candle lighting in Montreal



	Many people passing by during the vigil were shocked to hear about the issues especially as our petition signature gatherers explained that these killings were happening under the US-led war on terror and implemented by one of America's favorite puppets, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her fascist minons in the Philippine police and military. Many are aware of Iraq and Afghanistan but remain unaware of other fronts like the Philippines which clearly show the unjustness of these imperialist-led wars of aggression against the peoples of the world. The petiton signatures gathered add to the thousands the campaign has already collected and sent or are being sent to government offcials putting pressure on Canada to act and take a strong position to put an end to these political killings. On May 6, one week before the Philippine general elections, the Centre for Philippine Concerns together with their allies in the campaign coalition (including the Beaconsfield United Church, and other Quebec based organizations and churches) are asking our supporters to join us as we march to the US consulate from St. James United Church in downtown Montreal starting at 2:30pm. The march is part of our effort to keep the public aware and our supporters vigilant and mobilized as well as to show the people that we must hold US imperialism and it's puppet regime accountable for the political killings in the Philippines. We will keep you updated as our activities unfold. From the report of: Jese Calugay Centre for Philippine Concerns
The Centre for Philippine Concerns led a prayer vigirl last April 29 in front of the St. James United Church in Montreal. The event had a good turnout and was covered by a couple of local media. It is part of our efforts to keep raising public awareness on the poltical killings in the Philippines especially as the May general elections draw near. The Centre for Philippine Concerns has been able to help organized at least 4 participants to the upcoming International Observers Mission in the Philippines during the elections. They include a local journalist, a provincial level politician, a Canadian Artist, and an IFI priest based in Montreal.►►►

Photos courtesy of the Centre for Philippine Concerns



Press Statement 3 May 2007 NDFP HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE SLAMS ARROYO REGIME, AFP AND PNP FOR DASTARDLY DIRTY TRICKS AGAINST PANAY LEGAL ACTIVISTS AND NDFP CHIEF POLITICAL CONSULTANT PROF. JOSE MARIA SISON By Fidel V. Agcaoili Chairperson, Human Rights Committee National Democratic Front of the Philippines In every part of the Philippines, the kidnap and death squads of the Arroyo regime, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police engage in extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture and other violations of the human rights of progressive legal activists. Then, the officers and spokesmen of the AFP and PNP accuse the New People’s Army (NPA) of committing the crimes through local and national mass media. The dastardly modus operandi of the Arroyo regime, AFP and PNP is well exemplified by the criminal acts taken by their operatives against Karapatan-Panay public information officer Jose Ely Garachico, Selda-Panay spokesperson Luisa Posa-Dominado and Bayan-Panay chairperson Nilo Arado in Oton, Iloilo on the night of April 12 and the subsequent repeated lie of Capt. Lowen Gil Marquez of the Civil Relations Unit of the AFP that the NPA itself acting on orders of NDFP chief political consultant Prof. Jose Maria Sison shot Garachico and kidnapped Dominado and Arado. The military operatives left Garachico for dead after shooting him, abducted Dominado and Arado, drove away the vehicle Garachico had driven and burned it. AFP Capt. Marquez has gone so far as to make the further lie that Dominado and Arado are still alive in the hands of the NPA and that they would eventually come out to denounce the military as the abductors. The propagandists of the military are smart alecky but are in fact stupid. They arrogantly underestimate and abuse the intelligence of the people, the people’s organizations and the families of the victims. They flaunt a script that is clearly a pure pack of lies that cannot stand against the testimonies of the surviving victim, the colleagues and families of the two disappeared victims. It is a well-known fact that all three victims of the military are dedicated legal activists for the cause of national independence, democracy, human rights and just peace. They have long been harassed and threatened by the military. The AFP propagandist is blatantly lying by claiming that the NPA would ever shoot and seriously injure Garacho and abduct Dominado and Arado and cause suffering to their families, colleagues and friends. On behalf of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, we the Human Rights Committee demand that the Arroyo regime, the AFP and PNP stop their cowardly and dastardly tricks against the patriotic and progressive legal activists, release SELDA-Panay spokesperson Luisa Posa-Dominado and BAYAN-Panay chairperson Nilo Arado from their unjust captivity, pay for the serious injury and hospital bills of KARAPATAN-Panay public information officer Jose Ely Garachico and cease maligning our NDFP chief political consultant Prof. Jose Maria Sison. ### Statement in Word format Related documents: ► A wedding anniversary statement of Rosemarie Arado for Nilo Arado who was abducted by military operatives together with Luisa Dominado ► Bayan-Panay on the ambush and abduction of 3 activists in Iloilo

















			► Kabataan Partylist condemns arbitrary arrest, detention of youth coordinator ► “Military in a rampage in Compostela Valley !”-KMP ► Karapatan condemns military strafing of civilians in New Bataan; ► 2 killed, 3 survive civilians in 28 th IB shooting ► NDFP files UN complaints against Gloria Arroyo for disappeared staff, consultant ► Ocampo tells AFP: Surface Joe Burgos' son now

BONUS TRACKS

			Cris Hugo, 20, was to graduate within a few days in March 2006 with a BS Journalism degree from Bicol University when he was gunned down by a member of the death squad. Riemon Guran, 21, a 4th year student at the Aquinas University in Bicol was riding a bus to school when gunned down in July 2006.. Both were active officers of the League of Filipino Students. We found this portrait of the two activists in a blog at wonderdust.blog. Thank you Wonderlust for this very nice artwork. For webpages on Cris and Riemon please visit these urls: ► LFS-Zamboanga launches Crusade for Cris in Mindanao, March 23 ► Anakbayan NY/NJ leads vigil for Cris Hugo at the Philippine Consulate in New York March 25, 2006 ► LFS officer Riemon Guran and 2 Bayan Muna members killed within 24 hours July 31, 2006