Update on the DDoS defense of alternative media outfits
Militant youth group troops to Mendiola, blasts Duterte’s subservience to China
Following their lightning rally at the Chinese consulate last June 25, Anakbayan – Metro Manila along with various progressive groups, led another mobilization at Mendiola on the third year anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) decision regarding West Philippine Sea on Friday, July 12. Blatant Subservience The UNCLOS […]
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Respondents to writ of amparo petition a no show in hearings
Benjamin, a member of the NUPL, who was supposed to testify on the witness stand. (Photo by A.M. Umil/ Bulatlat)
“The audacity in yakking against us to our extreme prejudice outside the courtroom could not be matched by any modicum of fortitude by at least showing up in court.”
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Military officials are once a again a no-show at the hearing, Thursday July 11 at the Court of Appeals Special 15th Division, on the writ of amparo petition filed by the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL).
Instead of personally attending the hearing, Assistant Solicitor-General Angelita V. Miranda told the court that the respondents have sent their representatives. They also waived the appearance of the respondents in the entire hearing process of the case.
Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) also did not cross-examine Clarissa Ramos, wife of the slain lawyer Benjamin, a member of the NUPL, who was supposed to testify on the witness stand. The OSG objected to her admissibility as a witness as they alleged that she is not an expert.
The respondents in the writ of amparo and habeas data filed by the NUPL are: President Rodrigo Duterte in his capacity as commander-in-chief, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, AFP Chief of Staff Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., AFP Deputy Commander for Intelligence Brigadier General Fernando Trinidad, AFP Intelligence Service Chief Major General Erwin Bernard Neri, Army Commanding General Lieutenant General Macairog Alberto and AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations Major General Antonio G. Parlade, Jr.
“The audacity in yakking against us to our extreme prejudice outside the courtroom could not be matched by any modicum of fortitude by at least showing up in court. This betrays how cavalier and reckless the still continuing smear attacks against us are,” said NUPL President Edre Olalia.
‘Avoiding to put on record’
Assistant Solicitor General Marlon Bosantog said Ramos’ testimony is irrelevant and immaterial as far as the case is concerned. He said there is “nothing in her judicial affidavit that state particular unlawful act attributed to the respondents.”
In response Rachel Pastores of the Public Interest Law Center (PILC), the lead counsel for the petitioners said that Ramos is going to state the circumstances that led to the killing of her husband on Nov. 6, 2018, in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
“The witness will describe the pattern of surveillance, harassments and threats that was committed against her husband, Atty. Ben Ramos before he was murdered. This is to show the experiences of her husband (and other NUPL officers) that led to his killing,” Pastores said during the hearing.
Justices eventually overruled the OSG’s objection. However, the OSG did not proceed to the cross-examination.
In an interview with Bulatlat, Pastores said Ramos was not presented as an expert witness. She added that the OSG did not cross-examine Ramos simply to avoid that her testimony be put on record.
“They are saying that they are objecting but they just don’t want her testimony to be put on record. Because how can they dispute it?” Pastores told Bulatlat.
‘Deliberate and systematic harassment’
Ramos said she was surprised and disappointed that she was not cross-examined by the OSG.
“It’s unfortunate. They should have heard my side of the story because I saw and knew how deliberately and systematically they harassed Ben until he was killed,” she told Bulatlat in a separate interview.
Ben is the first NUPL lawyer killed under the Duterte administration.
Ramos only affirmed the contents of her judicial affidavit on the witness stand. “At least they accepted my judicial affidavit, they are accepting that there is truth to what I am saying,” she said.
Ramos said since 2017 to 2018, the military through their radio program often mentioned Ben as a lawyer and accused him of being a recruiter of the New People’s Army. In April 2018, there was a poster posted in places in Negros as well as the police station where Ben and other human rights defenders were tagged as CNN personalities. CNN is referred by the military as Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP).
She said Civil Military Operation (CMO) units were also deployed in the communities they assist, asking about Ben’s activities and the cases that he handles. “They are telling the leaders (of the communities) not to link with PDG or even NUPL ‘because they are sympathizers and instruments of the NPA’,” said Ramos. PDG or Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group is a non-government organization assisting peasants in the province. Ben was also the executive director of the said organization.
Also in September 2018, 62nd Infantry Battalion during the internal security operation orientation in different communities tagged NUPL with Ben’s picture as secretary general as a terrorist organization.
Military agents also tailed Ben in every activity where he is present and took his picture. It was also during this time that Ben was busy on the case of Mabinay 6.
“They are really targeting the NUPL. In Negros, Ben, as NUPL lawyer handled many cases and he was really seen as a threat by the military,” said Ramos.
Attack as an NUPL member
Meanwhile, another witness during the hearing was lawyer Maria Catherine Dannug-Salucon, NUPL’s vice president for Luzon.
OSG also tried to object to Salucon as a witness as she was granted a writ of amparo by the CA on March 12, 2015.
Salucon said that she filed the petition this time in her capacity as a member and officer of the NUPL. She pointed out that the subject of the present petition is the vilification and attack on the NUPL that the military alleged as front organization of the CPP-NPA.
She said this time, she was being referred to as NUPL spokesperson, which is totally different in her first petition.
In the cross-examination Bosantog then asked if she is being attacked as a member of the NUPL to which she replied yes.
Bosantog also asked Salucon to identify the unlawful acts attributed to the respondents. Salucon mentioned several instances which are also stated in their petition, where lawyers particularly the members of the NUPL were subjected to red-tagging and surveillance by the state forces.
“A number are tailed, some receive threatening text messages, some are publicly vilified in radio programs and still a few were even included in a shotgun petition to declare the CPP-NPA as terrorist organizations, maliciously labeling them as members of these rebel organizations,” she said citing a portion of the petition.
Bosantog also asked Salucon to identify unlawful orders given by the respondents to any subordinate to which Salucon said is the all-out war policy of the Duterte administration.
The NUPL filed the petition for writs of amparo and habeas data with the Supreme Court on April 15 due to heightened attacks against human rights lawyers. The SC granted the writ of amparo, a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security has been violated or under threat.
Pastores said that red-tagging of the NUPL lawyers should stop as it endangers their lives. “Only few practicing lawyers are handling human rights cases. And this is what is happening to them, let them practice their chosen profession,” she said speaking to the media after the hearing.
The next hearing is set on July 18.
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Paglalakbay na naantala, salamat sa kapitalista
PALIPARANG SCHIPHOL, The Netherlands – Ano kaya ang puwedeng gawin sa loob ng mahigit 13 oras? Isipin mo, nasa loob ka lang ng paliparan. Ayaw mong gumastos nang malaki dahil sa pera mong kaunti.
Mas mainam na lang sigurong magmuni-muni. Una, bakit ba ako nasa isang dayuhang bayang atrasado nang anim na oras kumpara sa Pilipinas pero maraming dekadang napakaunlad kumpara sa ating bayang pinagkaitan? Ikalawa, bakit ba ako mistulang “preso” sa napakaganda pero nais kong iwanang paliparang ito? Ikatlo, ano ang kinalaman ng kapitalismo sa isyung ito?
Una sa lahat, naka-transit lang ako rito sa Amsterdam para magsalita sa isang pandaigdigang komperensiya ng mga akademiko sa komunikasyon sa Brno, Czech Republic. Kung nasunod lang ang plano ko, ilang oras lang ako dapat dito dahil deretso na sana sa paliparan ng Prague. Pero hindi ganoon ang “tadhana” (o baka mas akma ang salitang “itinakda.”)
Punta na tayo sa ikalawang punto ng aking pagiging “preso” sa paliparang Schiphol. Sa check-in counter sa paliparan sa Maynila, sinabihan akong nakansela ang orihinal kong connecting flight mula Amsterdam papuntang Prague. Kaya ang ginawa ng airline ay binago ang buong itinerary kung saan darating ako sa Prague makalipas ang 24 na oras mula sa orihinal na iskedyul. Siyemre, kasama na rito ang paghihintay nang 13 oras sa Amsterdam. Kay saya, hindi ba?
Tinanong ko kung bakit nakansela pero walang malinaw na sagot. Basta lang daw nangyari. Siyempre’y wala ring sagot kung bakit hindi ako naabisuhan nang mas maaga samantalang alam nila ang aking email at mobile phone number. Medyo natigilan ang staff sa NAIA nang tinanong ko kung may legal na batayan ba ang ora-oradang pagkansela nang hindi ipinapaliwanag ang dahilan. Makalipas ng ilang minuto, ang tanging naging sagot ay nangyayari daw talaga ito. Sa madaling salita, oo!
Paumanhin sa aking pulitikal na hugot, pero nasisilip natin sa sitwasyong ito ang galamay ng kapitalismo. Isipin mo na lang na maraming dahilan kung bakit nakakansela ang isang biyahe. Posibleng may diperensya sa gagamiting eroplano (pero nakakakuha naman ng kapalit, hindi ba?). Posibleng masama ang panahon (pero hindi ganoon ang kaso; mataas nga ang araw ang habang sinusulat ko ito). Posibleng lumindol nang malakas, posibleng matindi ang airline traffic, posibleng nagwelga ang mga manggagawa sa paliparan (pero ang mabilis kong sagot ay hindi po, hindi po, hindi po sa sitwasyong ito).
Dahil hindi makapagbigay ng maayos na paliwanag, hindi siguro ako masisisi kung iisipin kong ang ganitong klaseng pagkansela ay ginawa sa ngalan ng kapitalismo. Kakaunting pasahero lang kaya ang nag-book ng gusto kong iskedyul ng flight mula Amsterdam hanggang Prague? O baka naman sapat ang bilang ng pasahero pero hindi overbooked kaya nag-aalala ang mga opisyal na kakaunti lang ang aktwal na magpapakita sa boarding gate?
Overbooking. Ito naman kasi ang tinatawag sa wikang Ingles na “dirty little secret” sa airline industry. Hinahayaan ang ganitong gawi ng mga negosyante dahil dito sila kumikita nang malaki, kahit na paminsan-minsa’y napipilitan silang magbigay ng ganansya sa mga naagrabyadong pasahero tulad ng libreng airline tickets at hotel accommodations. Sa pamamagitan ng overbooking kasi nasisiguradong puno (o halos puno) pa rin ang mga biyahe kahit na may mga nagkansela at nagpa-reimburse ng ginastos.
Kapitalismo rin ang dahilan kung bakit hindi pinapansin ang reklamo ng mga naagrabyadong pasahero. Walang pakialam ang mga negosyante sa naantalang iskedyul o maging sa buhay o kamatayang sitwasyon (kung mayroon man) ng mga pasahero. Para sa kanilang basta-basta na lang itinatakda ang pagbabago sa iskedyul ng biyahe ng mga pasahero nila, sapat na ang tokenistang paghingi ng paumanhin. Tahimik na lang sila sa kanilang pagkamal ng milyon-milyong kita (o baka naman bilyon-bilyon!).
Kapitalismo ang nasa likod ng pagtanggi ng transfer desk na ire-book ako sa mas maagang flight. Bagama’t ang opisyal na dahilan ay “fully booked” ang mga biyahe, ang hindi lantarang binabanggit ay walang pakialam ang kapitalista sa mga katulad kong naagrabyado. Hindi rin kasi malinaw na makasagot ang airline staff dito nang tinanong ko kung saan ako puwedeng manatili sa loob ng mahigit 13 oras. Tinanong ko kasi kung magagamit ko ang airport lounge ng airline na ito. Oo raw kung may membership card ako. Pero kung wala, kailangan ko raw bumili (hindi ko na sasabihin kung eksaktong magkano, pero libo-libong piso po ang presyo).
Direkta kong tinanong kung bakit hindi puwedeng ipagamit sa mga naagrabyadong pasahero ang kanilang lounge. Ang tanging naging sagot ay iyon daw ang polisiya nila. Siyempre, walang kasalanan ang kawawang airline staff na araw-araw hinaharap ang anumang problema o reklamo ng mga pasahero. Sa huling pagsusuri, iyan naman kasi ang esensya ng kapitalismo.
Hindi ito isyu ng kalakihan o kaliitan ng “istorbong” ibinunga ng nangyari sa akin. Puwede kasing sabihin ng ibang hindi hamak na mas malala ang pinagdaanan nila. Totoo naman. Pero hindi tayo nagpapaligsahan ng kung sino ang nagmamay-ari ng kuwentong pinakanakakairita.
Patunay lang kasi ang kolektibong karanasan natin, sa loob at labas ng paliparan, sa patuloy na pagkondena sa mga kapitalista. Hayaan nating ang panawagan ng paglaban ang lumipad at umabot sa ulap ng ating diwa.
Para makipag-ugnayan sa awtor, pumunta sa https://risingsun.dannyarao.com
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UN HRC Adoption of Reso on PH a Sign of Defiance vs Govt’s Fake News, Disinformation and Threats
Rights advocates ready to help UN probe
“We are ready to submit reports. We have all the fact sheets that you can think of, affidavits, and fact-finding reports. But it is best if they can speak to the victims and their relatives of rights abuses themselves.”
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Human rights groups said they are willing to help the recently-adopted United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution calling for a probe on the dire rights situation in the Philippines.
“We are ready to submit reports. We have all the fact sheets that you can think of, affidavits, and fact-finding reports. But it is best if they can speak to the victims and their relatives of rights abuses themselves,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay in a press briefing today, June 12.
On June 11, eighteen members of the UNHRC voted in favor of conducting a probe on the rights abuses in the Philippines, including drug-related killings.
The process, Palabay said, may take a year and is set to start as soon as the commission issues a call for submission of information, to which they may submit reports. She said the UNHRC is expected to triangulate reports of human rights violations.
“Kapag gusto madaming paraan. At marami kaming paraan,” (If there’s a will, there’s a way. And we can think of many ways) she quipped.
She encouraged other groups, including the media, to submit their own reports of rights abuses.
Palabay said it is important that the UN be able to interview not just families of victims of rights abuses but also government officials, adding that “if they are not hiding anything, then they must show the books to prove that there is a vibrant judicial system in the country.”
The group added that no reprisals should arise against those who will participate in the probe.
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#PeopleSONA | Gov’t data show ‘downward trajectory’ in PH economy – think tank
“Duterte’s economic policies is creating a ‘debt bomb’ that will explode in the near future.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Halfway into his term, President Rodrigo Duterte’s massive infrastructure program may create “photogenic” and “tangible developments.” However, looking into the government’s own data reveals a slowing economy, a progressive think tank said.
Ibon Foundation Executive Director Jose Enrique Africa told the media in a press briefing July 11 that the country’s economy is actually on a downward trajectory despite the billions of public funds being poured for Duterte’s “Build Build Build” program — the biggest since the 1970s.
This, he said, is reflected in the government’s own data, which Ibon Foundation cited, analyzed and scrutinized from the people’s perspective.
As such, billions of public funds poured to carry out the massive infrastructure spending, Africa said, was still not enough to push the much-needed economic growth and may leave the country debt-bound, with future administrations paying for it.
“The government is spending beyond its means,” he quipped.
‘Debt bomb’
Duterte’s economic managers have tried to explain the downward trajectory of the economic growth, blaming the budget impasse during the election campaign.
At the onset of 2016, Africa added, the country has also been experiencing low interest rates, low remittances from overseas Filipino workers, and the decline in the outsourcing industry, resulting in absence of a stimuli that can keep its economy afloat.
“This is why they are holding on to infrastructure building,” Africa said, adding that it will only provide “illusory growth.”
Duterte’s economic policies, he said, is creating a “debt bomb” that will explode in the near future.
Africa said the government is clearly spending beyond its means. The recent improvement in the country’s credit rating should not be a cause of celebration as it does not in any way reflect the country’s development or the conditions that workers are being subjected to.
Early this year, lopsided deals with China surfaced, which Africa described as “overly biased” towards China.
Ibon Foundation said the government’s total outstanding debt is now at P7.9 trillion as of May 2019 as it increased by P2 trillion under the present administration.
Foundations of economy
Meanwhile, the foundations of the country’s economy, referring to agriculture and manufacturing industries, are being left to die.
Africa noted that instead of increasing the budget of the Department of Agriculture, it was slashed by P3.4 million in the budget allocation next fiscal year.
The recently-passed law lifting tariffs on imported rice, he added, has also left farmers open to the influx of imported rice and with about over a million agricultural workers losing their jobs. While the influx of imported rice in the local market had reduced its prices by P1 per kilo, its long-term impact will be “dramatic.”
As such, Ibon pointed out that the agriculture industry has been “left to perform chronically poor” and grew by a mere 0.8 percent last year and in the first quarter of 2019.
The Duterte administration also proves to be the “poorest distributor of land” under the already flawed agrarian reform program, with only an average of 2,920 hectares monthly, a far cry from his predecessors.
The manufacturing, on the other hand, has not improved even for a bit. The progressive think tank said the industry has been slowing down since 2012 with only about 4.0 percent growth in 2018.
Meanwhile, majority of the flagship programs under Duterte’s Build Build Build are transportation related, prompting Africa to react: “When has mobility developed an economy?”
Workers struggle under Duterte
On the ground, the country’s slowing economy may be seen in the government’s poor annual job generation – only 81,000 in 2017 to 2018, which is the lowest in all of the past nine administrations spanning about six decades, according to Ibon Foundation.
Africa pointed out that the Duterte administration is actually the stingiest when it comes to wage hikes – with the nominal wage to have only increased by nine percent, also the lowest under all post-Marcos administrations.
Should the Duterte administration hail its unemployment rate in his State of the Nation Address, Africa reminded the public that it remains as “super fake.”
Ibon said that by using its original definition, the real unemployment rate in 2018 is 10.1 percent or about 4.6 million people when the so-called “official released figures” stated 5.3 percent or 2.3 million. Official figures have been redefined in 2005 to exclude so-called “discouraged workers,” or those supposedly not seeking job for the past six months.
Regressive taxes for the poor while the rich gets richer
With the country’s economic growth plummeting, there are still business tycoons such as former Senator Manny Villar who are getting richer – snatching the top post of Forbes 500 richest, a big leap from his 12th post before 2016.
While the Villar family owns a giant real estate company, the former senator’s son Mark Villar is currently head of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Overall, the net worth of the 10 richest Filipino grew from 2.5 billion in 2016 to 2.7 billion in 2018.
Meanwhile, poverty in the country remains underreported. Based on its estimates, Family Income and Expenditure Data in 2015 found at least 50 percent or 11.4 million families faced with monthly incomes just around P15,000 or less.
Fight continues
At the end of it all, Ibon Foundation’s Rosario Bella Guzman asked: can things still get worse?
Guzman, during the bi-annual Ibon Talk, said that while Duterte’s consolidation of power may appear to be “complete,” it is not absolute. This, she added, may be seen in the cracks among his allies, with about four of them vying for the house speakership.
Human rights abuses, too, continue unabated, she said, citing the militarization of supposed civilian agencies that are at the fore of providing direct services and the actual deployment of troops through “surgical authoritarianism” as seen in the various orders of the present administration such as the infamous Memorandum 32 in the pretext of peace, social services, development, to name a few.
Guzman pointed out that anything that triggers political turbulence will bring about even more political turbulence.
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