NEWS AT A GLANCE
‘Butcher of Mindoro’
terrifies Visayas human rights groups
The regional peasant
alliance, Samahan han Gudti nga mga Parag-uma ha Sinirangan Bisayas (Sagupa-SB
or Regional Peasant Alliance in Eastern Visayas) denounced Jan. 4 the
possible appointment of Brig. Gen. Jovito Palparan as chief of the army’s
8th Infantry Division assigned in the region. Palparan would
replace Maj. Gen. Glen Rabonza who will retire on Jan. 12.
Lito Gacusana, Sagupa-SB
secretary general, said that with Palparan’s deployment to Eastern Visayas,
the region will become a “howling wilderness” with human rights violations
against peasants and legitimate organizations increasing.
Palparan, called by
militant groups as the “Butcher of Mindoro,” was held responsible by
activists for the spate of killings in Mindoro and Rizal where he served
as commanding officer of 204th Infantry Brigade and 2nd
Infantry Division, respectively. Among the cases being blamed on Palparan
is the April 2003 double murder of human rights activist Eden Marcellana
and peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy.
“Our farmers have
been continuously victimized by militarization brought about by the
government’s iron fist,” Gacusana said. “We do not want another thorn (Palparan)
to prick us to death.”
Despite the cases and
complaints filed against him, Palparan was promoted brigadier general in
February 2003 and appointed head of the Philippine humanitarian contingent
to Iraq.
“Palparan has unpaid
blood debts among farmers and from the struggling masses as a whole. We
must not let that go unpaid,” Gacusana said.
* * *
‘Makabayan bonds’ for
OFWs: A swindle?
Migrante International, an alliance of overseas Filipino groups, said Jan.
7 that the Office of External Affairs (OEA) plans to sell government bonds
to overseas Filipinos sounds like “a swindle.”
OEA Undersecretary Danny Consumido said OEA aims to raise US$100 million
(P5.6 billion) by selling five-year Makabayan Investment Certificates to
overseas Filipinos in the United
States, Canada and Europe. The
investments will then be used to finance small enterprises like piggeries
or sari-sari stores.
Maita Santiago, Migrante International secretary general, said the OEA
officials could not explain the plan's safeguards and how much “investors”
will earn on their “investment.”
"This 'Makabayan
Bond' scheme proves what we have said from the onset - that the OEA and
its OFW component is all about raking in funds from overseas Filipinos,”
she said.
"This plan is likely
nothing more than attempt to shore up funds for the administration's own
political use,” she added. “We will strongly expose and oppose this most
recent scheme to again exploit OFWs.”
* * *
Militant solon vows to
block Jalosjos’ pardon
Gabriela Women’s
Party-list Rep. Liza Maza vowed Jan. 4 to oppose any move in the House of
Representatives that would support giving pardon to former congressman and
convicted rapist Romeo Jalosjos. The statement was in response to the
report that at least 50 congressmen have already signed a resolution in
favor of the pardon.
Maza, however, said
that if this resolution pushes through, “Congress will be committing a
grave injustice not only to Jalosjos’ child-victim but to all women
victims of violence and sexual abuse.” Congress should not take part in
this injustice even if the Department of Justice and Malacañang would
grant the pardon, she said.
“To grant Jalosjos
his pardon will strengthen Congress’ reputation as an ‘old boys club’
which look out for each member’s interest,” she said.
Maza also said that
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales should serve justice to victims and not
favors to old friends, like in the case of his former colleague Jalosjos.
* * *
GMA’s ouster is the
only bright thing in 2005 -- KMP
Danilo “Ka Daning”
Ramos, secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP),
berated Jan. 3 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Press Secretary
Ignacio Bunye for lying when they said that there are brighter prospects
for the country this year.
Their statements,
Ramos said, “is geared to fool the people on the real situation of our
country.”
“As can be seen by
her first move of the year Gloria is trying to rob small coconut farmers
of their hard-earned coco levy funds worth more than P130 billion,” he
said. “Besides water rates jacked up on the first day of the year, with
oil and power rates sure to follow. What is bright in that?”
Meanwhile, KMP
spokesperson Willy Marbella said Macapagal-Arroyo’s possible ouster would
be the only bright thing that may happen this year.
He said that in this
year of the rooster, people’s existence would become more of “tatlong
kahig isang tuka” (literally, three scratches, one peck; figuratively,
worse than a hand-to-mouth existence) citing the worsening economic
crisis.
“The contradictions
between the ruling class and the people will become more acute as well as
with the contradictions among the ruling cliques. In other words there
would be an all-out ‘sabong’ (cockfight) this year in our country,
Marbella said.
* * *
NDFP: AFP broke its
own truce
In a statement Jan.
4, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)-Mindanao
spokesperson George “Ka Oris” Madlos denounced the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) of violating the government’s own 22-day unilateral
ceasefire that started Dec. 16 and ended Jan. 5.
Madlos said that
while the New People’s Army (NPA) units in Mindanao honored the 10-day
unilateral ceasefire declared by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)
from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2, a 5th Scout Ranger unit conducted an operation in
Sitio Palompon, San Isidro, Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.
He added that NPA snipers were forced to fire at the Scout Rangers for
defense. Two of the Scout Rangers died.
He also said that
from Dec. 16-18, three army infantry battalions held war games in Simbalan,
Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. Moreover, he said that a certain Teofilo
Laguada was shot on Christmas day by a Leviboy Edul, believed to be a
military intelligence agent, in Kalabat, Josefina, Zamboanga del Sur.
Bulatlat
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