More than a year and two months after the killing of indigenous people’s leader Gilbert Paborada, another Pangalasag member falls. Rolen Langala, a member of the IP group Pangalasag was brutally murdered at 1:00 am on 01 December. A still undetermined number of stab wounds and two gun shots in the head took the life of the 35 years old farmer.

RURAL MISSIONARIES OF THE PHILIPPINES-Northern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP-NMR)
Room 01, Kalinaw Lanao Center for Interfaith Resources
0016 Bougainvilla Puti, Villaverde
9200 Iligan City, Philippines
T/F: +63 (63) 223 5179 
E: info@rmp-nmr.org 
S: rural.missionaries
W: www.rmp-nmr.org 

International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War

Peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) joined other political prisoners in a 10-day fast/hunger strike to protest their “continued detention, the unabated human rights violations, the continuing corruption in the government and the ineptitude of the BS Aquino Aquino regime in responding to the people’s situation in the areas hit by typhoon Haiyan.”

The peace consultants detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa and Camp Crame said in a separate statement issued today that, as a matter of principle, the NDFP remains open in continuing the peace talks “especially in the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan and the magnitude of disaster brought about by the ineptitude of the BS government in preparing for the typhoon and in responding to the situation of the victims.”

Those at the Camp Bagong Diwa however cautioned, “since there is not much hope for the resumption of peace talks between the NDFP and the GPH (government of the Republic of the Philippines), and the subsequent release of political prisoners, we see no other alternative but for this sitting president to be replaced by someone who is more capable and open to the possibilities that a peace negotiations process may prosper.”

“Ang NDF at rebolusyonaryong pwersang kasama nito ay palaging nananatiling bukas sa pagpapatuloy ng natigil na usapang pangkapayapaan at pagkakaroon ng mas matagalang mga tigil-putukan batay sa pagkakamit ng mga sustantibong kasunduan. Gayundin, walang indikasyong may maasahang hakbang ng GPH para sa pagpapalaya ng mga nakakulong na konsultant pangkapayapaan ng NDF at mahigit 440 pang mga bilanggong pultikal sa bansa,” the statement from Camp Bagong Diwa said. (The NDFP and its allied revolutionary forces are always open to resuming the peace talks and in having long-term ceasefires based on the forging of substantive agreements. At the same time, there is no indication to expect that the GPH will take steps in releasing the detained NDFP Peace Consultants, nor the more than 440 other political prisoners in the country.)

The consultants scored the government’s continuing military operations and its refusal to match the ceasefire declaration of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army in disaster-stricken areas, because the Armed Forces of the Philippines is more concerned with their war against the so-called enemies of the state than with the plight of the victims of the typhoon.

The 13 NDFP consultants are detained due to trumped up criminal charges, and in violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) signed between the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the NDFP in 1995.  The BS Aquino government has continued to renege on its earlier commitment to release “most, if not all” political prisoners in the country.  In September 2012, the GPH unilaterally terminated the peace talks with the NDFP.

The consultants also panned at the uncertainty of achieving justice, the prosecution of perpetrators and an end to human rights violations under the BS Aquino regime. “Inilalantad at dinidiinan ng mga ito ang pagiging mapagkunwari lamang, at sa katunaya’y bulok, na katangian ng kasalukuyang nakaluklok na rehimeng may dala-dala pang islogang ‘matuwid na daan’“. (These only expose and emphasize that the incumbent regime, which upholds the slogan ‘righteous path’, is simply specious and, in fact, bankrupt.)

The peace consultants’ protest fast and hunger strike is part of the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners. A parallel protest action was held by members of the Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) with members of COURAGE, GABRIELA, BAYAN-NCR, Karapatan, and other people’s organizations.

The 13 NDFP peace consultants in detention are: Renante Gamara, Eduardo Sarmiento, Eduardo Serrano, Alan Jazmines, Tirso Alcantara, Emeterio Antalan, Leopoldo Caluza, Edgardo Friginal, Alfredo Mapano, Pedro Codaste, Jaime Soledad, Ramon Patriarca, and Loida Magpatoc.

Negros, venue of NUPL National Congress, a “laboratory for trumped-up charges”

BACOLOD CITY – Human rights defenders called Negros Island the “laboratory” of the military’s tactic of swamping activists and human rights defenders with trumped-up charges, which they brand as “continuing harassment and intimidation” to silence protests.

At the press briefing here at the Third National Congress of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) on November 30-December 1, 2013 in Bacolod City, they said they will “bring the fight to the military” by countering with charges of their own, while their supporters in the Lower House vow to hold congressional inquiries.

“We will not back out from this fight. We will stand by our clients,” declared Atty. Edre Olalia, secretary-general of the NUPL, the largest nationwide organization of human rights lawyers. “We will also file charges against them administratively and criminally.”

Further, they vowed to bring international attention to the matter. Advocate Jo Deremaeker, of the Progressive Lawyers’ Network, Belgium, expressed “the grave concern of the European lawyers” on this new attack on human rights workers. She said: “I came here to express solidarity with fellow lawyers and activists who opted to join the victims of injustice and the poor. I and my colleagues in Europe are very worried about the filing of trumped-up charges against activists.”

Two Bayan Muna representatives in the lower House, both NUPL members, announced they would be filing resolutions in Congress for an inquiry on the growing trend of the military slapping critics trumped-up charges, with Negros as the military’s “laboratory”.

Reps. Neri Javier Colmenares and Carlos Isagani Zarate said they will summon during the investigation not only military and police officers, jail warden, false witnesses, but also public prosecutors and even members of the judiciary “to explain to us on their role in the prosecution and trial of these trump-up charges.:

“The trumped-up charges merely intend to silence militant organizations and individuals and stop them from exposing abuses and corruption in government,” said Colmenares, who is also NUPL president.

The military in Negros slapped murder charges against eight activists and human rights advocates.

Two of them are in detention, namely: Zara Alvarez, member of the Northern Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (NNAHRA), who has been in prison for one year. The other, Alizar Nabas, a peasant, was slapped with arson and jailed for three years.

The court has acquitted Nabas but he still languishes in detention after the military slapped him with murder, another unbailable offense.

Zarate, a former NUPL vice president for Mindanao, recalled they saw military men in civilian attire standing by at Alvarez’s detention cell.

“I asked the jailors why they allowed military men to roam around inside the detention center, and they answered me that Alvarez was a ‘high risk’ prisoner,” Zarate recalled. “I just wonder, Alvarez is diminutive, even handcuffs slide down her wrists on their own; the military men were in civilians and unarmed, their presence there is calculated to intimidate and scare her.”

“Nothing has changed under the administration of Pres. Benigno Aquino III,” noted Marie Hilao Enriquez, chair of the human rights group Karapatan. “Human rights violations continue: since Aquino came to power, 159 cases of extra-judicial execution and 16 enforced disappearances”

In the period recorded there are now 449 political prisoners that included 35 women, 12 elderly and 3 minors aside from 28 sickly ones.

NUPL, counsels for the two detainees, also represents the other accused for murder who fear they might also be thrown in jail, namely:

• Ronald Ian Evidente, spokesman of the militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno(KMU);
• Christian Tuayon, secretary-general of Bayan;
• Clarizza Singson, chair of Gabriela;
• Fred Cana, secretary-general of Karapatan;
• Gualberto Dajao, chair of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT); and
• Bernardino Patigas, secretary-general of NNAHRA

“This trend is happening elsewhere but it is in Negros where the military is most assiduous in filing trumped-up charges,” said Colmenares.

Trumped-up charges have been also filed in other parts of the country; the venues of the congressional inquiries will be in places where they happen, they said.

References:
Rep. Neri J. Colmenares
NUPL President
+639178350459

Atty. Edre U. Olalia
NUPL Secretary General
+639175113373

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National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)
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The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), a coalition of almost 60 organizations from all over the world, added its voice to those who are troubled by the presence of the American military in areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan (Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines). News reports said at least six US warships led by USS George Washington with 5,000 troop members were deployed in the typhoon-battered areas.

While understanding that the military of a number of nations have come to offer humanitarian assistance to the typhoon survivors, ICHRP recognises the concerns of locals at having continued foreign military presence in these areas. Many rural areas of the Philippines have been militarised by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who are fighting a counter-insurgency against, among others, the Communist New People’s Army (NPA). Many locals have experience of human rights violations from the very same government armed forces, who have in the past up until the present been trained and supported by the United States.

Even without this disaster, the US has been pushing for an increased and permanent presence of their troops and warships in the Philippines for its Asian pivot. At a press conference with visiting US congressional delegates on 25 November 2013, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the US military deployment in the country after Typhoon Haiyan revealed the need to conclude basing arrangements for US forces in the Philippines. Del Rosario said the massive US military deployment underlined the need for the “framework agreement that we are working on with the United States for increased rotational presence.”

The secretary general of Philippine human rights organisation Karapatan, Cristina Palabay, noted: “We are aware that Samar and Leyte and, the provinces of Negros and Panay are among the priority areas of the AFP’s counter-insurgency program, Oplan Bayanihan. We do not want to a repeat of human rights violations experienced by the survivors of typhoon Pablo in 2012. We do not want another Cristina Jose who was killed because she demanded for relief goods for her and her community members,” she said.

The key issue is whether the troops will confine themselves to the delivery of aid and how long they will remain.

“Whilst appreciating all humanitarian aid given in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda, it is imperative that US military forces are withdrawn as soon as possible. The rebuilding of communities and lives cannot happen if areas remain dominated by military presence and domination. Recent experience has shown that the AFP’s collaboration with the USA in its supposed ‘war on terror’ has, in fact, been experienced as a ‘war of terror’ waged against many ordinary people and communities in this disaster hit area,” said Canon Barry Naylor, Chairperson of the Global Council of the ICHRP.

The Philippine army has admitted that while it is engaged in relief efforts, it maintains “sufficient equipment and support to Internal Security Operations.”

Palabay has warned the government of Benigno Simeon Aquino III not to take advantage of the situation saying, “there were many instances in the past that combat operations, as part of military psywar, are disguised as humanitarian operations in communities considered by the government as ‘red-areas’. Already, Samar, Leyte, Negros and Panay are among the provinces with high incidents of human rights violations because of the government’s counterinsurgency program”, Palabay added.

Palabay concluded that “While we welcome all aid extended to our brothers and sisters in the Visayas, we don’t see the necessity of deploying missile cruisers and missile destroyers and, amphibious assault vehicles and other warships.”

References:

Canon Barry Naylor
Chairperson, Global Council
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
Office: +44 (0) 116 261 5371
Mobile: +44 (0) 775 785 3621

Peter Murphy
General Secretary, Global Council
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
Mobile: +61 418312301