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UN resolution lacks ‘more meaningful actions’ vs killings, abuses under Duterte – groups

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UN resolution lacks ‘more meaningful actions’ vs killings, abuses under Duterte – groups

Oct 7, 2020, Jodesz Gavilan

Human rights group EcuVoice fears the government will use the programs indicated in the resolution as ‘smokescreen’ to conceal apathy and disregard toward victims while continuing to attack critics

Local human rights groups on Wednesday, October 7, expressed “serious reservations” about a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution that offers the Philippines “technical assistance” to address killings in the country.

In a statement, the Ecumenical Voice for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (EcuVoice) doubted that the resolution would put an end to the widespread violations and abuse under President Rodrigo Duterte.

It pointed out that the resolution stopped short of providing “more meaningful actions” against the culture of impunity in the country.

According to the group, prosecution of perpetrators and actions against abusive policies are the “crucial indicators in addressing the strong and persistent demands for justice and accountability.”

“We believe that programs for technical cooperation and capacity building would not decisively curb the worsening human rights situation in the country,” EcuVoice said.

The resolution adopted by the UN also calls for technical cooperation between the government and UN bodies in addressing the issues in the country.

It was proposed during the 45th Session of the council by member-states Philippines, India, and Nepal, together with UNHRC non-members Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Thailand, and Turkey. 

Failure to launch probe

The key part missing in the resolution was the launching of an independent investigation, which many human rights groups have been lobbying for amid continuous killings, including under Duterte’s violent war on drugs. (READ: More killings feared if UN Human Rights Council fails to act vs impunity in PH)

Figures from the Philippine National Police show that there have been 7,884 deaths during police operations from July 1, 2016 to August 31, 2020. Groups estimate the total number of fatalities in the drug war to have reached more than 27,000 already, to include victims of vigilante-style killings. (READ: The Impunity Series)

Instead of an investigation, the UN rights office will engage with the Duterte government to assist its domestic measures, data gathering, and human rights-based approaches to drug control, among others.

While the resolution is indicative of the international bodies’ continuous monitoring of the situation, EcuVoice fears that its provisions will be used by the Duterte administration to evade accountability given its track record of dismissing concerns and threatening critics.

“We even fear that the government may abuse such programs and use these as smokescreen to conceal their apathy and disregard toward the victims, or to commit reprisals against activists and human rights defenders engaging in the process,” the group said.

Independent investigation still needed

Karapatan, meanwhile, said the resolution “disappointingly looks over the urgent demands” of communities, and falls short of “a decisive and adequate response” to the country’s worsening situation.

But the group challenged the Philippine government to abide by the provisions of the resolution and “allow the access of UN human rights mechanisms in the country to assess domestic accountability mechanisms if they are truly working and if they have nothing to hide.”

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“These so-called domestic mechanisms have been presented routinely to portray a robust democracy, yet time and time again, these have been exposed to have utterly failed in delivering justice and accountability for victims of human rights violations,” Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said.

The resolution comes amid mounting international pressure on the Philippines, including the recent European Parliament resolution and the ongoing preliminary examination of the International Criminal Court.

It was also adoped in the aftermath of a scathing report released by UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet in June 2020, in which her office pointed out that that local systems have so far failed to exact accountability for the killings.

Bachelet also said that the drug war is being carried out “without due regard for the rule of law, due process, and human rights.”

EcuVoice reiterated its call for a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the killings under Duterte. These accountability mechanisms, it added, should be “removed from the clutches of those who have been perpetrating and emboldening the commission of human rights violations.”

“To leave the investigation in the hands of the same government which has continuously shown disregard of our rights would result in a mockery,” EcuVoice said.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) also said that the resolution “falls short of our expectations.” Rappler.Com

Disinformation: PH intel chief has a history of spreading fake info online

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Disinformation: PH intel chief has a history of spreading fake info online

Rappler.Com Oct 5, 2020, Camille Elemia

MANILA, Philippines

At least one fake information became the basis of an intelligence report which the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency submitted to the Senate in 2016

Since late 2018, the Philippines’ top intelligence official has been spreading fake and wrong information from pages taken down by Facebook. He justified this by saying they’re “informative” and reflect the “artistic expressions of our people.”

Data collected from Facebook by Rappler’s social media monitoring tool showed that National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director General Alex Monteagudo started sharing posts as early as October 20, 2018 from The Daily Sentry, a website and Facebook page known for publishing false or misleading claims.

This was weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte claimed there was a plot, dubbed Red October, to oust him. The military and the police echoed Duterte’s unsubstantiated claim, implicating sectors and personalities critical of the President.

The following month, November 2018, Monteagudo shared a total of 40 posts from The Daily Sentry.

He shared The Daily Sentry posts almost every day in December 2018, with a total of 82 posts, or more than double the posts he shared in November.

NICA is under the Office of the President, which receives billions in confidential and intelligence funds.

Rappler asked Monteagudo for comment as early as last Friday, October 2, but he did not respond to this article’s specific findings. He instead referred this reporter to a statement he posted on Facebook on Sunday, October 4, defending his online actions against progressive lawmakers, who slammed him for spreading fake information against them on Facebook.

A retired police general and graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (1981), Monteagudo told Rappler in a text message: “Why don’t you investigate [Bayan Muna Representative Carlos] Zarate et al as well? And once and for all be honest to yourself and to our people – if they are really CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines] members?”

Zarate is part of the Makabayan bloc composed of progressive lawmakers. They used to be allies with President Rodrigo Duterte but they left the alliance in September 2017, following the souring of peace talks with communist rebels and the rejection of two left-leaning nominees by the Commission on Appointments.

Facebook took down The Daily Sentry’s page in January 2019 because it was part of the dubious network related to TwinMark Media Enterprises, a company that violated Facebook’s “misrepresentation and spam policies.” The website, however, continues to operate; it rebranded itself into The News Spy but has kept its original network identity or url.

The website had relied on so-called “experts” to spread disinformation. In 2018, Rappler studied the site’s headlines and identified 66 mentions of 13 “experts” – some of whom were linked to a Russian disinformation system. (READ: Russian disinformation system influences PH social media)

2020 pattern

After the takedown of Facebook pages amplifying The Daily Sentry in January 2019, there was a significant decline in Monteagudo’s sharing of posts on his Facebook account.

This changed starting March 2020, when he began sharing posts from the official page of the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

But from May to September 2020, data also showed that Monteagudo repeatedly shared content from dubious, anonymously-managed pages known for perpetuating lies about government critics and red-tagging them. These included the pages of Enlightened Youth and BUKAS-ISIP.  (READ: With anti-terror law, police-sponsored hate and disinformation even more dangerous)

On September 22, Facebook took down these two pages, as well as hundreds of other military- and police-linked pages, for “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” This angered the military. (READ: Army captain named as operator of fake Facebook network)

Rappler scrolled through Monteagudo’s recent Facebook feed and found at least a dozen posts with false, fabricated, and baseless claims between September 1 and September 28 alone.

Monteagudo shared content from questionable pages, some of which have been rated false by fact-checkers.

These pages included Lamrag Sinirangan and Pinoy Expose, which Rappler earlier found to be labeling as terrorists critics of the anti-terror law. 

Some of the claims were posted by Monteagudo himself, and not just shared from other pages, like the post below. His recent posts mostly targeted progressive lawmakers.

Content from Lorraine Badoy

From May to September, Monteagudo shared posts by Presidential Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, who’s been slammed by leftist lawmakers for her relentless red-tagging. He shared a total of 202 posts from Badoy during the 5-month period.

Badoy’s actions have prompted the House to again defer plenary debates on the proposed budget of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, with some lawmakers wanting her fired.

During the House budget hearing of NICA, Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago grilled the agency over Monteagudo’s Facebook posts tagging the bloc as “communist-terrorists.”

Elago said they will file a case against the NICA chief at the National Bureau of Investigation. 

In 1992, former president Fidel V. Ramos repealed the Anti-Subversion Law, which previously declared the CPP illegal and made membership in it punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

What is prohibited by the law, under the Revised Penal Code, is taking up arms or, in essence, being part of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the CPP.

On July 3, 2020, Duterte signed the controversial Anti-Terror Law, which punishes with life imprisonment terrorism, facilitating terrorism, and recruiting members for terror groups – a move that groups say gives the government more room to go after critics.

Monteagudo: I share posts because they are ‘informative’

In a statement he posted on Facebook, Monteagudo denied he is sharing fake information and insisted that the posts against Makabayan bloc lawmakers are truthful.

He said he shares posts because he sees them “as artistic expressions of our people.”

“[They] accused that my posts in my Facebook account are fake, implying that I am a purveyor of false information. I, therefore, categorically deny the said accusations! The reason why I share posts in my FB personal account is no different from all FB account holders. It is because I find the post inspiring or entertaining or informative,” Monteagudo said.

“Thus, I shared posts in my FB because I see them as artistic expressions of our people similar to the sentiments of former rebels, Indigenous Peoples (IPs) victims and parents who have finally gained the courage to stand up and reveal the truth about members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) who are now in Congress,” he added.

However, data show that Monteagudo posts wrong or misleading information against other government critics, not just the leftist lawmakers.

Wrong info to senators

The NICA chief’s habit of sharing wrong information has translated to actual intelligence reports.

In October 2016, a few months into Monteagudo’s new role, senators slammed NICA for basing its intelligence report on a website publishing fake and erroneous information.

NICA submitted a report to the Senate blue ribbon committee, saying there was a Chinese missile silo or launch facility under the mountains of Zambales, near the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

It turned out that the information came from a “satirical and entertainment” website, according to panel chair Richard Gordon.

Senators then questioned the poor intelligence skills of the NICA, pointing out that it received P700 million in funds at the time. – with a report from Rambo Talabong/Rappler.com

Filipino groups and solidarity supporters call for end to Duterte’s attacks on migrants’ rights advocates

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PRESS RELEASE

29 September 2020

With the Duterte regime facing backlash after Facebook busted a fake news network of more than 100 social media accounts and pages linked to the police and the military, Filipino and foreign solidarity groups held a press conference on monday, 28 September 2020, to call for an end to harassments perpetrated against Filipino migrants rights’ advocates. 

BAYAN USA and Gabriela USA chided PCOO Usec. Lorraine Badoy and the Philippine military for maliciously circulating photos of BAYAN and Gabriela leaders in the US along with labels tagging them as terrorists through facebook pages such as For the Global Public and Enlightened Youth. “This act of labelling, terror tagging and false accusations endangers our lives and security for us as leaders and for our Gabriela organizations,” Gabriela USA said in their statement. 

Expressing solidarity for progressive Filipino migrant groups espousing national democracy, Joe Iosbaker of Chicago’s Committee to Stop FBI Repression said, “”In the Philippines, red tagging by the thugs of the Duterte regime have led to an untold number of deaths. We condemn it and we condemn the Duterte regime for his human rights abuses which are now far worse than the Marcos dictatorship.”

Speaking from Germany, Iglesia Filipina Independiente Bishop Antonio Ablon, who also currently serves as the coordinator for the Europe Network for Justice and Peace in the Philippines related how he, along with Marlon Lacsamana of Migrante Europe and Fatima Rico of Anakbayan Europe were tagged as terrorists by a certain Jeanette Angel Lopez. Bishop Ablon welcomed the recent EU resolution calling on European business entities to ensure that human rights are being observed in their business operations in the Philippines. 

Members of the European Union parliament likewise sought the possibility of withdrawing preferential trade benefits being enjoyed by the Philippines. The bishop believes that the Duterte regime is retaliating against progressive Filipino migrant groups for their continuing response to Filipino migrant welfare issues and their lobbying work for justice and peace in the Philippines. This includes the human rights report brought to the 41st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland last year resulting in the UN body’s call for a comprehensive report on the human rights violations specifically drug-related extrajudicial killings under the Duterte regime. 

Fr. Rudolf Scheltinga of the Old Catholic Church’s St. Agnes Parish in Germany called for the red tagging and vilification of Filipino activists to stop as he lauded their efforts to fight for justice and human rights in the Philippines.

A year ago, members of Emilio Aguinaldo DDS group in Hong Kong started intensifying their attacks when UNIFIL-Migrante Hong Kong openly criticized Duterte for broken promises to migrant workers like the cancellation of the Overseas Employment Certificates requirement or OEC and providing jobs to Filipinos back home. They posted banners, distributed pamphlets and posted items on social media vilifying and terror tagging Migrante, BAYAN and Gabriela. They even became more aggressive by posting threats to deport them and harm their families. 

Rev. Berlin Guerrero of BAYAN Australia said that early this year NTF ELCAC spokesperson Gen. Antonio Parlade and PCOO. Usec. Badoy arrived in Australia and conducted their so-called ‘Peace Forums’ in Sydney and Melbourne. “Their presentation had nothing to do with achieving just and lasting peace in the Philippines but on the Duterte regime’s counterinsurgency program which vilify and malign legitimate people’s organizations in the Philippines, in Australia and other parts of the world,” Guerrero said. 

“With the 3,000% increase in NTF-ELCAC’s proposed 2021 budget from PHp 622.3 Million in 2020 to Php 19.1 Billion in 2021, they have more money to vilify Filipino citizens overseas. This is where our taxes go. Instead of allotting this money to help people affected by COVID-19  pandemic, they poured a large amount of budget to NTF-ELCAC. They are protecting Duterte from the people’s wrath due to his incompetence in responding to disasters and callousness to the people’s plight, so they slander us hoping that the people will believe their lies,” UNIFIL Migrante Hong Kong chairperson Dolores Pelaez enunciated.  

Sister Patricia Fox, whose advocacies earned her animosity from the Duterte regime leading to her deportation said, “Migrante has been instrumental in helping the workers. Gabriela has taken up many issues like domestic violence and in terms of raising consciousness and of course, Anakbayan among the students. They’ve been making heroic efforts to provide various forms of support especially at this time of the pandemic. So the red tagging is so disgusting but it also shows that people are rising up in the Philippines and Filipinos around the world. We raise our voice even louder with the passage of the Anti-Terror Law. Filipinos overseas who dare to use their right to condemn brutality and injustice, this Anti-Terrorism Law reaches out even as far here so we stand in support of Filipinos as they struggle for justice, freedom and genuine democracy.”

Migrante International chairperson Joanna Concepcion welcomed Facebook’s removal of almost a hundred fake Facebook accounts and fake news pages. “This revealed to the Filipino people clear evidence of state-sponsored and funded online attacks, red tagging and mass deception. AFP and PNP deliberately tried to hide their identities and their ties to these fake accounts but were not successful. This proves that this is a coordinated and deliberate effort by the Duterte regime to mislead people and attack progressive organizations and individuals raising legitimate criticisms,” Concepcion stated. 

The group likewise reiterated its demands for the junking of the Terror Law, the shutdown of fake news sites and fake accounts on Facebook and the abolition of the NTF ELCAC. It also expressed support for the continuing call of the United Nations Human Rights Commission and the European Union parliament to end human rights violations and extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. 

Concepcion also explained why calls by Filipino progressive groups for Duterte’s ouster and the junking of the terror law are part of the right to freedom of expression. “The 1987 constitution tells us that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them. The Duterte government has been trampling on the law, the Philippine constitution. The passage of the Terror Law is one example. More than 30 petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of the Terror Law. This Terror Law was passed right in the middle of a pandemic when the Philippine government should be attending to the economic and public health crisis. The Philippines now has the longest lockdown so the response of the Duterte government has really been a failure. With regards to the plan to postpone the 2022 elections, the pandemic should not be used by the government to suppress the rights of the Filipino people most especially our right to vote.”

During the press conference, a unity statement was launched to “demand an immediate stop to the tagging of activists and progressive organizations worldwide as ‘communist terrorist groups’ by the Duterte regime” as well as the continuing terror tagging being perpetrated by NTF ELCAC. The unity statement has so far already garnered signatories from 102 Filipino organizations from different countries in the Asia-Pacific region, North America and Europe. #

Unity Statement

Stop the Duterte Regime’s Terror-Tagging of

Migrant Rights’

Activists and Advocates

 28 September 2020

We, the undersigned, demand an immediate stop to the tagging of activists and progressive organizations worldwide as “communist terrorist groups” by the Duterte regime.

Progressive, migrant-serving and human rights organizations and their leaders including Migrante International, United Filipinos in Hong Kong,  BAYAN HK-Macau, GABRIELA HK, MIGRANTE Aotearoa, MIGRANTE Australia, Anakbayan Europe, GABRIELA USA and BAYAN USA have been the victims of such terror-tagging as a result of their continued services to migrants and overseas Filipinos, advocacy for human rights, democracy, and sovereignty in the Philippines. These attacks led to attempted deportation of a Filipino worker in Taiwan and are carried out through government officials’ Facebook pages, such as that of Lorraine Badoy, the Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and Spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). Moreover, anonymous Facebook pages such as “For the Global Public” and “Enlightened Youth” are also used to spread false information and black propaganda.

Terror-tagging, or “red-tagging”, is a dangerous tactic used by fascist governments in an attempt to discredit individuals and organizations that express critical views. In the Philippines, red-tagging is used to justify harassment, arrests, and assasination by state forces and its armed goons. Jory Porquia, a former MIGRANTE International organizer abroad and coordinator in Iloilo City was killed inside his home after long series of redtagging. Zara Alvarez, a human rights worker who was placed on a government “terror-list” in 2018, was recently murdered this August. Similarly, Brandon Lee, an environmental activist who survived an assassination attempt by state agents in 2019, was vilified by the Philippine military for years prior. With Duterte’s Terror Law now in effect, we can only expect more brazen attacks.

As human rights abuses and poverty continue to worsen under the Duterte administration, it is important that Filipinos and their allies overseas continue to raise their voices against tyranny. We understand that this commitment to justice will only elicit further contempt from the Duterte administration. Despite this, we affirm our commitment to supporting and defending the necessary work bravely being done by the Migrante International, Anakbayan Europe, GABRIELA USA BAYAN USA and the many other progressive organizations fighting for genuine change in the Philippines.

Signed,

(Initial signatories of organizations)

BAYAN USA

MIGRANTE USA

GABRIELA USA

ANAKBAYAN USA

Asia -Pacific

Abra Migrant Workers Welfare Association

Association of Concerned Filipinos

BAYAN Hong Kong & Macau

Gabriela Women Organization Hong Kong Bank Chapter

GABRIELA Hong Kong

Filipino Migrant Worker’s Union

Filipino Friends

Filipino Lesbian Organization

Filipino Women Organization (FILWOM)

Filguys Gabriela Association

Friends of Bethune House

Likha Filipino Migrants Cultural Organization

Migrante Artista ng Bayan

Migrante Pier
Mission Volunteers (MOVERS)

Samahang Migrante

Sta Maria Migrants Association

Cuyapo OFW Association

Hong Kong
Filipino Migrant Domestic Workers Union

Filipino Migrants Association (FMA)

Filipino Mission-Ward Methodist

Filipino Women Migrant Association (FILWOM)

Luzviminda Migrante

Migrante Shatin

Migrante Tamar

Migrante Tsing Yi

Migrante Tsuen Wan

Migrante Tuen Mun

Migrante Visayas

Migrante Yuen Long

Organic Environmental & Cultural Organization

Pangasinan Organization for Welfare and Rights (POWER)

Philippine Independent Church- Choir

Pinatud A Saleng Ti Umili (PSU)

United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL MIGRANTE HK)

Promotion Of Church People Response (PCPR Hong Kong)

KASAMMAKO

MIGRANTE EPS

New Era Foundation

Pag-Iribang Bicolnon in Korea

Aguman Kapampangan

TERESA

Migrante Taiwan

Bayan Australia

Gabriela Australia – Victoria

Philippine Australia Womens Association (PAWA)

Gabriela Greater Sydney

Gabriela Central Coast

Gabriela Western Australia

Migrante Melbourne

Migrante Melbourne East

Migrante Melbourne North East

(Samahang Tatak Pinoy – STP)

Migrante Melbourne West

Migrante Southwest (Sydney)

Lingap North (Sydney)

Migrante Perth (WA)

Anakbayan Melbourne

Philippine Studies Network of Australia (PINAS)

Advance League of Peoples Artists (ALPA)

Promotion for Church Peoples Response – Australia

Philippine Caucus for Peace (PCP)

Europe

AnakBayan Europe

Campaign for the Human Rights in the Philippines – United Kingdom

Europe Network for Justice and Peace in the Philippines

Promotion of Church Peoples Response (PCPR) – Europe

Filipinol Ecumenical Migrants Ministry – IFI

Federation of Domestic Workers Association – United Kingdom

FOA-Au Pair (Denmark)

Gebriela Germany

Gabriela London, UK

Gabriela, Rome Italy

Gabriela Switzerland

Kanlungan Filipino Consortium – United Kingdom

Kasama Ko – Greece

Makabayang Samahang Pilipino – The Netherlands

Migrante Austria

Migrante Bologna

Migrante Como

Migrante Cyprus

Migrante Denmark

Migrante Firenze-Italy

Migrante Iceland

Migrante Ireland

Migrante-Mantova, Italy

Migrante-Milano, Italy

Migrante Amsterdam

Migrante-The Netherlands-The Hague

Migrante -Utrecht

Migrante Sectoral Partylist – Europe

Migrante-Zurich, Switzerland

Milan OFW Kapitbisig – Italy

Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya

Pinay sa Holland – Gabriela

Samahan ng mga Kabataan sa Netherlands

Ugnayang Pilipino sa Belgium

Umangat Migrante Italy

###########################

Reference:

  • Joanna Concepcion, Chairperson, Migrante International,

PH contact number: 0908-129-28-51

Email: chair.migranteintl@gmail.com—
Website: http://migranteinternational.org
Office Address: Episcopal Mission Center Compound, 275 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave, Brgy. Kalusugan, Quezon City

A Divergent War: Songs for the Pandemic TOMORROW

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A Divergent War: Songs for the Pandemic TOMORROW
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=331225287951247

Today, we are bound by a shared sense of uncertainty. Much of what we took for granted has changed forever. Many of us have lost loved ones to this pandemic.

In the Philippines, these agonizing realities are made worse by the government’s Enhanced Community Quarantine, which strangles poor communities by depriving them of work, public transportation, and in many cases, an adequate supply of food.

Despite these hardships, we all have an opportunity to take control of our future by engaging with what is happening around us and taking an active role in demanding accountability from our elected leaders.

COVID-19 has blurred what tomorrow might look like, but we have the power to bring greater clarity for what lies ahead

Volume 3 of A Divergent War: Songs for the Pandemic TOMORROW

Music by Fabian Obispo
Lyrics by Joi Barrios
Performed by Rafa Siguion-Reyna
Musical Direction & Accompaniment by Ejay Yatco
Sound Mixing & Mastering by Jan Levi Sanchez
Editing by Saltwater Cinema, Adjani Arumpac, and Hiyas Bagabaldo
Translation by Karen Llagas

Duterte seeks P540-billion advance from Bangko Sentral for pandemic response

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Duterte seeks P540-billion advance from Bangko Sentral for pandemic response

MANILA, Philippines

The government says it will pay the central bank in full by the end of 2020 at no interest. The Monetary Board will discuss the matter.

The Duterte government requested P540 billion from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), as the country takes on Southeast Asia’s worst coronavirus crisis with a massive revenue shortfall.

In a text message to reporters, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the government committed to pay on December 29 at no interest.

Diokno and the central bank’s 7-member Monetary Board will have to discuss the matter.

The government’s request comes as it paid off the P300-billion bridge loan it owed the BSP. (READ: [ANALYSIS] A deeper look into Duterte’s finances to fight the coronavirus)

Back in March, the central bank remitted P20 billion as advance dividends to aid government programs.

The Duterte administration’s disbursements for 2020 are pegged at P4.335 trillion, while revenues are estimated to fall sharply to just P2.519 trillion, bringing the deficit to P1.815 trillion or 9.6% of the Philippines’ gross domestic product.

As of end-August, the country’s total debt had climbed to a new all-time high of P9.615 trillion.

Last April, President Rodrigo Duterte himself floated the idea of selling government assets to fund projects, but his economic managers said the President was only joking. – Rappler.com

Royal Dutch Shell to axe thousands of jobs on virus fallout

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Royal Dutch Shell to axe thousands of jobs on virus fallout

LONDON, United Kingdom

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell will cut between 7,000 and 9,000 positions by the end of 2022

Sep 30, 2020, Agence France-Presse

Royal Dutch Shell will axe up to 9,000 jobs or more than 10% of its global workforce, the energy giant said on Wednesday, September 30, as the coronavirus pandemic slams oil demand and prices.

The Anglo-Dutch group will cut between 7,000 and 9,000 positions by the end of 2022, including 1,500 staff who have agreed to take voluntary redundancy this year, it said in a statement.

“This is an extremely tough process. It is very painful to know that you will end up saying goodbye to quite a few good people,” said Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden, who oversees 80,000 staff across more than 70 countries.

“But we are doing this because we have to, because it is the right thing to do for the future of the company.

“We have to be a simpler, more streamlined, more competitive organization that is more nimble and able to respond to customers,” he added.

The virus has hit the entire energy sector, with Shell’s fierce rival BP axing about 10,000 jobs or 15% of its staff.

Shell on Wednesday added that it aims to generate annual savings of between $2 billion and $2.5 billion (1.7 billion to 2.1 billion euros) by also cutting back on refining capacity.

It will help the company to achieve a $3-billion to $4-billion efficiency drive announced in March and that runs to 2021.

Shell had in July flagged that job cuts were in the pipeline after posting a colossal $18.1-billion 2nd quarter net loss.

On Wednesday, it warned that it would suffer more post-tax impairment charges of $1 billion to $1.5 billion in full 3rd quarter earnings due next month.

Van Beurden added that Shell was looking at a raft of other areas where it can cut costs, such as travel, its use of contractors, and virtual working.

COVID-19 slammed the brakes on the global economy and sent oil prices off a cliff – even causing them to briefly turn negative in April.

The market also crashed on the back of a vicious price war between key producers Saudi Arabia and Russia.

The resulting meltdown ravaged revenues and profits.

Shell was already in the red in the 1st quarter, which prompted it to cut its shareholder dividend for the first time since the 1940s.

Oil prices currently stand at about $40 per barrel, which is still well down on the same time last year. – Rappler.com

‘NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW!’: Groups conduct tribute vigil, lobby for Philippine Human Rights Act at the US Capitol”

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‘NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW!’: Groups conduct tribute vigil, lobby for Philippine Human Rights Act at the US Capitol”

September 26, 2019

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA – On September 21, Malaya Movement DMV and BAYAN USA-DMV, together with several progressive FIlipino organizations, community members, and allies, held a vigil in front of the US Capitol to commemorate the 48th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines, paying a candle-lit tribute to the victims of both Ferdinand Marcos’ and Rodrigo Duterte’s fascist regimes, resisting Duterte’s intensified offensive against the people, especially the de facto martial law unleashed through the Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL), and pushing for the passing of the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA), a bill that seeks to end US financial assistance for the police and military forces of the Duterte Administration.

A member of progressive youth and student organization, ANAKBAYAN DC, Sarah Monteclaros, said in her speech: “It has been 48 years since the brutal administration caused the disappearance of hundreds of Filipinos, viciously murdered thousands, and tortured and imprisoned tens of thousands of Filipinos. It has been 48 years since the corrupt regime stole billions of dollars from the Filipino people which sold the resources of the Philippines to foreign and to capitalist interests. Their actions continue to plague generations of Filipinos under crushing debt.” Citing the example of those who fell in the resistance against Marcos, Monteclaros addressed the necessity for the Filipino people to continue to struggle against the Duterte regime

Duterte signed the Anti-Terror Bill into law and it went into effect on July 18, marking the de-facto return of the country to the dark days of martial law. Under ATL, all forms of civil discourse and dissent are criminalized, as anyone who dares to voice their own opinion is being tagged as “terrorist” and subjugated to arrests and torture. The Anti-Terror Law, however, is only the latest product of Duterte’s rule of terror: human rights groups, including KARAPATAN and Human Rights Defenders Memorial, said over 30,000 have been killed in the name of his anti-illegal drug war, together with extra-judicial killings and disappearances, the death tolls under four years of Duterte administration has already surpassed that of the martial law period. Scores of human rights violations have been documented as well during the two-year imposition of martial law in Mindanao.

“Today, we witness the resurrection of the dark years of Marcos in the dictatorship of the current president, Rodrigo Duterte. It had caused the mass arrest of fellow youth activists and killings of human rights defenders, is this not in essence martial law all over again?” asked Mia Elane, representing the George Washington University’s Philippine Cultural Society (PCS). “But in these times, let us remember the role of the Filipino youth. José Rizal said, ‘the youth are the hope of the nation.’ As Filipino-American youth, we are inspired by the courage of the youth who fought against dictatorship and ousted Marcos. Our generation has been proved incredible in speaking out against injustices and fighting for the rights for the most marginalized peoples. (…) we have the power to change the course of history! We have the power to tear down oppressive systems and we have the power to help our brothers and sisters in need!”

Drawing parallel from the Bolivian people’s struggle against imperialism and for democracy, Marian Almanza, a member of Colectivo Kawsay, shared: “We have a community here that has what we sometimes refer to in Bolivia as memoria larga — long memory, we recall the dictatorships and the coups that we’re being fought, we remember the figures and the people who have been silenced, we remember those murdered  — we do not forgive nor forget. We remember what our ancestors have fought and how it guides our struggles now. And it’s very clear that those exact struggles are not over.” Colectivo Kawsay is a progressive organization of the Bolivian community in the DMV area.

Long-time member of People’s Power Assembly Baltimore, Andres Powell, also highlighted Duterte’s dependence on US aid and raised the necessity to pass the PHRA. He made clear that the Filipino government has always relied heavily on US military and financial assistance to put down popular dissent: in 2016 alone, $120 million was given to the Duterte administration in the form of military aid. “None of the aid has trickled down to the working class in terms of higher livable wages, safe working condition and labor rights,” said Powell. 

Coordinator for progressive grassroots alliance Jhong Delacruz shared about his own mother’s experience as a youth-activist under Martial Law, “In just one week, my mom lost all her friends and activist-comrades, Raids of safe houses and organizing spaces were happening left and right Friends were arrested, forcibly disappeared or “na-desap” short for desaparecido, which is Spanish for those disappeared. Kabataang Makabayan  and like-minded organizations like Makibaka were declared illegal, their ranks, their operations and their resistance effectively forced underground”

Drawing parallels to the current events under the “Duterte Dictatorship”, “Marcos did not step down peacefully, he was thrown out of office, he was flown out of office to Hawaii, not quite unlike Scott Pemberton, murdered a Filipina and virtually cannot be held liable for his crimes due to the EDCA military agreement. This State is both terrorist and terrified, afraid of the rising peoples resistance and calls for a new Philippines. Never Again to Martial Law, Continue our History of Resistance against Dictatorship!”, added Delacruz. 

The vigil ended both with a moment of silence as candles were lit and the names of victims of both Marcos Martial Law and Duterte’s so-called “Drug War” and ATL (Anti-Terror Law) were read and a rendition of traditional protest song, “Bayan Ko”.  

On Sept. 21, 1972, then-President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law across the Philippines, in response to the people’s anger and people’s movement unfolding over dire economic conditions throughout the country. He suspended habeas corpus through the legislative act Proclamation No. 1081, effectively dissolving the legislative branch of the government, which marked the start of an almost 24-year dictatorship. In these 24 years, approximately 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured, and over 3,200 were killed. The ramifications of the Marcos regime are still felt today: the foreign debt he borrowed will not be repaid completely until 2025; at the same time, the Labor Export Policy he facilitated resulted in the unprecedented increase in emigration and Filipino diaspora around the world.

In a 2016 interview with Nico Alconaba of Inquirer Mindanao, Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, of the party-list group Bayan Muna shared, “Under the Marcos regime, the country’s foreign debt skyrocketed from $599 million in 1966 to $26.7 billion in 1986.”

“We are so deep in debt that we have been paying the Marcos debt for the past 30 years since the downfall of the Marcos dictatorship,” he added.  “We will be paying the Marcos debt, which mostly went to their very own pockets, until 2025”

BAYAN DMV as the national democratic multi-sectoral alliance in the region recalls its founding in the Philippines in 1983, in the face and at the height of the fascist dictatorship, and invites the general public to join its current member-organizations: Gabriela DC, Migrante DC and Anakbayan DC. #

Reference:  Jhong Delacruz, RN; Email: bayan.usa.dmv@gmail.com | Tel. ‪(202) 350-1429‬

What and who are behind terrible posts on Facebook?

Pinoy Abrod
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What and who are behind terrible posts on Facebook?

Hotspots, Published September 25, 2020

by Tonyo Cruz

Many have practically given up on the perceived stupidity in social media and even of fellow Filipinos. Sometimes I can’t blame them for thinking that way. But the latest announcement of Facebook against “coordinated inauthentic behavior” should be helpful in clarifying the real problem.

Facebook says “coordinated inauthentic behavior” refers to “groups of accounts and pages seeking to mislead people about who they are and what they are doing while relying on fake accounts.”

Last September 22, Facebook announced that it cracked down on 57 Facebook accounts, 31 Pages and 20 Instagram accounts.

“Although the people behind this activity attempted to conceal their identities, our investigation found links to Philippine military and Philippine police,” said Facebook.

This network’s reach is quite big: “276,000 accounts followed one or more of these Pages and about 5,500 people followed one of more of these Instagram accounts.”

Facebook revealed that the network “relied on fake accounts to evade enforcement, post content, comment and manage Pages.”

“This operation appeared to have accelerated between 2019 and 2020. They posted in Filipino and English about local news and events including domestic politics, military activities against terrorism, pending anti-terrorism bill, criticism of communism, youth activists and opposition, the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” Facebook said.

In the same September 22 report, Facebook said that it also found, investigated and removed a China-based network composed of 155 accounts, 11 Pages, 9 Groups, and 6 Instagram accounts.

“Although the people behind this activity attempted to conceal their identities and coordination, our investigation found links to individuals in the Fujian province of China,” said Facebook.

This network looks small but the footprint is quite big, according to Facebook: “About 133,000 accounts followed one or more of these Pages, around 61,000 people joined one or more of these Groups, and about 150 accounts followed one or more of these Instagram accounts.”

What exactly the network wanted to achieve was to influence public perception of China, the US, and the Duterte government. said Facebook: “[They] relied on fake accounts to pose as locals in countries they targeted, post in Groups, amplify their own content, manage Pages, like and comment on other people’s posts particularly about naval activity in the South China Sea, including US Navy ships.”

Facebook said that the China-based network “posted in Chinese, Filipino, and English about global news and current events including Beijing’s interests in the South China Sea; Hong Kong; content supportive of President Rodrigo Duterte and Sarah Duterte’s potential run in the 2022 presidential election; criticism of Rappler, an independent news organization in the Philippines; issues relevant to the overseas Filipino workers; and praise and some criticism of China. In the US, where this network focused the least and gained almost no following, they posted content both in support of and against presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump.”

It must be stressed these are not the first instances that Facebook exposed and cracked down on “coordinated inauthentic behavior” on the popular social media network.

On October 22, 2018, Facebook removed 95 Pages with a reach of at least 4.8 million. The Pages, with names such Duterte Media, Duterte sa Pagbabago BUKAS, DDS, Duterte Phenomenon, DU30 Trending News, Hot Babes, News Media Trends, Bossing Vic, Pilipinas Daily News, Like and Win, and Manang Imee, Karlo ang Probinsiyano, were found violating the platform’s rules on spam and authenticity.

“All (the Pages) were sharing links to the same advertising click farms off Facebook,” the platform said.

On January 10, 2019, Facebook banned Twinmark Media Enterprises and all its subsidiaries.

“This organization repeatedly violated our misrepresentation and spam policies — including through coordinated inauthentic behavior, the use of fake accounts, leading people to ad farms, and selling access to Facebook Pages to artificially increase distribution and generate profit,” said Facebook.

The action against Twinmark removed 220 Facebook Pages, 73 Facebook accounts, 29 Instagram accounts which a reach of 43 million followers.

A close look at the samples provided by Facebook revealed that the Twinmark network was a favorite of “social media influencers” identified with the administration and appeared to have been used for partisan political purposes in the run-up to the 2019 elections. A number also pretended to be “news outlets,” when they were not.

On March 28, 2019, Facebook announced that it removed “a network organized by Nic Gabunada,” the self-professed digital director of the 2016 Duterte campaign.

Gabunada’s network included 67 Pages, 68 Facebook accounts, 40 Groups, and 25 Instagram accounts.

What could be the takeaways from these actions taken by Facebook?

One, a lot of the misinformation and disinformation appear to be planned and directed by both domestic and foreign actors who seek to unduly influence public opinion and public policy.

Two, there’s a widespread use of inauthentic behavior, fake accounts, and troll farms to amplify the messages and to make it appear there’s solid or growing support from the public.

Three, there are parties financing and profiting from the social media operations.

Fourth, in the case of the dangerous red-tagging done on Facebook, the military and police have been found to be directly involved.

Remember this when you browse and share on Facebook.

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