NEWS
AT A GLANCE
Gabriela condemns rape
by Scout Ranger
The women’s alliance
Gabriela this week condemned the rape of a 15-year-old girl from Bohol,
central Philippines allegedly by a Scout Ranger based in Riverside, Bilar
town, same province.
Martina Visaya, Gabriela-Bohol chair, said government troops were involved
in several rape cases in the province, citing the 15-year-old high school
student from Carmen town as the latest victim. Other rape cases were
reported twice in Ubay and once in Balilihan. Visaya also said that after
a rape incident in Balilihan, all army troops in that town were removed.
Similarly, reports
said that the suspect, Pfc. Edrin Barrido, is believed to have been sent
away by his superior. Bulatlat
* * *
Groups demand probe of
OFW beatings in Taiwan
The Asia Pacific
Mission for Migrants (APMM) and other Filipino migrant organizations Aug.
30 sent a petition to Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) on the Aug.
2 beatings of four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by security guards of
Formosa Plastics Group, one of the biggest factories in the island.
Aside from the
beatings, the four OFWs, along with 12 others, were illegally terminated
and deported back to the Philippines, the APMM said. Their cell phones
were also confiscated and never returned.
APMM said the harassment was in retaliation for the workers’ strike in
July in protest against inhuman and exploitative conditions in factory.
The petition, the
APMM said, was needed as the CLA reportedly indicated that it will only
investigate the workers’ conditions in the factory if different groups
would want to publicize the issue and assist the workers.
In this regard, the
APMM (apmm@hknet.com
or
advocacy@apmigrants.org) seeks co-signatories to the petition to
demand the CLA to investigate the incident and ensure that justice is
served to the assaulted and illegally deported migrant workers.
Bulatlat
* * *
"September terrorist
attacks" scenario scripted ─ CPP
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) denounced Sept. 1 the
"September terrorist attack" scenario being raised by National Security
Adviser Norberto Gonzales saying it’s “part of Malacañang script to
justify the suppression of mass protests and prevent the possibility of an
anti-Arroyo uprising in the wake of the killing of the impeachment process
by the House Justice Committee last August 31.”
Gonzales, after claiming that terrorist groups are planning a big attack
this September with the help of foreign terrorists, appealed to Congress
to rush the passage the Anti-terrorist Bill.
“Malacañang frantically wants the streets to be cleared 'at all costs'
especially this September in order to pretend to the world that all is in
peace in the country especially when Arroyo goes to the United Nations to
preside over a summit of the UN Security Council on September 12,” said
Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal, CPP spokesperson.
Rosal also said that Malacañang’s "September terrorist attack" scenario
will “justify the use of martial law powers to quell protests expected to
break out in the aftermath of the killing of the amended impeachment
complaint.” Bulatlat
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