PRESS RELEASE August 28, 2007 Reference: Dr. Annalisa Enrile, Chairperson, chair@gabnet.org Dorotea Mendoza, Secretary-General, secgen@gabnet.org GABRIELA Network calls for boycott of Dutch products following Sison arrest; Labels charges against Sison et al "ludicrous" An oil exploration company of British, US and Dutch capital obtains permission to drill for oil in a million hectares in the agricultural and fishing province of Bicol , Philippines ; on August 28, Jose Ma. Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines , is arrested in The Netherlands by the Dutch police allegedly for two executions enacted by the New People's Army half a globe away. Sison's arrest also served as a pretext to raid his colleagues’ homes and the office of the National Democratic Front. Thus does the Philippine government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo finance the ever-widening gyre of its fascism, meant to eradicate all opposition before her term of office ends in 2010, so she may, with impunity, extend her occupation of the country's presidential office and the looting of the country's wealth and treasures continue. By sel ling off bits and pieces of the Filipino national patrimony -- from the gas reserves of Malampaya to the mineral resources of the indigenous people's tribal lands, from the Moro territories in Mindanao to Filipinas sold whole scale overseas – to multinational corporations, the Arroyo regime pays for its tenuous hold on power with subservience, puppetry and the virtual destruction of the Philippine nation and the legacy of the Filipino people. By concocting even the most ludicrous of accusations against the opposition, the Arroyo regime is laying the groundwork for an eventual declaration of all people's organizations as "illegal" organizations, thus equating dissent with terrorism already vaguely defined under its Human Security Act. The Sison arrest caps a relentless assault by the Arroyo regime on the people's right to dissent, to self-organize, as well as on their freedom of expression. This assault has seen nearly a thousand men and women murdered; absurd rebellion charges filed against patriotic leaders and when that failed, ridiculous murder charges filed against those with impeccable records of service to the nation and the people. Partylist representatives like Crispin Beltran suffered a year-long confinement on charges eventually thrown out by the Supreme Court; a move to arrest Congressman Satur Ocampo was foiled only by the vigilance of the people's movement. Even Congresswoman Liza Maza, than whom no one could be farther from the word violence, has had murder charges filed against her person. Our organization's experience of having three women activists preposterously linked to the Taliban by the Philippine government should be enough testament to the ludicrousness of charges and accusations le vel ed by the Macapagal-Arroyo's military against oppositionists. We urge all Filipinos and their allies to stop patronizing Dutch businesses and products. We call on the Dutch people not to allow the sale of their own democratic principles for just a few more drops of oil! We call on everyone to once more defeat this act of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime to extend its fascism to lands overseas, against overseas Filipinos and the allies and solidarity networks of Filipino mass organizations. Free Jose Ma. Sison! Drop all charges against the people's leaders! Support the Filipino people's call for the ouster of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime! Resist the tyranny of imperialist globalization! Boycott all Dutch products until Joma is freed. Padayon! ### GABRIELA Network USA PO Box 403, Times Square Station New York, NY 10036 gabnet@gabnet.org 1.212.592.3507