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Media Release
10 December 2011

Aquino violated every key labor right this year – KMU

Joining protests in time for the International Human Rights Day, labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned the Aquino government for violating key workers’ rights throughout the year and for preparing an all-out violation of human rights as shown by its overkill use of force against participants in the Mendiola Campout protest.

KMU said Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s government violated the following workers’ rights, all enshrined in the 1987 Constitution, within the year:

à Right to a living wage. Despite workers’ calls for a significant wage hike to bring the minimum wage closer to a living wage, the government approved a mere P22 Cost of Living Allowance last May. It has also allowed the prices of basic goods and services to go up unabated, thereby decreasing the real value of workers’ wages.

à Right to just share in the fruits of production. The government, through the Bureau of Internal Revenue, taxed workers’ contributions to SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-ibig that exceed the legally mandated level last November. It thereby taxed workers’ basic pay and reduced the social security that workers will receive upon retirement and in times of need.

à Right to security of tenure. The government affirmed contractual employment, in which workers can be terminated at any time, with its approval of outsourcing in Philippine Airlines this September. It then tried to spread the lie that it is ending contractual employment by releasing DOLE Order No. 18-A Series of 2011 this November which merely lays down regulations for so-called “legitimate” contractors and subcontractors.

à Right to strike. Pres. Aquino himself assumed jurisdiction over the labor dispute in PAL, quelling the then-impending strike there last December until the first quarter of the year. Workers who hold strikes in violation of the AJ can be retrenched from work, charged with criminal cases, and attacked by the police or the military.

“The Aquino government violated every key trade-union right within this year. Workers have every right to brand Aquino as ‘anti-worker’ and ‘pro-capitalist’,” said Roger Soluta, KMU secretary-general.

“Workers are in a worse situation now than last year. We have sunk deeper into hunger and poverty under the Aquino government,” he added.

KMU also slammed the Aquino government for using excessive force against students, workers and urban poor who joined the Mendiola Campout protest since Dec. 6.

“After violating every key workers’ right this year, the Aquino government, for a year-ender, used excessive force against those who are calling for an immediate relief from the intensifying hunger and poverty in the country,” Soluta said.

“Today, we condemn the Aquino government not only for violating workers’ economic rights this year but also for repressing those who are fighting such violations and fighting hunger and poverty,” he said.

Reference: Roger Soluta, KMU secretary-general, 0928-7215313
 

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KALIKASAN PEOPLE'S NETWORK FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
26 Matulungin St. Central Dist., Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines, 1100
Tel./Fax; +63 (2) 924-8756; E-mail: kalikasan.pne@gmail.com
Website: www.kalikasan.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10 December 2011

 
Justice for environmental defenders still nowhere in sight under Aquino, green groups say
 

Activists under the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment echo calls of justice for environmental activists and advocates who had fallen victim to political killings and other human rights violations (HRVs) as the international day for human rights approaches.They have slammed the Aquino administration for its gross inaction in all 50 recorded cases of HRVs against environmental advocates since 2001, of which none has been resolved to date.

“To have not uttered a single word about the military’s murder of botanist Leonard Co and not done any action on the assassination of Dr. Gerry Ortega gives no ascendancy for Aquino to be called PH’s greenest president. On human rights day, let us show Aquino that we have had enough of his pretentious daang matuwid that is littered with the blood of our environmental defenders,” said Clemente Bautista, national coordinator of Kalikasan.

According to the Task Force – Justice for Environmental Defenders, 46 of these 50 HRVs are political killings of environmental defenders. The latest high-profile killings include Dr. Gerry Ortega, a broadcaster and environmentalist in Palawan who opposed large-scale mining in Palawan, and Fr. Fausto ‘Pops’ Tentorio, an anti-mining Italian missionary who was gunned down by Special CAFGU Active Auxiliary (SCAA) paramilitary units trained by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in North Cotabato only this October.

In a statement, Justice for Environmental Defenders said that “the death of renowned taxonomist Leonard Co, who was killed by the military alongside peasant guide Julius Borromeo and forest guard Sofronio Cortez, has already observed its first anniversary with no positive progress in the case. Dr. Ortega’s case is also about to suffer a similar fate.”

“Most of these killings stem from the militarization of communities affected by extractive and destructive industries such as corporate logging and large-scale mining. We cannot help but think that Aquino is waiting for another Fr. Pops to come along to be a victim of the AFP-trained paramilitaries, which he has approved to militarize mining areas in Claver, Surigao del Norte, for instance,” Bautista pointed out.

Kalikasan pointed out that equal to the lack of policies and laws protecting our environment and natural resources are the dearth of laws that defend environmental workers, scholars and activists from HRVs. Congress has apparently sat on House Bill 3593 or the Anti-SLAPP (or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) Bill which was filed by progressive lawmakers to give protective measures to the freedom of speech and to seek redress by activists.

“Kalikasan calls on the people, especially the families of victims, to continue the campaign for justice for the victim environmental defenders despite the odds presented by a turtle-pace justice system. More importantly, let us carry on the struggle, not only in the halls of justice, but in the congress, senate, and the parliament of the streets. We will hold the Aquino regime accountable for its despotic disregard of the environment and its defenders,” ended Bautista.###

REFERENCES
Mr. Leon Dulce, 0917 562 6824
Campaign Coordinator, KALIKASAN

Mr. Clemente Bautista Jr. 0922 844 9787
National Coordinator, KALIKASAN

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GABRIELA WOMEN'S PARTY
NEWS RELEASE
DECEMBER 9, 2011

Ref:
Rep. Emmi De Jesus, 0917-3221203
Rep. Luz Ilagan, 0920-9213221
KJ Catequista, GWP Spokesperson, 0919-6298132
Jang Monte, 0917-4049119
Rowena Festin, 0915-6349308

NO SPECIAL TREATMENT! JAIL GMA!

Over a hundred women holding prison placards created a chain of jail bars around the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. They decried the
special treatment given the former President and demanded Mrs. Arroyo’s transfer to an ordinary detention center.

“Tulad ng marami pang ibang akusado, ang isang pinagbibintangang magnanakaw, mandaraya at human rights violator
katulad ni Gloria Arroyo ay hindi dapat nagtatamasa ng ganito karangyang kulungan. Sa regular na kulungan dapat manatili si Arroyo. Ito ang hiling ng milyon-milyong kababaihang naghirap at nilapastangan sa loob ng 9 na taon niyang panunungkulan,” said KJ Catequista, Gabriela Women’s Party spokesperson.

Catequista likewise said that the special treatment being given Mrs. Arroyo is by itself scandalous considering that a growing majority of poor women are deprived of health services. “Malinaw na kung may kaya at kapangyarihan ang isang kriminal na nagtatago sa likod ng kanyang sakit, ispesyal na serbisyong medikal ang matatamasa niya mula sa Administrasyong Aquino. Samantalang Maraming mga nanay sa komunidad ang hindi man lang madala ang kanilang mga anak na maysakit sa ospital dahil sa kahirapan at panggigipit ng pamahalaan sa badyet sa kalusugan!”

Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luz Ilagan who joined the women protesters, stressed, “Hospital detention for a notorious human rights violator and plunderer is a stark contrast to the situation of political prisoners who continue to languish in jails across the country.”

“It was under Mrs. Arroyo’s term that 60 year old Angie Ipong was illegally arrested, tortured and molested, and eventually proven innocent of the charges filed against her. It was under her term that Juvilyn Oliveros and Mercy Castro of the Morong 43 endured difficult pregnancies,” said Ilagan.

“At least 43 of the 365 political prisoners, mostly accused of trumped-up charges of rebellion are sick with various ailments, yet they are forced to make do with ordinary inhospitable prison cells. Considering the magnitude of the crimes that Mrs. Arroyo is being accused of, why should she be accorded such extra-special treatment?”

“We demand the immediate prosecution of Gloria Arroyo for the cases of plunder and human rights violations hurled against her.
We demand that President Aquino exercise his political will to the fullest in order to expedite the handling of these cases. His failure to do so will
make him an accessory to impunity and violence perpetrated by the Arroyo regime. Arroyo has to answer for 1,208 cases of extra-judicial killings, 206, enforced disappearances, and 1,099 tortures committed during her term,” Ilagan concluded.

 

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News Release
December 11, 2011
Reference: Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares

As Martial law files are turned over to CHR
BAYAN MUNA URGES DEFEAT OF DRACONIAN MEASURES AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS AND LEGITIMATE DISSENT: Harassment and persecution of legitimate opposition feared

While Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares welcomed the turnover of the Martial law files, he warned that Marcosian bills are being railroaded in Congress. He also agreed with some senators who recently cautioned against the passage of draconian measures which allow government to open and freeze bank accounts of and imprison anybody considered by government as a destabilize or opposition to the government.

“Other than the anti money laundering bill, there is another related bill, HB 5015, which heavily penalizes those suspected of financing the so far undefined act of terrorism. The problem is this bill is not really intended for terrorists, but could be used against legitimate dissenters even opposition politicians, their wealthy financiers and other institutions critical of government including the media. While we commemorate Human Rights week, bills which will not even make a dent against the so called terrorists, but will definitely be a threat to human rights as it can be used just by almost any high ranking public officials and politicians allied with any ruling administration to harass opponents of the political majority“said Rep. Colmenares. “When asked if a terrorist or his financier have escaped because of the insufficiency of the current AMLA and anti-terrorist laws, the bill’s sponsors even admitted they cannot cite an instance. So if this is not necessary in the fight against Abu Sayaff, what is the purpose of the bill?”

The bill includes vague and over broad provisions such as penalizing with life imprisonment anyone who attempts to “deal indirectly, in any way” with “any property or fund” of a suspected “designated person” or terrorist. It also penalizes those who “failed to prevent” the financing of terrorism. “This a horrible because any legitimate dissenter including opposition politicians will go to prison if he innocently accepts a contribution or gives a donation to groups which government later claims to be suspected terrorists. The current AMLA and anti terrorist laws are already draconian and there is no need to give vindictive public officials more powers that can be abused” He said. “Unlike before when only a court can order the opening and freezing of bank accounts, these bills allows the Anti Money Laundering council the the “ex-parte” power to do so based solely on its discretion,”

Colmenares also warned his colleagues in the House against blindly passing the bill. “Former President Arroyo probably never expected that her DOJ Circular 41 will be used against her when she attempted to leave the country recently. The anti money laundering bills and the anti terrorist financing bills which will be voted upon before the recess, could also be used against you someday should the President or any future president or their subordinate cabinet members consider you a “destabilizer” warned Colmenares. “Since there is no need for another draconian measure which practically repeals the bank secrecy laws and opens up everyone to harassment, I urge my colleagues not to vote for the approval of the bill.” # # #
 

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DECEMBER 10, 2011

Press Release

Camp-out reaches Mendiola
End the system that perpetuates injustice and exploitation; camp-out concluded with thousands protesters marched to Mendiola to celebrate International Human Rights day


“The basic premise of our protests lies on these three words: we had enough. The people had enough of the crisis and human rights violations.”

This was the statement of Vencer Crisostomo, Anakbayan National Chairperson and one of the main organizers of Camp-ou PH, as thousands marched to Mendiola today in celebration of the International Human Rights Day.

According to the youth leader, “Under the current system, the people are suffering fro, grave violations of basic human rights, and these are being aggravated by the Aquino administration. From slashing the budget of social services, demolitions in communities, lack of genuine land reform in the country, to outright repression and killings to the people.”

Kampuhan Kontra Kaltas, Krisis, at Kahirapan

Last December 6, the protesters started the “camp-out protest” tagged as “Kampuhan Kontra Kaltas Krisis at Kahirapan”. The protesters marched to Mendiola and mounted tents along in different areas in Manila, setting up the People’s Camp. Streamers saying "Ibagsak ang bulok na sistema!" and "Baguhin ang lipunan!" were put up in different places.
This is the country’s own version of the Occupy movement across the globe, the people’s response to the imperialist assaults to the rights of the 99 percent of the population.

Despite the pouring rains and the dispersal of police units, support for the ‘Occupy Mendiola’ movement continues to grow. In the past four days, they were joined by students and youths from the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, and Laguna. Labor unions under the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), OFWs’ families led by Migrante International, farmers groups in the Southern tagalong Region, as well as groups like Gabriela and Kadamay. They were also joined by lawmakers from partylist groups Bayan Muna, Kabataan, Anakpawis, Gabriela Women’s Party, and ACT Teachers Party.

Protest actions were held in different regions to express their solidarity with ‘Occupy Mendiola’. Thousand students from all nine State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the islands of Panay and Guimaras walked out of their last December 8. Meanwhile, students from the provinces of Baguio, Laguna, Bicol, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban,and Davao held noise barrage.

More so, concerned Hong Kong citizens picketed the local Philippine Consulate to condemn the police brutality vs. the first two days of the movement.

“We thank the thousands who have joined the Occupation and provided support since Day 1. The overwhelming support that we received basically shows the discontent of the people with the current social system,” added Crisostomo.

'Ibagsak ang sistema'

“The country, and the rest of the world, has been a site of injustice and exploitation. This is just the start of the movement that register the people’s dissent against the inequities in economic status and foreign domination in the country. Our 5-day Camp-out showed us how much the people want change and how determined collective action can inspire them ”

“This is our warning to those in power: We will no longer put up with lies, corruption, abuse, exploitation and injustice. Together, we will stand for freedom, justice, equality and genuine change,” ends Crisostomo. ###


Reference:
Vanessa Faye Bolibol, Camp-out PH media officer, 0926 170 36 55

 

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Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

Press Release
December 10, 2011

Filipino people have no reason to celebrate Int'l Human Rights Day--CPP

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) slammed the Aquino regime for comitting the same human rights violations as its predecessor. "The Aquino regime has denied the Filipino people reason to celebrate International Human Rights Day as the past year and a half has been marked by widespread violations of political and civil rights committed by abusive military, police and paramilitary forces of the US-Aquino regime in the course of waging its Oplan Bayanihan war of suppression."

"The same culture of impunity permeates the current regime," said the CPP. "Military and paramilitary units perpetrate atrocities without fear of punishment. In the countryside, they target areas where people are actively involved in mass struggles to defend their land and the environment against the incursion of foreign mining companies and big plantations. Communities which the military suspect to be supportive of the revolutionary movement are treated as armed adversaries."

"Wherever the AFP carries out so-called peace and development operations, it establishes martial law rule over the people," said the CPP. "It launches operations patterned after those of Gen. Jovito Palparan, where fascist troops impose economic and food blockades, restrict the people's movements, require travel papers and subject people to body searches. This is not not much different from the conditions in the martial law hamlets during the Marcos dictatorship."

"They encamp or set up detachments inside or beside school grounds, endangering the lives of children," added the CPP. "Armed fascist troops violate people's domiciles, divest them of their farm animals and destroy their crops. There are mounting cases of extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, torture and harassment of activists and local peasant leaders. The number of political prisoners continue is on the rise."

"In the cities, the Aquino regime violently demolishes urban poor shanties in its effort to clear valuable real estate for big bourgeois comprador projects under its flagship Public-Partnership Program," said the CPP. "Fearing the rise of mass protest actions, the Aquino regime employed police brutality just a few days ago to break up mass demonstrations by students and workers in Metro Manila in a desperate effort to stem the tide of protests and mass struggles."

"For the Filipino people, Aquino's 'peace and human rights' rhetoric is a farce. The regime has refused to fulfill its obligation to release the JASIG-protected peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)," added the CPP. "It treacherously carried out the arrest of two key leaders of the NDFP on the eve of formal negotiations."

"For three times, the Aquino government has reneged on its promise to release the 13 consultants of the NDFP," said the CPP. "As commander-in-chief, Aquino has likewise failed to hold the AFP accountable for its numerous attacks against NDFP consultants in the past, including key NDFP leaders Leo Velasco, Prudencio Calubid and Rogelio Calubad who all became victims of forced disappearance in 2006."

"Similarly, the Aquino regime has failed to put to justice the perpetrators of the abduction of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, peasant activist Jonas Burgos as well as the Manalo brothers, despite the preponderance of evidence unequivocally pointing to the AFP's direct responsibility for these crimes," added the CPP.

"The Aquino regime is carrying out Oplan Bayanihan employing measures that are violative of human rights as stipulated in the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), which it signed with the NDFP in 1998."

"The Filipino people must unite and resist the Aquino regime's Oplan Bayanihan war of suppression," said the CPP. "They must heighten their courage and determination to defend their democratic rights and fight the terrorism and fascism of the armed agents of the Aquino regime," said the CPP. The CPP urged the revolutionary forces to extensively propagate the CARHRIHL and conduct study meetings to raise the people's awareness of their fundamental political and civil rights.

"Every single violation of human rights by the Aquino regime should be vigorously exposed and condemned," said the CPP. "Cases from the remotest areas should be brought to national and international attention at the soonest possible time in order to help put a stop to the campaign of suppression being carried out with utter impunity by the military, police and paramilitary forces."

"Such cases should be immediately brought to the attention of the NDF Secretariat in the CARHRIHL Joint Monitoring Committee," added the CPP. "The Filipino people should take advantage of rapid means of communication such as cellphones and the internet to bring cases of abuse by armed agents of the state to the attention of the mainstream and social media," added the CPP.

"The people's government will continue to receive and act on complaints of human rights violations. Duly-constituted revolutionary committees will continue to carry out investigations in order to establish the culpability of responsible units, officers and personnel of the AFP and PNP," said the CPP.

"The New People's Army (NPA) will continue to undertake bigger and more frequent tactical offensives in order to target and punish the most notorious fascist units of the AFP and PNP and prevent them from further committing abuses against the people."

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Office of Representative Antonio L. Tinio
ACT Teachers Party-List
House of Representatives

PRESS RELEASE
December 10, 2011

References: ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. Antonio L. Tinio (0920-922-0817)
Julie Anne D. Tapit, Media Officer (0915-762-6522)

ACT Teachers representative urges release of political prisoners

As the nation marked International Human Rights Day, ACT Teachers Party-List Representative Antonio Tinio called for the release of all political prisoners in the country.

“By earlier claiming that there are no political prisoners in the country, the Aquino administration is turning a blind eye to the injustice perpetrated by the government against citizens who have chosen the path of political dissent,” said Tinio.

Data gathered by Karapatan, a human rights group, revealed that out of the current 356 political prisoners in the country, 303 or 85% are charged with common crimes, while only 15 or 4% are charged with political offenses such as rebellion. Significantly, 78 were arrested and detained under the Aquino administration.

“Even teachers have not been spared from arbitrary arrest and detention," said Tinio, citing the case of Charity Diño.

Diño, 31, was formerly a religion teacher in San Isidro Memorial High School and later on served as a full time public school teacher in Asiod Primary School in Oriental Mindoro. She later volunteered as an organizer for the Samahan ng mga Magsasaka sa Batangas, a peasant organization. On November 23, 2009, elements of the 730th Combat Group of the Philippine Air Force arrested Diño and two others in Talisay. They were held by the military for 18 days and subjected to torture before their turn-over to the Philippine National Police. They face charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives and are currently detained at the Batangas Provincial Jail.

"Charity Diño's plight is typical of those political dissenters whom the government seeks to repress by filing trumped up criminal charges against them," said Tinio. "Charity and other political prisoners like her must be freed immediately. "

The legislator criticized the Aquino administration for the special treatment given to former President and now Pampanga congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regarding the circumstances of her arrest and detention for electoral sabotage. "Mrs. Arroyo, the chief perpetrator of the worst crimes against the people since the dictator Marcos, is allowed all sorts of amenities and special privileges while under arrest. Meanwhile, the political prisoners, most of whom are activists who have dedicated themselves to serving the poor and oppressed, languish in jails alongside ordinary detainees."

"For the sake of justice, Arroyo must be swiftly tried and jailed while the political prisoners must be set free," concluded the ACT Teachers solon.

Tinio and 37 other legislators have filed House Resolution No. 1956, calling on President Benigno S. Aquino III to grant a "general, unconditional, and omnibus amnesty" to the country's 356 political prisoners.#
 

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For Immediate Release
December 2, 2011

Media Contact: Michael Viola
Philippine-United States Solidarity Organization (PUSO)
viola.michael@gmail.com

Seattle, WA – Marie Hilao-Enriquez, chairperson of the Philippines-based human rights coalition Karapatan will be in Seattle on December 10 to commemorate International Human Rights Day. Marie will share her own personal story as a survivor of state-sponsored crackdown on human rights, as well as provide an update of the current situation of human rights abuses in the Philippines. Marie will be speaking at the University of Washington on December 9 and the Filipino Community Center (FCC) in South Seattle on December 10.

Marie is a leading advocate for human rights in the Philippines. When Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972, his regime specifically targeted youth activists for their role in questioning the unjust policies of the U.S.-supported Philippine dictator. Marie was a political prisoner and was able to escape. However, authorities captured, tortured, and killed her sister, Liliosa. Her sister’s unjust death steered Marie in the ongoing struggle for human rights and to seek justice for the families and victims of state-sponsored torture and extrajudicial killings. As chairperson of Karapatan (which translates to “justice” in the Filipino language), Marie helps document cases of human rights violations perpetrated by the armed forces and paramilitary units, assists the victims and their relatives in seeking justice, and exposes the present government for the more than 1,000 victims of extra-judicial killings.

“It is a huge honor to welcome such a celebrated human rights crusader to Seattle. She has a remarkable story of organizing against the Marcos dictatorship and a sharp analysis of the current human rights situation in the Philippines.” says Joaquin Uy from the Philippine-U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO), the community-based group organizing Marie’s talks. “Her presentation is especially timely in offering a global reference point for the Occupy events taking place in New York, Seattle, and in other U.S. cities.”

Marie will be speaking about Karapatan’s annual human rights report under the current Philippine presidency and sharing her unique perspective on the Occupy movements sweeping the nation and the world. Her talk is meant to commemorate International Human Rights Day. On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has become a universal standard for defending and promoting human rights. Every year on December 10, Human Rights Day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration. Governments and nonprofit organizations all over the world celebrate this day’s declaration that “All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms.”###