The Duterte regime has reached a new low with the filing of preposterous human trafficking and kidnapping charges against veteran journalist, activist and human rights advocate Satur Ocampo, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro as they were on a fact-finding to aid beleaguered indigenous people in Talaingod, Davao del Norte. The arts and media alliance, […]
Sugar workers’ advocates commemorate Sagay massacre victims 40th day
On November 29, peasant, church and other advocates observed the traditional Catholic commemoration of the 40th day of death of the nine members of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW), commonly known as the Sagay massacre of October 28, 2018. Similar activities were held in Escalante and Bacolod, Negros Occidental.
In Manila, an exhibit made by Sinagbayan, with a belen in the shape of the massacre victims hut when they were killed surrounded by cadavers were set up in Plaza Miranda. There was also a mass in Quiapo Church where the names of the nine were read in the Sacristy and a memorial program was held after the mass.
According to NFSW Secretary General John Milton Lozande, up to now justice has not only eluded the massacre victims, and their leaders and organization have been continually vilified, but a state of emergency has been declared in Negros Occidental using the massacre as an alibi for more troop deployments in the province.
Reacting to President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement that he will have Negros Island undergo agrarian reform, NFSW said this is only a publicity stunt.
NFSW records showed that Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr., his Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, other local government officials and even some Congressmen are part of the 1,727 medium and large landlords, who according to the figures of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) control 51.63% of the 222,637.7 sugar cane areas of Negros Island. The rest are owned by small landlords and farmers.
NFSW also noted that Alfredo Marañon is Duterte’s ally.
NFSW said such pouring of more state security forces in the province and in the whole Negros Island would not lead to the so-called peace and order which military and police officials want the public to believe. They will be there primarily to protect the interests of big landlords who still lord over the Island.
The group also recorded 47 extra judicial killings (EJKs) of sugar workers and farmers in Negros, most were due to land conflicts.
Right after human rights lawyer Ben Ramos was murdered in Kabankalan on November 6, Clarizza Singson of Karapatan-Negros, Rolando Rillo and Christian Tuayon of the NFSW, and Noli Rosales of the Kilusang Mayo Uno received death threats.
Just after the president ordered a state of emergency in Negros, staff workers Felipe Levy Gelle Jr. and Enrita Caniendo of the Paghida-et sa Kauswagan Development Group, which Ramos founded, also received death threats.
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On the recent Sandiganbayan decision on the case of Imelda Marcos
At first glance, the recent Sandiganbayan decision granting bail and providing remedies for Imelda Marcos, despite their guilty verdict on the graft charges against her, may seem like an act that respects the right to due process. But placed in a context where due process is a concept repeatedly tampled by the Duterte regime, the remedies granted to Imelda Marcos by the Sandiganbayan reek of outrageous privilege or entitlement and plain double standard given to persons who have bled the country’s coffers dry.
Kabataang Makabayan in Metro Manila calls on the youth to join the revolution
The Kabataang Makabayan (KM) Lucille Gypsy Zabala brigade staged a lightning rally in front of the Far Eastern University (FEU) in Morayta on the eve of the group’s 54th anniversary. The group heeded the youth to fight President Rodrigo Duterte’s tyrannical rule and to join the revolution.
Established on November 30, 1968, KM was founded by Jose Maria Sison. The group was prominent for leading protests against foreign control in Philippine politics and economy, government corruption and growing fascism of then-president Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. It was declared illegal upon the declaration of Martial Law in 1972 and the organization went underground.
At present, KM is known as an underground mass organization that supports the armed struggle of peasants and the people waged in the countryside to seize political power from the local ruling class of big capitalists and big landlords and end the domination of foreign powers primarily the US.
The KM branch in Metro Manila is named after Lucille Gypsy Zabala, a revolutionary youth martyr and alumna of FEU. Read her story here.
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4 missing teachers in Philippine Army custody
A Church group said its four volunteer teachers missing since November 12 were abducted and are being detained by government soldiers in Lanao del Sur. The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) today said Philippine Army troopers illegally arrested and are detaining literacy-numeracy volunteer teachers Tema Namatidong (28), Julius Torregosa (30), Ariel Barluado (22) and […]
Women human rights defenders decry State attacks
Women group Tanggol Bayi and Gabriela along with other progressive groups held a picket protest outside Gate 1 of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City Thursday, November 29, in commemoration of International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. They also call for an end to the continuing attacks against Women Human Rights Defender (WHRD). Tanggol Bayi said […]
Talaingod PNP charges Castro, Ocampo and others with kidnapping
Davao del Norte police arrested ACT Teachers Party Representative France Castro, former Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo and 17 other human rights defenders who tried to rescue 74 victims of forced evacuation in Talaingod town and are being brought to Tagum City for inquest proceedings. In an alert, human rights group Karapatan-Southern Mindanao Region said […]
Teachers hold sit-down protests all over Metro Manila
Teachers from all over Metro Manila are holding a sit-down protest today to call for higher salaries and benefits in light of recent spikes in inflation. Seeking relief from their dire economic conditions, public school teachers from more than 350 schools in the National Capital Region stopped regular lessons and instead staged sit-down protests to […]