life the fullest,
impatient with the strings that kept you bound to heart and hearth. You showed this even when you first came out into this
world ... in not more than 40 minutes that Easter Sunday. Through your childhood, at play, in school and with your peers, you
were always restless ... as if in search of a missing treasure. I know I cannot hold you any longer. But it pains me so much
to let you go. If only I could get an assurance that you would remain faithful to the faith you grew up with in the family,
somehow the pain would be lessened. But as I said earlier, I shall not dwell on fears. If you must go in search of the truth, I pray that your search would
be guided by the light and not by the darkness that breeds on distortions and errors. The agony a mother must go through for love of her children is indescribable.
I have no complaints. I shall not even mind for as long as you know that I am always here ready to welcome you back. Bring this love with you and know that for as long as you are away
from home, I shall be praying for you. Life must go on in our family. Your brothers and sisters need our
care still. The small ones need more than our care. I will always have that void and I shall be missing you. But I cannot allow you to leave with a heavy heart. So take my blessings
with you. May the angels keep you safe wherever you go. May the good Lord bless you and keep you always. Remember, I love you very much. Moms By Volt Contreras
Sulu gov: Military 'massacred' villagers JOLO, Sulu -- Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan ordered the national colors at the provincial capitol in Patikul town flown
at half mast as he accused government troops of killing eight civilians, including two children and a pregnant woman, in an
island village of Maimbung town on Monday. "We cannot tolerate these acts. We are condemning in the strongest terms these dastardly and barbaric acts by supposedly
elite forces of the Armed Forces for killing innocent civilians," Tan said. "We not only condemn the killings of innocent civilians, but criminal charges should be filed against the perpetrators
of this heinous crime," he said. The military had earlier claimed the civilians might have died in the crossfire of a “legitimate
encounter” with Abu Sayyaf fighters in which three extremist and two soldiers were
also killed. The eight civilians who died in barangay (village) Ipil were identified as Marisa Fayian, 4; Rismi Lahim, 9; Narsiya
Lahim, 24, who was pregnant; Arnalyn Lahim, 19; Sulaiman Acob, 24; Jamiri Lahim, 37; Ipil barangay kagawad (councilman) Eldishin
Lahim, 37; and former Moro National Liberation Front rebel turned Army sergeant Ibnul Wahid, 35, who was off duty at the time. "It was a legitimate encounter," said Major General Ruben Rafael, commander of Task Force Comet, the regional anti-terror
task force. "As far as we are concerned, troops clashed with the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah." On Monday, Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) identified two soldiers slain
in the supposed encounter as Sergent Luis Veloso of the 3rd Light Reaction Company (LRC) and SN2 Joel Morillo of the Navy
SWAG8. Both belonged to Task Force Comet. But Tan also questioned the military report that the three killed in the supposed clash were members of the Abu Sayyaf. But during a visit to Maimbung, the Philippine Daily Inquirer [parent company of INQUIRER.net] learned that four bodies
earlier presented by the military as Abu Sayyaf members were the civilians Wahid, Eldishin and Jamiri Lahim and Narsiya, the
pregnant woman. "Do you call those cadavers of Abu Sayyaf [members] when one of the victims brought to Jolo town proper was clad only
in her underwear? Do you simply claim that it was an encounter when one of the victims is an Army sergeant made to lie flat
on his stomach and shot twice in the head in front of his wife?" Tan asked. Tan urged other local government offices in Sulu to fly their flags at half mast "to mourn the senseless killing of
our people." Allaga flew to Sulu Tuesday to meet the governor, who told him: "I cannot tolerate this incident." The Wesmincom chief said he had ordered an investigation "to determine the facts and the truth" and gave assurances
that there would be no "cover-up." Ipil is a small island village of seaweed farmers where most of the houses stand on stilts. The soldiers allegedly arrived at the island village early Monday. Sandrawina Wahid, wife of the slain Army sergeant, said her husband was killed in front of her. She said her husband
had explained to the soldiers that he was on vacation and that the firearms recovered from his house were government-issued,
but to no avail. "Hindi kami pinakinggan. Tinalian pa asawa ko tapos binaril [They refused to listen to us. They tied up my husband
then shot him]," Sandrawina said. Myrna Lahim, wife of Jamiri, said they were asleep when they heard a loud thud and the screeching of a bamboo bridge,
indicating several people were outside the house. Thinking they were under attack by his political enemies, Jamiri instructed his family to find a safe place to hide. Myrna said she and her children Marisa and Rismi went to a mangrove swamp to hide when they heard gunshots. She tried
to duck for cover only to realize that her children had been hit in the head. Myrna was hit in the left ear. Rhafy Agas, chair of the neighboring village of Kandang, immediately had the bodies of the dead brought to his village. Kandang, which is on the mainland part of Maimbung, is 15 minutes away by boat from Ipil. Agas said those killed "were not Abu Sayyaf. There is no Abu Sayyaf here." Allaga said government troops earlier received reports that Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Abu Pula were sighted in the
area, hence the operation. But the governor said there was something wrong with the military's intelligence gathering. "They should have validated
the information first from informants before reacting that way." Tan vowed there would be "no settlement." "We want justice and somebody has to pay a dear price or else trouble will spark," he warned. Allaga insisted that Abu Sayyaf bandits were in the village, which is whyt two soldiers died in the firefight. However, Agas stood by his contention that there are no Abu Sayyaf in Ipil. He said it was possible Wahid was able
to fight back and kills the two soldiers before he died. AFP By Julie Alipala U.S. Troops Sighted During Sulu Massacre
Soldiers from the Army’s Light Reaction Company (LRC) – a unit composed of Philippine soldiers who had
received training from U.S. troops during the RP-U.S. joint military exercises –and the Navy’s Special Weapons
Group (Swag) attacked Brgy. Ipil early morning, while most villagers were still sleeping, on Feb. 4, said Concerned Citizens
of Sulu convener and former Jolo councilor Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie in an interview with Bulatlat. Killed in the attack were Marisa Payian, 4; Wedme Lahim, 9; Alnalyn Lahim, 15; Sulayman Hakob, 17; Kirah Lahim, 45;
Eldisim Lahim, 43; Narcia Abon, 24 – all civilians. Also killed was Pfc. Ibnul Wahid of the Army’s 6th Infantry
Division, who was then on vacation. “Wahid’s hands were even tied behind his back,” Tulawie said, citing an account by Sandrawina Wahid,
the slain soldier’s wife. “He was forced to lie face down on the ground and they stepped on his back. His wife
ran into their hut and back out, showing the soldiers his Army ID and bag, begging them to not hurt him. But still, they shot
him.” One of the victims, Kirah Lahim, was even mutilated. “They took out his eyes and cut off his fingers and ears,”
Tulawie said. Military officials have given varying explanations of the incident. One explanation was that the non-combatants were
killed in a firefight between soldiers and “terrorists,” while another points to a “family feud” as
having triggered the killings. One Army general said what happened on Feb. 4 was a “legitimate encounter,” claiming that troops searching
for kidnapped trader Rosalie Lao clashed with Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits and members of the terrorist Jema’ah Islamiyah.
The military did not say whether Lao, who was kidnapped on Jan. 28 while on the way home from her store, was being
held in Sulu. Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael, commander of an anti-“terrorist” task force in Sulu, said two soldiers and three
bandits – including ASG leader Abu Muktadil – were killed in the “encounter.” “It was a legitimate encounter,” Rafael told media. “As far as we are concerned, troops clashed with
the Abu Sayyaf and Jema’ah Islamiyah. We have recovered the bodies of Muktadil, but soldiers also found eight more bodies
in the area and we are trying to find out whether they were caught in the crossfire or slain by terrorists.” Tulawie, however, said this was not true. “That’s a lie,” Tulawie said. “Most of these people (who were killed) are just seaweed farmers.
There is no ASG there. In the case of Wahid, they killed their own fellow soldier.” “They were quiet people who had no enemies,” Tulawie said of the victims. Meanwhile, Maj. Eugene Batara, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Western Mindanao Command
(Westmincom), said authorities are presently investigating reports that the killings were sparked by a family feud. As the killings were taking place, there were U.S. troops nearby. Tulawie said Sandrawina was taken into a Navy boat,
where she saw four U.S. soldiers. “They were just nearby and they tolerated what was happening,” Tulawie said. “There was only one
who was heard shouting, ‘Hold your fire!’ but that was all. They tolerated these human rights violations committed
by the soldiers they had trained.” Westmincom chief Maj. Gen. Nelson Allaga said there were no U.S. troops involved in the operation. “There was no direct involvement of the Americans,” Allaga said. “It is strictly prohibited.” Not the first time Sulu Gov. Abdulsakur Tan said this was not the first time that U.S. troops were reported to have taken part in Philippine
military operations in Sulu. With this, he corroborated what Tulawie had said in an earlier interview with Bulatlat. When an encounter between the AFP and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) broke out in Brgy. Buansa, Indanan,
Sulu in early 2007, U.S. troops who were a few kilometers away were seen running toward the direction of the gunfire. They
were carrying their guns. Military spokespersons said the attack was brought about by reports that members of the ASG were in the MNLF camp.
The MNLF – with which the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) signed a Final Peace Agreement in 1996
– has repeatedly denied that it coddles ASG members. During that same period, U.S. troops were busy with a road construction project in Brgy. Bato-Bato, Indanan. At that
time, the area was the center of Philippine military operations in Sulu. These were gathered by Bulatlat in its interview with Tulawie in March last year. This, Tulawie said, is just part of a larger picture that has been developing in Sulu since 2004. “Military operations always take place not far from where U.S. troops are,” said Tulawie. “The presence
of U.S. troops has been visible in areas where military operations have taken place.” While Tulawie says there is yet no evidence that U.S. troops have actually participated in combat operations, their
visibility in areas where AFP operations have been conducted raises questions on the real reasons behind their presence in
the country’s southernmost province. U.S. military presence in Sulu The presence of U.S. troops in Sulu started in 2004 and has been continuous since then. U.S. troops would have entered Sulu as early as February 2003. The AFP and the U.S. Armed Forces had both announced
that the Balikatan military exercises for that year would be held in Sulu. This provoked a wave of protest from the people of Sulu, who had not yet forgotten what has come to be known as the
Bud Dajo Massacre. The Bud Dajo massacre, which took place in 1906, is described in some history texts as the “First Battle of Bud
Dajo.” It was an operation against Moro fighters resisting the American occupation. The description of the incident as a “battle,” however, is disputed considering the sheer mismatch in firepower
between U.S. forces and the Moro resistance fighters. The 790 U.S. troops who assaulted Bud Dajo used naval cannons against
the 800-1,000 Moro resistance fighters who were mostly armed only with melee weapons. In the end, only six of the hundreds of Moro resistance fighters holding Bud Dajo as a stronghold survived, while there
were 15-20 casualties among the U.S. troops. The announcement in February 2003 that the year’s Balikatan military exercises would be held in Sulu summoned
bitter memories of the Bud Dajo Massacre and led to protest actions where thousands of Sulu residents participated. The next year, however, U.S. troops came up with ingenious ways to find their way into Sulu – coming in small
groups and bringing relief goods. This “neutralized” the residents’ resistance to their presence. “Unconventional warfare” The U.S. troops in Sulu are part of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P). Based on several
news items from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the JSOTF-P are in Sulu to train the AFP’s Southern Command
(Southcom) and to conduct civic actions. However, an article written by Command Sgt. Maj. William Eckert of the JSOTF-P, “Defeating the Idea: Unconventional
Warfare in Southern Philippines,” hints that there is more to the task force’s work than training AFP troops and
embarking on “humanitarian actions.” Wrote Eckert: “Working in close coordination with the U.S. Embassy, JSOTF-P uses Special Forces, Civil Affairs and Psychological
Operations forces to conduct deliberate intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in very focused areas, and based on
collection plans, to perform tasks to prepare the environment and obtain critical information requirements. The information
is used to determine the capabilities, intentions and activities of threat groups that exist within the local population and
to focus U.S. forces – and the AFP – on providing security to the local populace. It is truly a joint operation,
in which Navy SEALs and SOF aviators work with their AFP counterparts to enhance the AFP’s capacities.” These U.S. troops have always been seen near the sites of Philippine military operations in Sulu. The latest sighting
was during the Feb. 4 attack on Brgy. Ipil, Maimbung where seven civilians and one Army soldier on vacation were killed. Bulatlat BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
100 provincial journalists join class suit vs gov't MANILA,
Philippines -- Saying province-based reporters are more prone to harassment and threats, at least 100 journalists from six
provinces have added their names as petitioners in the P10-million class suit filed by the media against top government officials. The
new signatories are mostly members of the provincial chapters of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP),
the biggest such alliance in the country. NUJP
secretary general Rowena Paraan Wednesday said more journalists from Metro Manila and other provinces were expected to sign
on as petitioners. The
NUJP will submit an amendment to the 14-page petition that it filed before the Makati City Regional Trial Court once it receives
all the copies of the petition from its provincial chapters, Paraan told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of
INQUIRER.net. "The
overwhelming support of our colleagues from all over the country is proof that journalists are not just seeking publicity
for themselves [by filing this class suit]," she said, adding: "There are clear threats to press freedom and the right of the people to information. Journalists will not sit in their
newsrooms while unscrupulous government officials trample on our basic civil liberties." Timely act The
new petitioners are members of the NUJP in Batangas, Quezon, Zambales, Davao, Kidapawan, Sorsogon and Zamboanga. Arnell
Ozaeta, chair of NUJP-Batangas, said the filing of the class suit was a timely act because journalists continued to be subjected
to intimidation and other threats. He
said province-based journalists were more prone to pressure and threats from the authorities. "In
fact, most of the more than 80 journalists murdered since 1986 were based in the provinces," Ozaeta said on the phone. He
added: "I think it's high time we set aside our petty differences and showed the authorities that we are united in the fight
for our civil rights. Arrests and warnings "But
we should also understand that this is not just an issue of the freedom of the media. We are also defending the people's right
to know." The
class suit filed on Monday stemmed from the arrest of some 50 journalists who covered the standoff between government troops
and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV et al. at the Peninsula Manila hotel on Nov. 29, 2007, and the subsequent government advisories
warning reporters of criminal liability if they disobey orders from authorities. Makati
Judge Winlove Dumayas immediately granted the journalists' appeal for a 72-hour temporary restraining order to stop police
and other government officials from threatening the media. Those
named respondents in the case were Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Defense Secretary Gilberto
Teodoro Jr., Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Philippine National Police Director General Avelino
Razon Jr., Director Geary Barias of the National Capital Region Police Office, Chief Supt. Leocadio Santiago of the PNP Special
Action Force, and Senior Supt. Asher Dolina of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. First posted 04:41:08 (Mla time) January 31, 2008 50 solons sign resolution for govt to uphold press freedom MANILA,
Philippines -- 50 lawmakers at the House of Representatives have signed a resolution urging the government to uphold the freedom
of the press, speech, and expression at all times. House Resolution 431 "expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Philippine government should uphold the freedom of the press, speech and expression at all times in the light of numerous attempts to control the flow of news and information, criminalize the exercise of press freedom and curtail this basic rights especially in times of crisis and state emergencies" was filed Thursday by Gabriela Women Partylist Representatives Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan, Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño, and Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran. Those
who attached their signatures as co-authors included House Minority Floor Leader Ronaldo Zamora, Deputy Minority Floor Leader
Roilo Golez and CIBAC Representative Joel Villanueva from the opposition and Marikina Representative Del de Guzman, Manila
Representative Bienvenido Abante, and Batangas Representative Hermilando Mandanas, among others from the majority bloc. "It
is high time that the House of Representatives speak on the issue of press freedom, a fundamental ingredient in a democratic
state. We commend members of the press and media organizations that immediately stood in the face of repression," Maza said
in a statement. The resolution is Congress' contribution in defending press freedom and civil liberties, Maza said. "Certainly, any attempt to curtail or repress the mass media should be met upfront and nipped at the bud," she said. First posted 15:24:49 (Mla time) January 31, 2008
Protestant minister shot dead in Leyte
Felicisimo Catambis, 60, who
belonged to the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), was himself riding on a motorcyle when he was shot in Abuyog
town on Wednesday morning. Pastor Noel Balo, chief of
UCCP-Leyte, expressed shock at the death of Catambis, the third member from his church to be murdered in the last three years. Catambis sustained nine gunshot
wounds in the back, Abuyog town police chief Senior Insp. Ismael Lantajo said. The motive for the killing
was not immediately clear. Another member of the clergy,
Roman Catholic priest Rey Roda, was killed in Tawi-Tawi on Jan. 15 by gunmen believed to be Abu Sayyaf terrorists, who had
tried to kidnap him. Catambis, assigned to the UCCP
church in Abuyog, was on his way to the town proper when one of two motorcycle-riding men shot him in Barangay Balucawe at
7:30 a.m., Lantajo said. The police recovered nine empty
shells of a 9mm pistol from the scene. A good man
"He
was a good man. We just hope that our authorities solve the killing," Balo said.
22 church workers killed
Lantajo said that Catambis
was not known to be a member of or involved with any militant group, based on initial investigation. "This really puzzles us. Based
on our initial talk with the family, they don't know of any enemy of Pastor Catambis," he said. At least 22 church workers
were among the nearly 900 victims of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took
office in 2001, according to a list compiled by the human rights group Karapatan. The Inquirer's total number
of victims of extrajudicial killings during the same period stands at 300. Sorsogon killing
Judge Boanerges Candolea of
Regional Trial Court Branch 53 issued the arrest warrant against Randy Ogad, an enlisted personnel of the Philippine Army
from Daet, Camarines Norte. The warrant was based on a
complaint filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, which identified Ogad as the alleged killer of Jeruz, a
leader of the Samahang Magsasaka ng Sorsogon-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Samasor-KMP). Motorcycle owner
Jeruz was shot dead in April
2007 near his house, a week after an Army intelligence officer and his driver were ambushed by suspected New People's Army
rebels. Jeruz was among 52 members
of militant groups killed in Sorsogon who have yet to get justice, according to Karapatan. By
Joey A. Gabieta Philippine Daily Inquirer
STATEMENT OF URGENT
CONCERN We, the community of faith of the UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THE PHILIPPINES, appalled and aghast at this another tragic and unnecessary loss of precious human life, namely the murder of the Reverend Filomeno Catambis of Northeastern Leyte Conference
Even as we do all these,
we shall neither relax our vigilance nor be remiss in our duties as befit our obedience to the call of Christ. With high
hopes and unwavering faith, we shall await the resolution of this case, not in cowed silence but with loud prophetic
and pastoral voices. Signed: January
24, 2008 Bishop Eliezer
M. Pascua General Secretary Bishop Marino
I. Inong Bishop Assigned
to North Luzon Jurisdiction Bishop Jessie
S. Suarez Bishop Assigned
to South Luzon Jurisdiction Bishop Ebenezer
C. Camino Bishop Assigned
to West Visayas Jurisdiction Bishop Dulce
P. Rose Bishop Assigned
to East Visayas Jurisdiction
Bishop
Anacleto G. Serafica Caretaker-Bishop,
Southeast Mindanao Jurisdiction
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